Looking back ----childhood comics

[abacus]

In the 40s/50s my childhood was a busy time probably yours was the same, story papers were of little interesr to me except for the illustrations.
One of the few colour comics around at the time was Mickey Mouse.
Looking at thie one shown from my collection I .can now see why the front and back pages were of the main interest to me.
As I remember the back page of this comic was always taken from Disney film.
The written parts would hàvè gone unread.
For some reason I can't remember having many issues of this comic Compared wìth other comics around at the time.

[old paw broon]

That's a nice looking comic but I never read it as a wee boy. I'm very well aware of it now, though. The first photogravure comic, I think. There looks like some lovely stuff in there. Can you tell me what the swords and shields story is, please.
I started right away on cowboys and superheroes in the '50's. Gene Autry and Ace Hart were favourites and both have stayed with me. Most weeklies I got to read were at the barbers, he always had a box. At Christmas there were annuals. Like you storypapers were of little interest although some of them had exciting covers.

[stevezodiac]

In 1965 my mate, Terry Smith (he was born five doors away back when we were born at home, he's still a friend now), knocked on my door and showed me TV Century 21. I bought it from issue 21 every week until it merged with Valiant. Meanwhile I had come across the Power comics but could only afford Pow! but I remember buying the first issue of Fantastic and putting the scars stickers on my wrist and hands. I also liked Superman family comics especially the short Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen stories. But then I spotted Spider-Man 50 with that legendary cover on the spinner rack in the newsagents and had to buy it. I became a marvel fan there and then. In the seventies it was Frank Dobson's Weird Fantasy shop every Saturday and buying every Marvel superhero and horror title when they came in each month. By then I was working and so bought every UK juvenile title each week.

[abacus]

That's a nice looking comic but I never read it as a wee boy. I'm very well aware of it now, though. The first photogravure comic, I think. There looks like some lovely stuff in there. Can you tell me what the swords and shields story is, please.
I started right away on cowboys and superheroes in the '50's. Gene Autry and Ace Hart were favourites and both have stayed with me. Most weeklies I got to read were at the barbers, he always had a box. At Christmas there were annuals. Like you storypapers were of little interest although some of them had exciting covers.

The first picture shows all the pages of the comic as you can see there weren't many.
This comic is dated July 10 1948, and the cover reflects the 1948 summer olympic games to be held in London.

The second picture is the sword and shield story you mentioned and I'lI be amazed if you can read it at this reduced size.

[Adam Eterno]

Once Upon a Time is the first comic I read regularly. I then progressed to Valiant. In 1972 we moved to Saudi and for the next 3 years I could only get US comics so I read Archie, Casper and similar until I found Marvel and fell in love. Returning to the UK in ‘74, I gorged myself on Marvel UK and didn’t really look at anything else until I was much older!

[abacus]

In the 50s it was all 'Play up ! And play the game ! ,stiff upper lip and for girls, Jolly hockey sticks !
I hardly ever read story papers although there were a number around at the time with great cover illustrations.
The school stories in them seemed middle class a bit like the bbc at the time.
I have some now in my collection and here's a flavour of them and I'm sure I have other titles but I can't be bothered to start digging for them, because I know once I turf them out of the cupboad I won't be able to get them back.



A word on the Hotspur comics shown.
My son bought them on Ebay a long while ago and they had coupons or adverts cut out so were not really of any use.
I keep them apart from my collection and although my first instinct was to bin them, since they have survived for many years it is best to save them.
All faulty comics or annuals I keep on one side some with a note explaining whats wrong with them with the intention of not letting them go into re-sale.
This is not some saintly gesture it's just fair dealing.

[stevezodiac]

You could always frame this Hotspurs and sell them on eBay or put them on your own wall. I have framed comic covers on my bedroom wall. From the Denis Gifford book of Christmas covers. (The pages are perforated for removal and framing and I came across several copies for 50p each a few years ago).

[abacus]

You could always frame this Hotspurs and sell them on eBay or put them on your own wall. I have framed comic covers on my bedroom wall. From the Denis Gifford book of Christmas covers. (The pages are perforated for removal and framing and I came across several copies for 50p each a few years ago).

Perforated eh ! what luxury ! my versions not.

[old paw broon]

Thanks for the info. abacus. We've both said it, many storypaper covers and illos are very well done. I don't read the school stories - the only ones I really enjoy are Bunter and Nelson Lee - but in the storypapers there are a lot of exciting sf stories and a few genuine superheroes and masked mystery men, my particular interest.

[Into The Abyss]

Growing up my first foray into comics were reading then colouring in my elder brothers broadsheet Toppers, Whizzer & Chips , Cor and numerous other cool titles. You can guess he wasn't amused. I being four years younger got annuals instead, which I usually got for Christmas mainly because my parents thought they were more durable as I was a little destructive bugger as a kid. One Tricky Dickie comes to mind.

Eventually when I was deemed sensible enough to have my own comics, I think it was was around the late 70s early 80s, used to get ordered at my local newsagent my very own Dandy & Beano comics, as well as the libraries too, besides my usual teeth melting toffee logs , fish & chips and out of this world Sherbet UFOs mixture.

[abacus]

A number of newsagents in the 50s stocked a few of the Classics Illustrated comics which was my introduction to famous books.These comics must have been very popular at the time, so popular in fact that they were re-introduced in 2008 for a more difficult market.
I have a number of the old version and as shown several of the new version.

Two versions of The Mutiny on the Bounty are shown , the newer version is numbered 9 the old version 100 also the new version is slightly smaller .

[abacus]

Not sure when Halloween began to be commercially celebrated in britain but I know that growing up in the 50's it was never considered as a special day of interest..Nov 5 bonfire night was of more importance.

The witching hour was limited to comics here are a few from my collection for that halloween mood.