WHAT was the 1st GREAT BRITISH COMIC??? (All credit to Sid as he asked)

[jim244]

SID asked what was the first great British Comic.
I thought that was a really great question so started this thread.

[jim244]

I'm going for Ally Sloper Half Holiday.

[Adam Eterno]

The Glasgow Looking Glass. 199 years old next month!

[starscape]

Given it's not 'what was the first comic' but 'the first great comic', I'd probably say Valiant. This pushed comics ahead. The DCT action and adventure stable was fairly dull and the Fleetway still in the safe 50s style of storytelling. The Eagle looked great but only Dan Dare stands the test of time. Valiant was the first comic that had thrills and excitement that kick-started the Sixties style of storytelling and led to the changes in tone for e.g., Lion and Hotspur, eventually allowing Action and 2000AD to exist. Sixties Valiant is still readable. I'm not sure many of the Fifties comics are.
(I'm ignoring humour comics here as they never got me excited)

[SID]

Thank you for this compliment, Jim.

As to the question, my factual answer would be that I would concur with Jim and Adam.

However, in preference, I think I would opt for Comic Cuts especially after the turn of the last century where it started to look like a comic we would recognise today.

Now if I ignore humour comics then I would choose for Eagle.

Sorry, Starscape but I disagree. There were a number of good strips including Riders of the Range, Luck of the Legion, Heros the Spartan, PC 49 to name a few.

But I do agree that in the 60s & early 70s, Fleetway/IPC shone with their imagination though my favourite is Lion.

[Isslord]

I prefer war comics. So that would be War Picture Library.

If it has to be a weekly then it's Victor.