Comics UK

Digifiend wrote:

irishjohnp wrote:Illustrated Chips or 'Chips' comic

No. 2989 - 18th July 1953
No. 2994 - 22nd 1953

just a few issues away from the final issue of this series, I'm guess they just couldn't compete with The Beano & Dandy

You have to admit, those monochrome covers won't have been very appealing compared to the colour covers of the Thomson titles.

Although Chips had run for over 60 years without any full colour so it must have been doing something right.

I bought the Denis Gifford book The British Comic Catalogue, 1874 - 1974. Published in 1975 but I don't think I ever saw it in the bookshops. Despite Denis' usual mistakes on more recent comics (e.g.: crediting Leo Baxendale for work done by Ron Spencer, Mike Lacey, etc, calling Ron Turner Rowland Turner, not recognising Brian Lewis' work, and so on) I'm sure his research on Victorian and golden age comics is more accurate as that was more his forté. Very pleased with the purchase anyway, and I'm sure it'll prove very useful in identifying artists from pre-1950s comics. I miss books like this from Denis. (I think I have all his books on comics now.)

Lew Stringer wrote:

Digifiend wrote:

irishjohnp wrote:Illustrated Chips or 'Chips' comic

No. 2989 - 18th July 1953
No. 2994 - 22nd 1953

just a few issues away from the final issue of this series, I'm guess they just couldn't compete with The Beano & Dandy

You have to admit, those monochrome covers won't have been very appealing compared to the colour covers of the Thomson titles.

Although Chips had run for over 60 years without any full colour so it must have been doing something right.

True - but when it started in the late 19th century the majority of comics had black and white covers. That was no longer true by the time it folded. They simply failed to modernise after World War II. It wouldn't have folded if it was still successful in 1953. You could compare issues from before World War I and the covers would look similar, just with a different masthead.

We're in agreement, James. I've said several times that the A.P. humour comics had failed to move with the times by the 1950s. Even the replacement for Chips and Comic Cuts, TV Fun, which began the week after they folded, still looked old fashioned even though it had full colour covers and centrespread.

Even so, out of the hundreds of titles published over the years, a 63 year run for Chips (and 66 years for Comic Cuts) has only been beaten by Dandy and Beano, so let's give those A.P. comics their due.

Lew Stringer wrote:Even the replacement for Chips and Comic Cuts, TV Fun, which began the week after they folded, still looked old fashioned even though it had full colour covers and centrespread.

Early issues of TV Fun carried a text story series about a female spy called Valda. As this was a very unusual Christian name I can't help wondering whether Thomsons were later to borrow it from their rivals for one of their most iconic characters.

Although Chips had run for over 60 years without any full colour so it must have been doing something right.[/quote]True - but when it started in the late 19th century the majority of comics had black and white covers. That was no longer true by the time it folded. They simply failed to modernise after World War II. It wouldn't have folded if it was still successful in 1953. You could compare issues from before World War I and the covers would look similar, just with a different masthead.[/quote]

Your right, their format has hardly changed over the years within Illustrated Chips. The contents are pretty much the same. alot of the early ones had a centre spread of 'funnies' with the remaining pages having text stories with the odd one-panel cartoon. more like reading early Punch magazines. with luck attached is the covers of my issues from 1898 & 1913 for your viewing pleasure. sorry the pics aint any better. its always dark by the time im home from work! (bloomin eco-bulbs)

Illustrated Chips
#397 - 9th April 1898

Illustrated Chips
#1213 - 29th November 1913 - Christmas issue (in November?)

irishjohnp wrote:Illustrated Chips
#1213 - 29th November 1913 - Christmas issue (in November?)

Perhaps that one was on sale for longer, as a potential stocking filler, in those days before annuals and Christmas specials?

Busy weekend!

30 Commando comics around the #4000 mark filling a few more gaps
6 Smash comics from 1967 doing the same
Masters of The Universe #1 - 1987
Tarzan Monthly #1 - 1977
Adventures in 3.D #1 - Streamline 1953 with free gift 3.D glasses! - I'm looking forward to receiving these!

Dr Who weekly #1 with free gift 1979, Valiant Summer Special 1978, Starlord Summer Special 1978 - all were going really cheap so if not better than the copies I have, these will be sold on.

Tarzan Comic Vol. 2 #1 - Donald F. Peters - 1951
Action War Picture Library #1-30 (-1) - MV - 1965
Battle Action in Pictures #1 - Miller - 1959
Double Duo #1 - Williams - 1976 - - I've been after this for a while
Mandrake the Magician #1 & 2 - World Adventure Library - 1967 - I still need The Phantom, Bonanza and Tarzan #1s to have all of the 8 WAL #1s although this one wasn't in the best condition.
Sabre War Picture Library #1-10 - 1971 - I now have all the Sabre #1s
Western Club Library #1-10 - 1976 - I now have all the Club #1s
Lassie #1-4 - World Distributors - 1951 - really nice old comics

I really need to get out more!

another batch arrived. I'll slow down buying soon.... maybe

Dandy Comic

#450 - 8th July 1950
#499 - 16th June 1951

I'll never understand why the Beano still sells better than the Dandy. ok so after 1948 we had Biffo the Bear & within the 1950s the core powerhouse of Dennis, Minnie & the Bash Street Kids etc arrived, but pre-1948 I thought the Dandy had a stronger stock with Desperate Dan, Our Gang etc.
Maybe once the Beano fan base took off the completists wanted the Beano back issues more than the Dandys even though the Beano back issues in the 40s bare no relation in contents to the 1950s. still great Dudley Watkins artwork in both.

The Boys Friend #340 - 14th Dec 1907 - Christmas issue

quite tatty condition & riddled with old sellotape repairs, but it was cheap & I don't have any others, so for a christmas issue, worth a bid. mainly a storey paper.

Whizzer & Chips - 6th April 1985 - 1st issue with Whoopee comic joining W&C.

Bubbles Comics

#611 - 31st Dec 1932 - New Year issue

Bubbles Comics

#610 - 24th Dec 1932 - Christmas issue