Good comics for adverts - late 1950s?

Shaqui · Post by **Shaqui** » 30 Apr 2007, 19:15

My website associate Kim Stevens has been looking for adverts for cereals (mainly Kelloggs but others would be of interest), and premiums promotions, and found that 'Buster' was excellent for this kind of think in the 1960s. Now he wants to go back and research the late 1950s but, as 'Buster' started in 1960, would like recommendations for comic titles that might have the same kind of material.

Thanks in advance.

stevezodiac · Post by **stevezodiac** » 30 Apr 2007, 20:45

Unfortunately 50s comics tended to have small quarter page ads rather than the full page colour ads that developed in the 60s and didn't advertise breakfast cereals too much (if at all). The best source for these is women's magazines like Woman and Woman's Own which had colour ads in the 50s whereas Woman's Weekly was black and white throughout. Breakfast cereals advertised in 60s comics usually had some sort of gift promotion that tied in with kids' interests like the Hannah Barbera characters or Gerry Anderson stuff. I actually have a Kellogs ad shown with four Tiger comics from 1969 I am selling on ebay which you may be able to copy. It is an ad for Sugar Smacks with a Joe 90 promotion. I have never worked out how to download pictures to this site despite coaching but if you give me your e-mail i can send some 60s cereal ads to you. Might be able to find some 50s ones too.

philcom55 · Post by **philcom55** » 30 Apr 2007, 21:22

Yes, I seem to remember that Tiger presented a pretty rich seam for this sort of thing - particularly when the cereals were giving away free gifts like plastic figurines, satellites, yachts, submarines, animals, etc. (in fact I've always thought it would be a brilliant subject for some kind of nostalgic coffee table book!) I'll see what I can find when I get chance: is there any particular item Kim was looking for?

- Phil Rushton

Shaqui · Post by **Shaqui** » 30 Apr 2007, 23:09

Hi Phil & Steve,

Kim was specifically trying to pinpoint the dates of premium figures in Kelloggs cereals: Cowboys (possibly 1957), Red Indians (possibly 1958), and Knights (possibly 1959), and Robin Hood )could be anytime petween 1958 to 1962. 'Buster' provided adverts and dates for several previously vague sets of premiums - promotions being every few months. So if 'Tiger' ran in the late 1950s and had an appreciable level of advertising, it might be worth tracking down volumes to check.

If we get a chance, we'll try checking out the women's magazines as you suggest, Steve.

Kashgar · Post by **Kashgar** » 01 May 2007, 10:49

Hi Shaqui, As I've got a complete run of Tiger from 1957 to 1962 I'll have a look through them to see what Kellogs material turns up. Because it was published as a tabloid title at this time it usually had more impressive ads than its smaller stablemate Lion although like Lion apart from its front cover it was printed only in bw. You might find more eye-catching ads in the colour gravure titles that ran in the same period like TV Express.

philcom55 · Post by **philcom55** » 01 May 2007, 16:48

I'm afraid my Tiger collection is nowhere near as complete as Kashgar's, but it really is hard to find any edition from the late 50s that doesn't advertise some breakfast cereal or other: after all, mums may have actually bought the stuff but kids who read comics like Tiger were the real target audience for all those free gifts.

I think these were probably the red indians you had in mind (circa 19/7/58 - no.202):

[img:302:815]http://uk.geocities.com/philcom55/indian.jpg[/img]

- I actually had one of the winged figures shown in the picture. It was moulded from brown plastic and presumably represented some kind of shamanistic dance, but as far as I was concerned he was really a superhero who could fly like Hawkman!

I've also got an advert for some knights from 25/4/59 (no.242) - another set I remember collecting at the time, but these were produced by Welgar rather than Kellogg's since they were given away in packs of Shredded Wheat 'Cubs'.

- Phil Rushton (I'll try to find something in colour if and when I get the chance.)

stevezodiac · Post by **stevezodiac** » 01 May 2007, 20:53

I found a few ads last night but two were for Weetabix and one (in Film Fun) was for Shreddies both non Kellogs cereals i'm afraid. I remember those Kellogs kings and queens heads from the 60s. you cut out the head of a historic monarch from the back of the pack and then folded it to make a 3d image of the aforementioned king/queen. Kellogs also did a promotion featuring Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound and Pixie & Dixie and Jinx in the 60s.

Shaqui · Post by **Shaqui** » 02 May 2007, 09:04

Do you have dates for those adverts, Steve? While Kelloggs did the majority of premiums, others are of interest to Kim too.

Phil, Kim asked me to send on thanks for that scan - very much appreciated!

Kashgar, b/w is okay. Any scans of any cereal ads would be appreciated, plus info on the issues they were in.

grumpy old man · Post by **grumpy old man** » 02 May 2007, 09:31

This is a hazy memory but didn?t Snap, Crackle and Pop the Kellogg?s Pixies (or whatever they are) have a strip in Lady Penelope or some other ?girls? comic in the sixties? In a similar vein to the Clarks Commandos strips in ?Boys? comics

Kashgar · Post by **Kashgar** » 02 May 2007, 10:38

Had a quick look through Tiger 1957 to 1962 and managed to find three of the four sets of figures you,re looking for. No Robin Hood set within the time frame as far as I can see though.
Details as follows
Cowboys (6 figures) Nov 1957 Sugar Frosted Flakes
Red Indians (6 figures) July 1958 Sugar Frosted Flakes
Knights in Armour (6 figures) Mar 1959 Rice Krispies
The 'Knights' set includes a bowman. Is it possible this is where the idea that their was Robin Hood set comes from? Just a thought.
If of interest other figure sets available during the period include the following
Guards Band (6 figures) Mar 1958 Corn Flakes
Circus Models (only 5 mentioned) Oct 1959 Sugar Smacks
Spacemen (6 figures) Oct 1960 Rice Krispies
Other than figure sets other Kellog freebies during this time included marbles, a skiffle whistle, an 'atomic' sub, Jig-toys, metal puzzles, Hanna-Barbera badges, a 'donkey-derby, model sets of sports cars, frontier rifles and 'the fastest cars in the world' as well as card sets featuring international soccer stars, 'famous firsts' and locomotives.
This list of course doesn't take into account the similar array of stuff given gratis by other cereal manufacturers of the period.
In the main the adverts that appeared in Tiger were of the type in Philcoms example ie a vertical half page.

Shaqui · Post by **Shaqui** » 02 May 2007, 14:05

To 'Grumpy', Snap Crackle & Pop had a back page ad strip in 'Candy', drawn by Eric Kincaid. Whether it appeared in any other comics I can't be sure of.

Kashgar, you are now officially Kim's hero!

A bigger favour to ask... are you able to provide scans of these or, if not, could you provide the full date of each issue? Sadly Neither Colindale or St. Pancras see to hold 'Tiger', or we would make a trip to source them ourselves. As it is, we'll be looking at dealers and eBay for originals if not. Thanks in advance.

Kashgar · Post by **Kashgar** » 03 May 2007, 11:16

Hi Shaqui, Always happy to help. Sadly I can't provide any scans but I'll gladly send Kim photocopies of the relevant ads if you can email me a postal address.
Phil has already scanned you the ad for the cowboy set so just let me know what else you need.
By the way I also had a quick look through issues of 'Express Weekly' for the relevant dates to see if they also carried ads for the same premiums just to see if any were produced in colour. As it turned out all three sets were advertised but all only in bw. In fact the Red Indian and Cowboy sets only warranted a quarter page ad each although the Knights set did still get a full half page, this time displayed horizontally rather than vertically as had been the case in 'Tiger'.
Mind you, while Kellogg's seem to have been reluctant to splash out money for ads in colour in 'Express Weekly' other cereal manufacturers certainly weren't. As, in the same period, Sugar Puffs, Shreddies and Shredded Wheat all had half-page ads in colour to promote '10 Famous BMC Model Cars', '10 Great Parade of Transport' models and '4 Guns that really shoot' respectively while Shreddies also went even one better, taking over the whole of the full colour back page for two issues in Sept 1958 to promote their '20 Prehistoric Monster' premiums.

Shaqui · Post by **Shaqui** » 04 May 2007, 13:07

Hi Kashgar

I've sent you a PM with details. Many thanks!

kim · Post by **kim** » 01 Jun 2007, 21:53

I don't know if this is the sort of thing which would interest anyone else, but I've made a start at compiling a list of cereal advertisements in children's comics, here:

http://www.technodelic.pwp.blueyonder.c ... ereals.htm

If anyone has copies of advertisements not listed, scans of them would be much appreciated.

Corporal Clott · Post by **Corporal Clott** » 04 Jun 2007, 11:31

I must confess to getting my parents to buy me a pair of ?Dan Dare? pyjamas I saw advertised in the Eagle. I was then photographed wearing them in the back garden. An image that still makes me blush. The Eagle was a veritable gold mine for adverts. If I recall correctly, I think it was also possible to buy Dan?s entire uniform! One thing I didn?t get hold of was Dan?s space gun ? I had to make my own. I even recall an art competition in which a certain boy called Gerald Scarfe sent in a drawing.