Comics UK

Pheonix: They're the front and back of the same flyer! It's roughly A5 sized and was found in an issue of The Boys Friend from early 1904.

The Halfpenny Marvel started in 1893, and became The Marvel around 1897 (I have a bound volume of odd issues from that decade) but continued the numbering from the Halfpenny Marvel. It was renumbered in 1904 when it became a penny.

In the case of the Sexton Blake Library, the first issue came out in September 1915, the second series started in June 1925 (with the first series ending in May). The third series came in June 1941, the "fourth series" didn't re-start the numbers and ended in 1963. The fifth series started in 1965 as a series of paperbacks.

The Nelson Lee Library I'm not so sure of, but I think it started in 1917, got re-launced twice over the twenties and thirties (one of them was in 1930, but I don't know which) and ended some time before the war.

No Felneymike did mention the New Hotspur before me (but I hadn't spotted it) luckily my post looks like I'm just confirming his information. Many titles back in the early 20th century were relaunched - I bought a Tiger Tim's Weekly no 1 from ebay only to find it was "new series". The most confusing title (as i have found while making a checklist) is the Wonder/Funny Wonder/Halfpenny Wonder - here goes:

Harmsworth Issues:

The Wonder 30/7/1892-27/1/1893 issues 1-27
Funny Wonder 4/2/1893-22/4/1899 issues 1-325
Funny Wonder New Series 29/4/1899-25/5/1901 issues 1-109
The Wonder 1/6/1901-9/11/1901 issues 110-133
The Wonder 16/11/1901-3/5/1902 issues 1-25
Wonder & Jester 10/5/1902-17/5/1902 issues 26 & 27
Jester & Wonder 24/5/1902-20/1/1912 506 issues start from number 28

Amalgamated Press issues:

The Wonder 30/5/1913-21/3/1914 issues 1-64
Halfpenny Wonder 28/3/1914-19/12/1914 issues 1-39
Funny Wonder 26/12/1914-16/5/1942 1404 issues starts from issue 40
The Wonder 30/5/1942-12/9/1953 from issue 1444 (317 issues)

This info was copied from Denis Gifford's British Comics Price Guide.

stevezodiac wrote:No Felneymike did mention the New Hotspur before me (but I hadn't spotted it) luckily my post looks like I'm just confirming his information.

Sorry, Steve, I hadn't spotted it either. I must also apologise to Digi as he hadn't taken his eye off the ball after all.

felneymike wrote:The Nelson Lee Library I'm not so sure of, but I think it started in 1917, got re-launced twice over the twenties and thirties (one of them was in 1930, but I don't know which) and ended some time before the war.

I hope this helps, FM. Issue 1 of Nelson Lee Library was published on June 12th 1915, the free gift being a General French button. The price went up to 2d on November 26th 1921. The last issue in the series was 568 on April 24th 1926. Number 1 of the new series appeared the following week, dated May 1st 1926.

I have no record of the relaunch in 1930 that you mention but the fact that the final issue of a later series was 161, and that appeared on February 18th 1933, means that there must have been one in between. My best guess is that it would have occurred on February 15th 1930 because Nelson Lee gave away a free gift boomerang that week, and a Home Jazz Kazoo Hummer the following week, such gifts often being an indicator of something new and important happening. As a consequence, I don't know when the May 1st 1926 series ended, or exactly when the 1930 series started, although I assume that ended on February 18th 1933. Perhaps you could fill in the gaps for me so that I can update my own records.

Number 1 of the new series, still costing 2d, appeared the following week, dated February 25th 1933. The final issue of the series was 25, which was dated August 12th 1933, after which it was consumed by Gem. The following week, the combined title Gem and Nelson Lee duly appeared, dated August 19th 1933, Gem's numbering being used from that point on. The last issue of Gem was 1663, and that appeared on December 30th 1939, after which it was incorporated into Triumph. The combined title Triumph and Gem appeared the following week, dated January 6th 1940, Triumph's numbering being retained on this occasion. It was not destined to survive for long. The last ever issue was 814, and it was dated May 25th 1940. The price was still 2d.

By the way, my username is Phoenix, not Pheonix. Those pesky vowels, eh!

What about Vulcan - it had a few issue run (can't recall the numbers) in Scotland then went UK national (I think) with a new Issue 1 - no/yes? -

Yeah, probably does count.

tolworthy wrote:On an American comics forum they're arguing over the first comic to be relaunched later in its run with a new "first issue." The debate is over reboots in 1984 and 1986, but I can't help wondering if some British comic was relaunched long before that?

Several American comics were relaunched with new number ones long before that. Notably Green Lantern, Dr Strange, Man-Thing, Swamp Thing and Blue Beetle.

tony ingram wrote:

tolworthy wrote:On an American comics forum they're arguing over the first comic to be relaunched later in its run with a new "first issue." The debate is over reboots in 1984 and 1986, but I can't help wondering if some British comic was relaunched long before that?

Several American comics were relaunched with new number ones long before that. Notably Green Lantern, Dr Strange, Man-Thing, Swamp Thing and Blue Beetle.

What about the latest reset of the American superhero genre? Would that count?

You mean DC's New 52? I think that's a prime example, and probably what started this discussion in the first place. It's more recent than the example in the first post though, and so is irrelevant. Tolworthy's looking for examples prior to 1984.

For US comics pre 84 there was E- man since its original (and best Charlton) incarnation in 73 ish it's had a least 3 new number 1 runs (Comico, digital webbing, First comics etc) - the US is littered with new 1st issue runs (pre 84) some even even shifting publishers more than once like Eman - including: the Phantom (who must have more 1st issues than most) Plastic man , Blue Beetle - the Spectre, Teen Titans, Capt Marvel (although under the title " Shazam" at DC) JSA etc not to mention titles like Fear, Savage Tales etc that have relaunched - Can't think of any other UK comics other than those mentioned here though

*Fetches the actual Amalgamated Press archive volume of Nelson Lee for Jan-June 1930 down* harright!
The final issue of the first "new series" of The Nelson Lee Library was 194, cover dated January 18th 1930. This was actually still labelled "New Series" from the previous re-launch. The story is called "The Fellow Who Won!". Next week (cover dated January 25th 1930) the title was relaunched from a new issue 1 (still labelled "new series"!) with the story "Rogues of the Green Triangle!". This story also features St. Franks burning down and Nelson Lee, Nipper and a few other boys relocating to London, where they set up a school for detectives! They come back to St Franks a few months later.

Re The Nelson Lee Library, I was reading my Encyclopedia of the Old West last night (written by our very own Denis McLoughlin) and came across this entry for a real life Nelson Lee who wrote a book about his days as an Indian captive entitled Three Years Among The Comanches. He led quite a colourful life so could have inspired the fictional character's name. I couldn't scan the first part as it was near the spine but it said:

LEE, NELSON Born at Brownsville, New York in 1807, Nelson Lee began his itineracy of the west when he was







Just googled his book and it is available as an e-book. When they eventually release the Kindle Fire here i'll download it.

The most confusing title (as i have found while making a checklist) is the Wonder/Funny Wonder/Halfpenny Wonder - here goes:

Harmsworth Issues:

The Wonder 30/7/1892-27/1/1893 issues 1-27
Funny Wonder 4/2/1893-22/4/1899 issues 1-325
Funny Wonder New Series 29/4/1899-25/5/1901 issues 1-109
The Wonder 1/6/1901-9/11/1901 issues 110-133
The Wonder 16/11/1901-3/5/1902 issues 1-25
Wonder & Jester 10/5/1902-17/5/1902 issues 26 & 27
Jester & Wonder 24/5/1902-20/1/1912 506 issues start from number 28

Amalgamated Press issues:

The Wonder 30/5/1913-21/3/1914 issues 1-64
Halfpenny Wonder 28/3/1914-19/12/1914 issues 1-39
Funny Wonder 26/12/1914-16/5/1942 1404 issues starts from issue 40
The Wonder 30/5/1942-12/9/1953 from issue 1444 (317 issues)

Is it any WONDER we're all confused I find the change in merged title from Wonder and Jester to Jester and Wonder most surreal! And after only 2 Issues. Brilliant! LOL! Comics , gotta love 'em!

The Cap.

stevezodiac wrote:Amalgamated Press issues:

The Wonder 30/5/1913-21/3/1914 issues 1-64
Halfpenny Wonder 28/3/1914-19/12/1914 issues 1-39
Funny Wonder 26/12/1914-16/5/1942 1404 issues starts from issue 40
The Wonder 30/5/1942-12/9/1953 from issue 1444 (317 issues)

I assume you made a mistake here. Otherwise it went from issue 1404 as the Funny wonder then renamed The Wonder started it's issue numbers 40 issues later on!

No it means there were 1404 issues starting from issue 40. I spent a lot of time and brain cells trying to fathom it out.