Comics UK

Just been over on the Book Palace website and noticed some interesting books are being published in the next few months for British comic fans. Top of the list for me will be The War Libraries - The Fleetway Picture Library Index Vol 1 by Steve Holland and David Roach and Aarrgghh!! The Best War Comic Cover Art also by David Roach. I'll also fork out the pennies for The Best of June and School Friend, not least because it was my better halfs fav title when she was girl in 1965 and frozen to death, and The Best of Look-In, which will no doubt remind me of how ITV used to be when it was the stand alone answer to to the multi-channel power of the BBC. Bring back The Flaxton Boys I say!

Kashgar wrote:I'll also fork out the pennies for The Best of June and School Friend, not least because it was my better halfs fav title when she was girl in 1965 and frozen to death

...You married an Eskimo???

I'm also looking forward to this. From what I can remember the title was very much a female equivalent to Lion and Valiant (though I hope they include more credits than the recent Girl, Jackie and Boyfriend collections). Does anybody know if it'll include the legendary episodes of 'Password to Freedom' drawn by Alex Toth in 1966?

- Phil Rushton

This surely opens up the market for a 'Best Of Valiant/Lion/Tiger/Victor/Hotspur' etc book? If a girl's comics nostalgia title is marketable, I hope it gives us a chance to see a boys' one...!

On a (slightly) related note ... does anyone know if Aurum are going to follow up their 'Dandy' and 'Broons' titles from last year for this years Xmas market (maybe the next annuals or another title like the first 'Hotspur' or 'Beezer' book or something like that?)

philcom55 wrote:

Kashgar wrote:I'll also fork out the pennies for The Best of June and School Friend, not least because it was my better halfs fav title when she was girl in 1965 and frozen to death

...You married an Eskimo???

I'm also looking forward to this. From what I can remember the title was very much a female equivalent to Lion and Valiant (though I hope they include more credits than the recent Girl, Jackie and Boyfriend collections). Does anybody know if it'll include the legendary episodes of 'Password to Freedom' drawn by Alex Toth in 1966?

- Phil Rushton

No I didn't marry Gobble Gobble Gertie! Years ago in order to confirm his extreme decrepitude the comedian Arthur Askey would always say that he was born in 18 hundred and frozen to death. Now being born in 1950 and frozen to death seems to be unnervingly appropriate.
I've no idea what will be featured in the June & School Friend volume but like Tiger & Hurricane, with which I most associate it as they all amalgamated and took the same format in the 1965, the original comics are a nice chunky 40 page handful well worth picking up if you get the chance.

I hope The Best of Look-In reprints some old TV schedules...

...not very likely, is it?

Was the Alex Toth strip a US reprint or a new strip created for the UK? I'm a big fan of Toth and would love to find out and track this down????

Cap Haggis wrote:Was the Alex Toth strip a US reprint or a new strip created for the UK?

The latter I believe (like Jerry Siegel's scripting on the Spider and the issue of Battle Picture Library that was drawn by John Severin). I'm afraid I've been trying to track it down for years myself, but with no success as yet.

- Phil Rushton

From reading Bear Alley
(love reading the artist and seeing pictures from Playhour..etc.)

There a new book about Ladybird books...
http://www.theweeweb.co.uk/ladybird/boys_girls.php

Just brought back some nice memories and some nightmares see the books
Billy goats gruff that troll under the bridge was scary!
the big pancake.....the gingerbreadman with yet another sad ending..the fox and the hens remember the fox getting cooked......these books were for kids......But boy did they stay in the mind due to the shock endings...also the illustrations had a real mood to it...

Now if they could just bring out the best of Beezer...Smash...Whoopee...Buster...Sparky...Topper with picture stories and original art...heres hoping..

Spencer wrote: On a (slightly) related note ... does anyone know if Aurum are going to follow up their 'Dandy' and 'Broons' titles from last year for this years Xmas market (maybe the next annuals or another title like the first 'Hotspur' or 'Beezer' book or something like that?)

Amazon list the facsimile of Beano annual no. 1 for 1st October.