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Saturday, November 03, 2007

Light up the sky


Sometime over the next day or two I'll be blogging about that long-abandoned theme in British comics, - the Firework issue. The focus will mainly be on the 1960s, as that's where most of my reference is from, but for now here's a couple of ads from those days. Both are from copies of TV Century 21 from 1965 although they ran in most other comics of the time too. (The main exceptions being the DC Thomson funnies which carried no paid advertising in those days.)


As always, clicking on the images will enlarge them. (I've enlarged the Standard Fireworks one much bigger than printed size to see the fireworks in detail. Note the prices, - 6d and 3d each!)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

so where is the promised article on firework COMICS?

Lew Stringer said...

It's in the blog entitled "Gunpowder treason and plot" from the following day!

As promised.

Lew

Anonymous said...

More sparkling (pun intended) nostalgia. I remember Guy Fawkes Days (and fireworks-themed comics) from the '60s when I grew up in Bedford, Beds., UK. The ads bring back memeories of the fireworks sold over the counter in the same corner newsagents' as the comics --and of the commercials for Standard and Brock. "Light Up the Sky With..." Still recall the jingle.

At various times I have read different issues of all the comics represented here. Had a standing order for Cor!! at a local shop.

I remember Dare-a-Day Davy (once sent a dare in but it wasn't used.)

No way a story like that would be published today.
By the way, how long have kids over there done trick-or-treat (of which I now disapprove but did take part in as a kid over here)?


Best


Mike Mittelstadt

Watertown, NY

Lew Stringer said...

Hi Mike, Trick or Treat only gained popularity in the UK within the last 20 years or so. It's now a huge money spinner for shops, with masks, plastic devil's tridents, costumes etc for the kids. I can't say as I approve of kids hammering on old people's doors for treats though.

Lew

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