Just for a change of topic, let's look at something different, but kind of related to comics. "Sweet Cigarettes" were a very popular treat when I was a kid and there were numerous brands associated with them. Today you'd know them better as "Candy Sticks" but back in the 1960s they had a dob of red colouring on one end to give the illusion of a lit cigarette.
They became "Candy Sticks" later because it was deemed inappropriate for little kids to mimic smokers. Although they never inspired me to start smoking, they did encourage a sweet tooth!
There were loads of characters who had their own Sweet Cigarette packets; Doctor Who, Thunderbirds, Huckleberry Hound, and many more. Each packet had a free full colour card inside, encouraging kids to collect the set of 50 or thereabouts. This was, as you may know, a junior version of the cards given with packs of real cigarettes in the early to mid-20th Century.
The examples I'm showing here today are from the Popeye sets produced by Primrose Confectionary of Slough. I think there were four sets in all, but I only have the few shown here. (I doubt anyone ate their way through over 200 packs to get every card!) They originated from the early 1960s but they must have been reprinted as I had these in the late '60s.
As for their relevance to comics, I believe that some Popeye cards (if not all) were drawn by Denis Gifford. That certainly looks like his lettering, and he could mimic the style well enough to do a convincing Popeye. If anyone knows for sure, please let me know.
Admittedly this isn't a comics topic but I hope it'll be of interest to some of you. Many years ago, tobacco companies incited smokers to buy their brand by including a free picture card inside every packet. Each series of cards would cover various subjects, and one such series was Famous Film Scenes, issued in 1935.
I recently re-discovered these cards whilst sorting through my late mother's belongings. I hadn't seen them for years and I remember her telling me that my grandad used to collect them for her. (I notice she pencilled her initials on the back of every card.) My mum would have been 10 years old in 1935, and like most people at the time she loved the cinema and film stars of the day.
As you can see, the cards are coloured from black and white photographs, with details enhanced and painted; a technique that might seem crude today but was state of the art back then. I think it still looks very effective, and although the eyes and lips are a bit harshly coloured on some cards the skin tones are quite subtle.
As you can see, the reverse of each card carried information on the film in question. An ideal and compact way to enrich a fan's knowledge. It looks like my grandad managed to collect 46 of the set of 48 (No.6 and 41 are missing) and there are no duplicates so I assume my mum must have swapped them with her friends. Here are a few of the cards, front and backs. (As always, click on images to see them larger.)
My grandad stopped smoking in the 1940s so I don't know how long cigarette cards (or 'fag cards' as they were known) continued for. I imagine companies dropped them when the dangers of smoking became more evident. (Cards in packets of Brooke Bond tea were common when I was a kid, and I collected those in the 1960s.)
Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this brief look at these 80 year old collectibles!
