Blimey! blog reader David Whitwell has very kindly sent me some images of various firework issues from pre-war British comics. There's a great selection here as you can see, and they show the formula house style of comics from the Amalgamated Press. Some are drawn by the great Roy Wilson, who other A.P. artists were encouraged to imitate, but it's not always easy to determine who drew what as the imitators were such skilled craftsmen in themselves. Unfortunately therin lies the problem of trying to identify the artists of pre-war comics, but David has generously provided some info for these examples.
1: (Above) Golden No.3, 6th November 1937. Cover art by Roy Wilson.
2: Puck No.1736, 6th November 1937. Logo by Roy Wilson. Cover artist undetermined. Possibly Wilson?
3: Puck No.380, 4th November 1911. Cover artist unknown. Note kids smoking on the cover!
4: Crackers No.403, 7th November 1936. Cover art by Reg Parlett.
5: Rainbow No.1290, 5th November 1938. Cover art possibly by Bert Wymer.
My thanks again to David for these superb covers!
These are wonderful...thanks to you both..
ReplyDeleteNow next years Beano and Dandy firework cover has to beat these...
the past can sometimes be better...these super eye catching covers prove it..
At the Daily Mirror type in fireworks you get to see some funny...over the top...black humour of Pip, Squeak and Wilfred playing with fireworks..Wilfred is often thrown around by the Catherine wheel...also reading the text underneath about bonfire night is so different today..e.g all the children get to hold a firework...before the firework display starts..
quote
The advantage of a " communal" firework
display, of course, is that you can not
only enjoy letting off your own fireworks—
if you have any—but can also view, free of
charge, the fiery glory of those of your
friends.
THEIR '' PROGRAMME ' '
A proper programme has been arranged.
It has been very wisely decided to let off
the small " golden-rainy " fireworks firstr—
those that small children can hold in their
hands—working up, by degrees, to the
Giant Jack-in-the-Box and the superb
Roman Candle as a fitting conclusion to
the show.
Everybody is eagerly looking forward to
the lighting of the tremendous Catherine
wheel, the property of Bertie Brown.
Bertie Brown (the cartoonist of Charlie Chaplin)
It was a different world...fun to read..
What fantastic scans! Great work both of you. Something asbout those covers that brings a real glow of Nov 5th as a child. Penny for the guy, bonfire, jacket potatoes.
ReplyDeleteReally nice stuff, and the artwork is just lovely.
Piley
It's great to see these (what must be) incredibly rare British comics. The Puck one in particular is interesting in its attitudes towards smoking as David points out... but they are all marvellous and I thank both you guys for sharing with us.
ReplyDelete