When is a Christmas comic not a Christmas comic? When it's a victim of industrial action. Late in 1950 Radio Fun (and no doubt other comics published by The Amalgamated Press) missed publication some weeks due to strikes by the printers. Therefore some issues doubled or tripled up their numbering (but, sadly, not their page length) with this issue (No.636/7) dated December 16th/23rd being one of them.
Inside, the top of every page carried the words 'Radio Fun Christmas Number' in a seasonal typeface but only a couple of the stories had festive content. As you can see above, even the cover was bereft of a Christmas logo or related story! Artwork by Reg Parlett I believe, who did a lot of work for Radio Fun.
Inside the Editor presented his readers with a Christmas message...
...but only one strip in the whole comic had any Christmas flavour! Here's Douglas 'Cardew' Robinson drawn by Reg Parlett...
There was also a half page Christmas text story...
...and that was your lot, festive-wise. With the editor not knowing exactly when strips would see print due to the strike it wouldn't be wise to commission too many Christmas stories. No doubt some readers felt disappointed by this although I'm sure the fact that Radio Fun was back on the shelves would compensate for that. (Strikes also led to several IPC comics to cease publication for several weeks in 1970/71 so there are no Christmas 1970 issues of certain IPC titles.)
Here's another page by Reg Parlett from that issue. No Christmas theme but it's such a nicely drawn set that I thought you'd like to see it...
Another Christmas comic flashback soon!
Radio Fun looks like such an amazing comic full of vitality similar to those 50s early 60s Beano's (its it energy)every issue I see looks like the artists/writers were all at the top of their craft - the Douglas 'Cardew' Robinson strip by the late (amazingly) great and missed Reg Parlett is wonderful - thanks for showing these Lew -McScotty
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