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Saturday, June 07, 2014

70 years ago...

 Last Monday, the Daily Mirror contained a free copy of the complete 'D-Day' edition of the paper as a commemorative souvenir. The issue is dated June 7th 1944, so I don't know why it wasn't given away today, exactly 70 years later, rather than 6 days early, but it was a good freebie all the same. 

Back then, the Daily Mirror only had 8 pages an issue (wartime paper restrictions and all that) but it was packed with information. Interestingly, comic strips featured heavily, taking up 37% of the paper, and the political cartoon dominating page 3.

If you missed the reprint, here's a few pages from it. The issue that was on sale exactly 70 years ago today. I've cleaned the pages up a bit in Photoshop as the reproduction in the paper was a little off register. Click on the pages to read them at a legible size.

Cartoon by Philip Zec.


Strips:
Buck Ryan by Jack Monk and Don Freeman.
Beelzebub Jones by Hugh McClelland. 
Belinda by Don Freeman and Tony Royle.
Popeye (US syndicated strip) by E.C. Segar.
Ruggles by Steve Dowling.
Garth by Steve Dowling.

Jane by Norman Pett.
Just Jake by Bernard Graddon.

Back page pocket cartoon:
Useless Eustace by Jack Greenhall. 

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Amazing to think that folk back in the day opened their paper to red such monumental news (nowadays its mostly trash on some nonentity pop / film star) Really hits home what that generation had to do. Great to see the comic strips (some great art in there) I always recall reading ym dads paper as a kid for the comics and there were always so many especially on a Sunday, now I cant think of many papers that carry many cartoon strips - pity I missed this darn, so thanks for showing it Lew

Lew Stringer said...

The Mirror still features six regular strips every day but two of them are reprints. (Perishers and Garth.)

Overall though, papers don't have the respect for cartoons and comic strips like they used to. When Piers Morgan was editor of the Mirror he dropped the gag cartoon 'Laughter' section and boasted about it. Never liked him.

Unknown said...

Wasn't aware the Mirror had 6 strips might pick it up for a look this week (the Daily Record is the big "red top" seller in Scotland)Tend to read the Herald, Guardian or Independent more which have very few cartoons. Yeah I agrre, Im not a fan of Piers Morgan either

Lew Stringer said...

The Mirror's comics page is worth a look although I don't buy it regularly. The strips are in colour now, which is not only unnecessary but the reproduction isn't as sharp as back in the days of black and white newspapers.

What strips does the Record carry? I'm not sure if it's widely available around here.

Anonymous said...

Paul just pick up it from shop a new logg at it. Got fund saje

Lew Stringer said...

What?

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