The Christmas PUCK (1939)

Puck ran from 1904 to May 1940, so this 1939 issue was its final Christmas edition. Published by Amalgamated Press, Puck was an 8 page tabloid, although this festive issue has 12 pages.

I'm not 100% sure who the cover artist is. My feeling is that it's Roy Wilson, but he had so many imitators, due to editors telling other artists to "ghost" him, it could be John Jukes or someone else entirely! I'm betting it's Wilson though.

Inside, Rob the Rover was a popular strip of the time, drawn by Walter Booth.

Captain Spree and his Merry Three is typical of the times, in a bad way, in that it includes a racist caricature character, "Inky". His appearance becomes even more noticeable because Trixie is drawn almost realistically. One positive point is we're told that Inky is a "bright and brainy black boy", which I suppose makes a change from black characters being depicted as dim and slow-witted as shown in other strips. 

My research informs me that the Puckville strip at the bottom of that page is by Bert Hill. 

Like other comics of the period, Puck contained a balance of strips and prose stories. One of the latter featured Rin-Tin-Tin the famous canine star of the movies...

On the back page, - Dick Drew, the Hunted Cowboy - Fighting for his Own! I don'y know who drew it, but it's highly competent artwork and has seasonal references so I'm including it here. 

One of the great injustices of British comics history is that for decades most artists were not allowed to sign their work. Writers also went uncredited. I try to identify strips if I can (and others inform me too) but it really is a disgrace that so many brilliant creators are forgotten now, for no good reason whatsoever. 

Another Christmas comic tomorrow, so please join us again!