They were grim days for kids back then, in the heart of World War 2, their fathers probably away with the forces, and themselves perhaps even evacuated far from home. Comics such as Chips played an important part in trying to keep their spirits up, as this editorial explains...
Pa Perkins and his son Percy drawn by Bertie Brown...
Homeless Hector, also by Bertie Brown...
Here's an advert for some early Disney merchandise!
...and now an IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT about this blog.
We all know that nothing lasts forever, and after 12 years I feel that it's time to wind down Blimey! I will blog again, and the next post will be in about a week's time or so, but posts after that will be few and far between. Eventually they'll cease altogether. However, there'll be some exclusives as the year progresses.
Yeah, I know I said something similar 12 months ago, then carried on blogging practically every day "due to popular demand" as they say, but after all these years I'm finding it a bit of a chore. Also, I've felt that the last year has taken Blimey! off course a bit by focusing too much on current comics and not enough on the past. It was never intended to be a review site but it seems to have veered that way a lot. The whole point of Blimey! was to show old UK strips that modern readers may not have been aware of, although after 12 years of blogging I think I've done my bit. I'll be 60 in a few month's time, which feels like a turning point, and I intend to make some changes in my life.
In case you were wondering, yes, the old posts will remain on the 'net and you'll still be able to leave comments. Bear in mind though that all comments are subject to moderation (to deter trolls and spammers) so please don't post the same comment multiple times if it doesn't appear straight away. I can only verify them for publication when I log on.
For 2019 and beyond I need to focus more on my career, and Blimey! can sometimes be too much of a time-consuming distraction. My other blog, lewstringercomics.blogspot.com - the one about my own strips, - will continue, and I'll probably spend more time on that promoting my work, showcasing my old strips, and talking about my experiences and thoughts about the comics industry. You'll find that here:
http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com
There are of course other blogs out there to keep you informed about the UK comics scene. The best by far, in my opinion, is John Freeman's Down the Tubes blog, where you'll find the latest news on 2000AD, Commando, and pretty much everything that's going on in British comics. It's also an ideal place to let people know about your new comics if you're self-publishing:
https://downthetubes.net
There's also Steve Holland's Bear Alley blog, for very well researched articles on classic material:
https://bearalley.blogspot.com
For the latest news on the Marvel Collectors Editions published by Panini UK the best place is from their official Facebook page:
https://en-gb.facebook.com/MarvelCollectorsEditions/
Likewise, the best place for news about the upcoming Treasury of British Comics collections is here:
https://en-gb.facebook.com/britcomics/
Official site for indie comics publisher Kult Creations:
http://kultcreations.blogspot.com
Official site for indie publisher Time Bomb Comics:
http://timebombcomics.com
Irmantas Povilaika's Kazoop! blog for lots of classics by Ken Reid and others:
http://kazoop.blogspot.com
Phil Boyce's Oink! Blog and Beyond for features on Oink! and other comics of the 1980s and beyond:
http://the-oink-blog.blogspot.com
Peter Gray's Comics and Art blog for classic comics:
http://petergraycartoonsandcomics.blogspot.com
Colin Noble's blog:
https://nothingbutafan.wordpress.com
...and you'll also find links to many other blogs and websites in the right hand sidebar of this blog (if you're reading this on a desktop computer).
I'd like to thank you all for following and supporting Blimey! over the years. I know some of you have been reading it since it began in 2006! We've seen off one or two silly troublemakers over the years but that was a while ago now and 99% of you have always been fantastic, posting positive comments and helpful info. For those of you who have come on board more recently, have a rummage through the archives to see what you've missed. There are over 3,000 posts here, so you should find something of interest! Simply type the name of a comic, a story, character, or creator into the search window on the right hand column of this blog and Bob's yer uncle. It looks like this:
As I said, I will post again, but very infrequently, and remember you can still find me at my other blog at http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com.
For now though, I wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year and hope that you enjoy the New Year's Eve celebrations with good company. I certainly intend to!
The end of a blog as considered and full of appreciation of the medium as yours is a sad moment. However the decision to do so to allow you a renewed focus on your career can only be a positive for those of us who enjoy your work. Blimey has rightly led to you being considered by many as an important historian of UK comics. Many write about comics, but your position as a creator within the industry, rather than that of just an interested onlooker, has given your work a unique flavour. My favourite insights have been your ability to identify the creators of specific strips just from their work. I have also appreciated your obituaries of little known creators whom I might otherwise not have known about. Many thanks for sharing your insights over the years, and good luck in your future enterprises!
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Daily Mail 60 is the new 30! Or was it the other way around? Heading for 60 in nine months tine so I can see for myself then. I have enjoyed reading your blog especially the features on the older classic comics. Hope you have a prosperous 2019 with all your publishing endeavours.
ReplyDeleteKen
Thanks for your kind words, Ken and Tiniebras, and for being regular followers of this blog. Best wishes for 2019.
ReplyDeleteThis is like Alf Wallace's final message in Fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI only started my blog in order to be there to promote the new Dandy back in 2010. Nowadays I sometimes go six months without posting, so I know what you mean. I still have a handful of 'insights into the comics world' to publish sometime, but time and especially the pleading and in some cases warning from those I'm about to write about have meant I haven't done it yet.
Your blog is always worth reading though, Nigel, but I know what you mean. Even intending to write a quick post can turn into half an hour or more.
ReplyDeleteLew
ReplyDeleteI've thoroughly enjoyed your blog over the years and is one of the first things I look at each day.
Thank you for all of your posts - I shall look forward to rediscovering your archive.
All the very best for the future.
Have a good year...Chips was sure a great comic...thanks for all your posts...hope the blog will be what you want it to be... Hope you can do some more old comic posts...But look forward to what you do next in your career,, thanks Lew..
ReplyDeleteMy blog is mostly on facebook now I find it quick and easy and more interactive...
Thanks Peter. There'll be a couple of posts about current comics in January, and hopefully a special exclusive in the not too near future. Beyond that, I've no idea. No plans for any more posts on old comics but never say never. All the best for 2019 to you!
ReplyDeleteHi, Lew.
ReplyDeleteI just want to thank you for this blog. Not only a great place for finding out facts but got some great covers for my lists.
I hope you had Xmas and a Happy New Year.
Kind regards
SID
I understand your reasons, but I am very sorry to read about your decision to wind down this Blog. Blimey! has been a regular destination, for me, over the last few years and I have always enjoyed your posts... while marvelling at the amount of time you put into creating them. As a small time Blogger myself, I know how much of a time consuming a job it can be and even the simplest subjects can turn into an hour and a half, of brain wringing work. So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for helping to educate me about the old British comic books and the people who wrote and drew them. Be at peace and I hope that you enjoy your life, after age 60, as much as I have enjoyed mine, after reaching the same milestone.
ReplyDeleteAll the very best,
Chris
Thanks Sid, and Chris.
ReplyDeleteLew,
ReplyDeleteYour blogs are always well researched and all that scanning would have driven me crazy a long time ago.
I suppose it's now an opportunity for the rest of us to delve into your rich archive.
So thank you from an avid reader. And keep scratching away at that drawing board :)
qamar
What!!!!???
ReplyDeleteNooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!
Ah, I guess it has to come. Thanks Lew, it has been a pleasure.
Lew, I've enjoyed and been educated by your well researched and illustrated pieces. Thanks and see you elsewhere!
ReplyDeleteThanks, folks. My other blog will still be active so I'll still be in the Bloggerverse.
ReplyDeletehttp://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com/2019/01/new-readers-start-here.html
Have enjoyed reading over the years immensely and will miss your updates, but completely understand. Hope 2019 is good for you Lew.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lew, for all your work and sharing all those terrific pages from the past with us. I know how hard it is to keep a blog going, and the fact you have lasted so long is an achievement. I am down to blogging once a month now (aside from reviewing, fb, and forum activity) and I find that manageable. Good luck in your future endeavors.
ReplyDeleteThank you both. There will be a couple of new posts this month as I promised friends I'd plug their comics. Not sure after that, though, but will definitely be plugging something new for the Spring.
ReplyDeleteHow much alcohol was involved in the creation of Alfie the Air Tramp?
ReplyDeleteAlso what happened to him in the end? Rumours suggest he took part in an ill-advised daylight mission over Bremen and didn't come back?
But seriously, thanks for all the blogging Lew!
My heart sank when I saw the title to this post, as I recalled your previous comment a while ago about the amount of time that writing the blog takes and its possible denouement. So I had guessed what was coming at the end of the post.
ReplyDeleteI must say that it's been a delight reading the blog over the years, mainly because of your knowledgeable and informative articles on comics past and the artists who created them. I will miss it but shall continue to enjoy reading your other blog. Maybe you could squeeze the odd nostalgic post in there now and again! ;)
So farewell then 'Blimey!', my go-to blog of choice with the best masthead in blogland!
Thanks for the effort you have put into it Lew.
Will miss your blog Lew it has been fun and on a personal note it has on few occasions helped me through some bad times sitting at at hospital bed "waiting" (sounds shallow but sometimes you need a fun memory) - still I hope to see the odd post now and then, but if not I still have lots of old posts to look at here.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your hard work on this blog, Lew, and happy 60th birthday when it comes :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, folks.
ReplyDeleteSteve, I will post some of my own old stuff on my other blog, and give some background info on those comics, when I have the time.