The Christmas CHIPS (1939)

Here's my final Christmas choice for this season, and indeed forever, as Blimey! will end on December 31st so there'll be no festive covers from me next year. Therefore I thought I'd make sure this last choice is a good 'un! We travel back in time 80 years to this week in 1939 where this wonderful edition of Chips was in newsagents across the UK. 

We all have our favourite eras for comics but there's no denying that the 1930s were a fantastic period for beautifully drawn Christmas logos. Percy Cocking has put everything into this title design; Father Christmas, decorations, stockings, holly, crackers, Christmas pud, the traditional slap-up feed, and even an appearance by the editor, Fred Cordwell, in the top left there hosting the event. And yes, characters were frequently shown smoking and drinking in kids' comics back then!

Percy Cocking was also the artist on the Weary Willie and Tired Tim strip. Two of the very earliest comics characters who'd been around since Tom Browne created them in 1896. They appeared on the front cover of Chips until its final issue in 1953. 

Tucked away on page two was the editorial, and a sad reminder of the era this comic was published in. It was 1939, war had begun, and the editor makes references to evacuees, and those in the forces...

Chips was in its usual 8 page tabloid format on pink paper and the centre pages had an array of tightly packed humour strips. Here's a sample...

Ivor Klue the Great Detective, drawn by Albert Pease...

Casey Court, also by Albert Pease (he was very good wasn't he)...

Pa Perkins and his son Percy, by Bertie Brown...

Homeless Hector... often by Bertie Brown but I'm not sure who drew this one...

There was also a small advert for that year's Radio Fun Annual. The price of half a crown (12 and a half pence) would have been quite expensive back then...

By the way, I don't know how many of you noticed, but I put Weary Willie and Tired Tim, and Homeless Hector, into the Cor!! Buster Humour Special as little cameos. I'm intending to do the same again in the Buster strip I'm drawing for next year's Cor!! Buster Easter Special. Gotta keep those old characters alive!

Copyright Rebellion Publishing Ltd.

I hope you've enjoyed this festive selection. I'll be doing a handful of posts after Christmas but the blog will cease to be updated after 31st December. See you soon and may I wish you a Happy Christmas!

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This week in 1942: CHIPS No.2,693

There's nothing significant about this issue of Illustrated Chips but it's been a while since I posted an old cover (and "old" to me is anything pre-1959) so I thought I'd select this issue which would have been in shops exactly 77 years ago this week. At that time, Chips (and many other comics) were fortnightly due to wartime paper rationing, so although it carries the date of Nov.28th it would have been published two weeks earlier.

The cover strip Weary Willie and Tired Tim was, as ever, by Percy Cocking, who'd draw it until the comic ended in 1953.

I thought I'd show the Casey Court cartoon from the back cover too, as I know some of you like these busy images. Art by Albert Pease.

Comics of this vintage and older are always the least popular on this blog and receive less views than others. I know most fans are only interested in comics of their own nostalgia but from my point of view if you're interested in comic art it shouldn't matter what decade they're from! These comics appeared 17 years before I was born and I think they're great!

The New Year CHIPS (1941) ...and news about this blog

Here we are at our final destination in our travels through British comics history, and we've landed on New Year's Eve 1940 ready for the dawn of 1941! It's the original Chips comic (AKA Illustrated Chips) with a seasonal cover by Percy Cocking that's bursting with life.

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...

Chips would later be affected by paper shortages, reducing its size and appearing fortnightly, but at this point it was still in its original tabloid size, 8 pages, on pink paper, and weekly. Contents were typical fare from the publishers The Amalgamated Press, with a good balance of strips and prose stories such as Dane, The Dog Detective...

Here's a selection of the strips, starting with Professor Jolly and His Magic Brolly by Harry Earnest Pease (H.E. Pease), the younger brother of artist Albert Pease...

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!

Finally, on the back page, the brilliant Casey Court by Albert Pease, who also drew Alfie the Air Tramp beneath it...

...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! 

Willie and Tim in 1932

Who's for another dip into the past? Here's the cover to Illustrated Chips No.2165, dated March 5th 1932 scanned from my collection. The permanent cover stars of the comic are Weary Willie and Tired Tim, drawn by Percy Cocking.

Willie and Tim were very popular with the readers of the time. Possibly the most popular comics characters of the early 20th Century... although Ally Sloper and Tiger Tim probably gave them a run for their money. 

Illustrated Chips is now one of the comics owned by Rebellion Publishing, so it'd be nice to see a collection of such vintage material. I doubt it'd happen though, as interest in such strips these days is too small to make it viable. Perhaps somehow, one day though...! 

CHIPS 'Happy Gift Number' (1932)

These days, free gifts in comics are usually promoted on the polybag they're kept in. Before that, they'd be mentioned on the front cover, often accompanied by an illustration of said gift in action. Back in 1932, this "Happy Gift Number" of Illustrated Chips didn't show the "Splendid Toy Pistol" it was giving away but the occasion did merit a fancy celebratory masthead. 

As ever, those jolly wandering tramps Weary Willie and Tired Tim held the cover position, drawn by Percy Cocking. I've always liked comics of this period; the storylines are basic and contrived but the art is so full of life and expression. 

The long tradition of British comics giving away toy guns continues to this day, except now they're called "blasters" (never guns or pistols) and they shoot sponge darts. 

CHIPS, this week in 1947

This time 71 years ago, Chips was still on a fortnightly schedule, a lingering result of wartime rationing. Still, its 8 pages packed a lot in for 2d. Let's have a look at a few of the strips, scanned from an issue from my collection. As always, click on the images to see them much larger.

On the cover as always was Weary Willie and Tired Tim, just as they had been every issue since 1896, and would continue until the final edition in 1953. Artwork by Percy Cocking.

The centre-spread of Chips featured a variety of short strips including these three examples. Peter Quiz is, I think, drawn by Arthur Martin...

Laurie and Trailer by Albert Pease...

Homeless Hector by Bertie Brown...

On the back page, Casey Court by Albert Pease, and Alfie the Air Tramp (by John Jukes I think)...

Sadly, these old comics and their creators are mostly forgotten now, but hopefully Blimey! can help to inform or remind the current generation of our UK comics legacy! 

Comic Cuts Seaside Holiday Number (from 1923)

Back before the days of the Summer Special, weekly comics had a holiday theme to their regular issues. One of which being Comic Cuts No.1735, dated August 11th 1923, which was re-named for this week as Comic Cuts Seaside Holiday Number. Let's take a quick look at some of the content.

The cover strip was The Adventures of Jolly Tom, the Menagerie Man, and was drawn by Percy Cocking, one of Amalgamated Press' top artists. (He also illustrated Weary Willie and Tired Tim on the cover of Chips at this time, along with many other strips.)

The format of this "special" was exactly the same as any other week; 8 tabloid sized pages in black and white. (The standard format of comics of the time.) There was an equal balance of prose stories and comic strips, with the centre pages featuring lots of short strips. Here are three of them...

Page 7 had a busy layout of humourous stories, cartoons, ads, and the "Orfice Boy" recounting his trip to Margate...

On the back page... an sad reflection of how black people were regarded back then, re-presented here for historical purposes and to help give younger readers an inkling of what they had to put up with. I believe the artist of Comic Cuts Colony was Julius Stafford Baker. I'm sure the intention was just a "bit of fun" with no intended malice but it's still dehumanising a race. I've heard the argument that "everyone was caricatured back then, including white people". No. Not to the extent of the grotesque exaggerations of black characters, as one can see by comparing Comic Cuts Colony to the strip beneath it. In comics back then, white characters had slight exaggerations, whilst non-whites were completely distorted and depicted as almost sub-human (and referred to in racist terms). We need to ensure we never return to those days. 

ILLUSTRATED CHIPS of Easter 1937

Let's go back in time 80 years, to Easter 1937, when this issue of Illustrated Chips was on sale. Despite its limitations of only being printed in black ink on pink paper, the strips are bursting with fun and joy. The Holiday Antics of Weary Willie and Tired Tim is drawn by the ever-reliable Percy Cocking, the strip's regular artist. 

As with most comics of the period, the centre pages featured a busy mixture of short strips and cartoons. Here's a selection, starting with Ivor Klue, drawn by Albert Pease...

Again, as was the format of the times, only half of the comic featured strips. The other 50% being taken up by text stories. This page managed to fit in a prose story, the fictional office boy's weekly column, and two adverts...

The back page of this 8 page tabloid featured two very popular features; Casey Court, and Laurie and Trailer, both drawn by Albert Pease...

I hope you've enjoyed this Easter holiday trip back to 1937. Have a good weekend wherever and whenever you go! (Don't forget that the new series of Doctor Who starts on Saturday at 7.20pm.)

(This week's 2000AD preview will appear on Monday.)

"Throw us a copper!"

Here's a quickie from the archive. The cover of Illustrated Chips No.2,177 from back in May 1932, showing a crowd throwing a policeman off a pier. It's a scene you'd be very unlikely to see in a children's comic today. Artwork by Percy Cocking.

...and from the back page of that same issue, Casey Court, as I know a few of you like this feature. Artwork by Albert Pease.

101 years ago this week... CHIPS No.1313

With no mention of Halloween (as the custom wasn't a big thing in the UK then, and was probably still frowned upon by many) here are a few strips from the issue of Illustrated Chips No.1313, published 101 years ago this week in 1915. The Great War was raging, and there are wartime references in the strips, but Chips was a light distraction from worries of the horrors of the front line.

As ever, the cover stars were Weary Willie and Tired Tim, drawn by Percy Cocking, who would illustrate the strip until the comic's final issue in 1953! 

The format of Chips was the then-traditional 8 page tabloid; half prose stories, half strips. The centre pages featured tightly packed sets of short strips and cartoons. Here are a few of them. (I'm afraid I don't know who illustrated them but if I find out I'll add credits.)

The adverts in the issue suggest that Chips was still aimed at all ages at this time, with an emphasis on the older reader (an advert for a rupture cure!). The Charlie Chaplin Fun Book was a compilation of his strips from The Funny Wonder by Bertie Brown, plus new cartoons. So the 'comic album' or collected edition is nothing new!

On the back page, the eternally popular Casey Court drawn by M.C. Vietch, plus various mini-strips.

The creators of these strips (and sadly all the original readers) are all long since gone now, but artifacts such as this have survived the decades to give us an insight into those times.  

The JOKER - Easter 1929

Hop on board the Blimey-Timey Machine and let's go 'way back in time to Easter 1929 to see a popular weekly of the day. The Joker was a black and white tabloid consisting of 8 pages, much like most of the other comics published by Amalgamated Press back then. 

Advisory: The Jim Crow and Oliver Twitter cover strip is very much a product of its time with its racial caricature, and should be seen in that context. It's a weak, contrived story but the artwork by Percy Cocking does the job. 

As with all A.P. comics back then, the centre pages featured five shorter strips. Here's a couple of them. Our Wandering Boy is by Albert Pease...

Tilly Tappit the Typist is by Louis Briault...

Here's another strip using stereotypes that would be considered unacceptable today. (There was a lot of this stuff around in those days, and for decades afterwards unfortunately.) O'Doo and O'Don't - The Irish Two. I'm not sure who drew this...

Again, as with the other A.P. comics, the 8 page format featured a 50/50 division of prose stories and comic strips. Here's one of those prose stories, a complete tale called The Spurtfire's Easter Eggs!

On the back page, The Cruise of the Winklepin, drawn by H.C. Milburn...

These early British comics are mainly ignored and overlooked by most fans and the news media now but I think it's good to remind ourselves of our comic art roots. I hope you've enjoyed this brief look back. Happy Easter!