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'{{short description|Comics originating in the United Kingdom}} {{use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox comics nationality <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics--> |bodyclass = hlist |image = <!-- filename format only --> |imagesize = <!-- default 250 --> |caption = |date = 1828<ref>{{gcdb issue|id=1689396|title=Bell's Life in London #330}}</ref> |notable publishers = * [[Amalgamated Press]] * [[D. C. Thomson & Co.]] * [[Fleetway]] * [[Nobrow Press]] * [[SelfMadeHero]] |notable titles = * [[Comic Cuts]] * [[The Dandy]] * [[The Beano]] * [[Eagle (British comics)|Eagle]] * [[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]] * [[Viz (comics)|Viz]] |notable people = * [[Tom Browne (illustrator)|Tom Browne]] * [[Dudley D. Watkins]] * [[Leo Baxendale]] * [[Frank Hampson]] * [[Frank Bellamy]] * [[Pat Mills]] * [[Raymond Briggs]] * [[Posy Simmonds]] * [[Alan Moore]] * [[Grant Morrison]] * [[Dez Skinn]] |notable series = |notable characters = * [[Ally Sloper]] * [[Andy Capp]] * [[Desperate Dan]] * [[Dennis the Menace (UK)|Dennis the Menace]] * [[Bash Street Kids]] * [[Dan Dare]] * [[Roy of the Rovers]] * [[Charley's War]] * [[Fred Bassett]] * [[Jane (comic strip)|Jane]] * [[Judge Dredd]] * [[The Adventures of Luther Arkwright|Luther Arkwright]] |lang1 = British English |related# = <!-- upto 3 --> }}{{Comics navbar}} A '''British comic''' is a periodical published in the United Kingdom that contains [[comic strip]]s. It is generally referred to as a '''comic''' or a '''comic magazine''', and historically as a '''comic paper'''. British comics are usually [[Comics anthology|comics anthologies]] which are typically aimed at children, and are published weekly, although some are also published on a fortnightly or monthly schedule. The two most popular British [[comic book|comic]]s, ''[[The Beano]]'' and ''[[The Dandy]]'', were released by [[DC Thomson]] in the 1930s. By 1950 the weekly circulation of both reached two million.<ref name="Armstrong">Armstrong, Stephen. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/pixar/11766202/Was-Pixars-Inside-Out-inspired-by-The-Beano.html "Was Pixar's Inside Out inspired by The Beano?"] ''The Telegraph''. 27 July 2015</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Dandy owner DC Thomson to end comic's printed edition |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-19284222 |date=16 August 2012 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=16 August 2012}}</ref> Explaining the enormous popularity of comics in [[British popular culture]] during this period, Anita O’Brien, director curator at London's [[Cartoon Museum]], states: “When comics like ''The Beano'' and ''Dandy'' were invented back in the 1930s – and through really to the 1950s and 60s – these comics were almost the only entertainment available to children."<ref name="Armstrong"/> In 1954, ''[[Tiger (Fleetway)|Tiger]]'' comics introduced ''[[Roy of the Rovers]]'', the hugely popular football based strip recounting the life of [[Roy Race]] and the team he played for, [[Melchester Rovers]]. The stock media phrase "real 'Roy of the Rovers' stuff" is often used by football writers, commentators and fans when describing displays of great skill, or surprising results that go against the odds, in reference to the dramatic storylines that were the strip's trademark.<ref>Tomlinson, Alan; Young, Christopher (2000), "Golden Boys and Golden Memories: Fiction, Ideology, and Reality in Roy of the Rovers and the Death of the Hero", in Jones, Dudley; Watkins, Tony, A Necessary Fantasy?: the Heroic Figure in Children's Popular Culture: Vol 18, Garland Publishing. pp. 190–191</ref> Other comics such as ''[[Eagle (comic)|Eagle]]'', ''[[Valiant (comics)|Valiant]]'', ''[[Warrior (comics)|Warrior]]'', ''[[Viz (comics)|Viz]]'' and ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]'' also flourished. Some comics, such as ''[[Judge Dredd]]'' and other ''2000 AD'' titles, have been published in a [[tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloid]] form. Underground comics and [[British small press comics|"small press"]] titles have also appeared in the UK, notably ''[[Oz (magazine)|Oz]]'' and ''[[Escape Magazine]]''. While the best selling comics in the UK have been British, [[American comic book]]s and Japanese [[manga]] are popular in the UK. ==Overview== [[File:Ally Sloper's Half Holiday (front cover - 27 December 1884).png|thumb|left|200px|Cover to 27 December 1884 edition of ''[[Ally Sloper's Half Holiday]]''.]] The description ''comics'' derived from the names of popular titles such as ''[[Comic Cuts]]'', and from the fact that in the beginning all the titles presented only comical (i.e. humorous) content. British comics typically differ from the [[American comic book]]. Although historically they shared the same format size, based on a sheet of 30 x 22 inch [[Paper size#Traditional British paper sizes|imperial paper]], folded, British comics have moved away from this size, adopting a standard magazine size. Until that point, the British comic was also usually printed on newsprint, with black or a dark red used as the dark colour and the four colour process used on the cover. ''The Beano'' and ''The Dandy'' both switched to an all-colour format in 1993. Originally aimed at the semi-literate working class (in that it replaced the text-based stories of the [[story papers]] with picture-based stories, which were less challenging for a poorly educated readership), the comic gradually came to be seen as childish (in part because, due to gradual improvements in public education, children were eventually the only remaining market for a format designed to be unchallenging for the reader). Hence by the mid 20th Century it was being marketed exclusively towards children. Historically, strips were of one or two pages in length, with a single issue of a comic containing upwards of a dozen separate strips, featuring different characters. In more recent times, strips have become longer and have tended to continue over a number of issues and periods of time. Whilst some comics contained only strips, other publications such as ''[[Jackie (magazine)|Jackie]]'' have had a slightly different focus, providing their girl readers with articles about, and photographs of, [[List of popular music performers|pop stars]] and [[television]]/[[film]] [[actor]]s, plus more general articles about teenage life, whilst throwing in a few comic strips for good measure. For boys there were, historically, similar publications based upon soccer, such as ''[[Shoot (football magazine)|Shoot!]]'', which featured non-fiction picture articles about popular footballers, league clubs, and general football news, accompanied by a limited range of football-based comic strips. In British comics history, there are some extremely long-running publications such as ''[[The Beano]]'' and ''[[The Dandy]]'' published by [[D. C. Thomson & Co.]], a newspaper company based in [[Dundee]], Scotland. ''The Dandy'' began in 1937 and ''The Beano'' in 1938. ''The Beano'' is still going today while ''The Dandy'' ceased print publication in 2012. The ''[[Boys' Own Paper]]'', another long running publication which was aimed at boys in a slightly older age group, lasted from 1879 to 1967. There has been a continuous tradition, since the 1950s, of black and white comics, published in a smaller page size format, many of them war titles such as ''[[Air Ace]]'', inspiring youngsters with tales of the exploits of the [[army]], [[navy]] and [[Royal Air Force]], mainly in the two [[world war]]s. There have also been some [[romance comics|romance]] titles and some [[Western comics|western]]s in this format. On March 19, 2012, the British postal service, the [[Royal Mail]], released a set of stamps depicting characters and series from British comics.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17421394 |title=Beano's Dennis the Menace on Royal Mail comic stamps |publisher=BBC News |date= 19 March 2012|access-date=2012-03-19}}</ref> The collection featured ''[[The Beano]], [[The Dandy]], [[Eagle (comics)|Eagle]], [[The Topper (comics)|The Topper]], [[Roy of the Rovers (comic)|Roy of the Rovers]], [[Bunty]], [[Buster (comics)|Buster]], [[Valiant (comics)|Valiant]], [[Twinkle (comics)|Twinkle]]'' and ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]''. ==History== ===19th century=== In the 19th century, story papers (containing illustrated text stories), known as "penny dreadfuls" from their cover price, served as entertainment for British children. Full of close-printed text with few illustrations, they were essentially no different from a book, except that they were somewhat shorter and that typically the story was serialised over many weekly issues in order to maintain sales. These serial stories could run to hundreds of instalments if they were popular. And to pad out a successful series, writers would insert quite extraneous material such as the geography of the country in which the action was occurring, so that the story would extend into more issues. Plagiarism was rife, with magazines profiting from competitors' successes under a few cosmetic name changes. Apart from action and historical stories, there was also a fashion for horror and the supernatural, with epics like ''Varney the Vampire'' running for years. Horror, in particular, contributed to the epithet "penny dreadful". Stories featuring criminals such as 'Spring-Heeled Jack', pirates, highwaymen (especially Dick Turpin), and detectives (including Sexton Blake) dominated decades of the Victorian and early 20th-century weeklies. Comic strips—stories told primarily in strip cartoon form, rather than as a written narrative with illustrations—emerged only slowly. Scottish-born newspaper proprietor [[James Henderson (publisher)|James Henderson]] began publishing ''[[Funny Folks]]'' in 1874. Writer [[Denis Gifford]] considered ''Funny Folks'' to be the first British [[comic]],<ref name=chapman>[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=aMxOPSGZPcwC&pg=PT18&lpg=PT18&dq=%22weekly+budget%22+1861+henderson&source=bl&ots=KxfWPMruIE&sig=ACfU3U3JmgbOcMPl0_TDnA50_0IEc1aSRg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj2_7uLl5LtAhWPSxUIHSO1AZk4ChDoATAAegQIBBAC#v=onepage&q=%22weekly%20budget%22%20&f=false James Chapman, ''British Comics: A Cultural History'', Reaktion Books, 2011, p.]</ref> though at first it tackled topical and political subjects along the same lines as ''[[Punch (magazine)|Punch]]''. The magazine was heavily illustrated, with cartoons by [[John Proctor (cartoonist)|John Proctor]], known as Puck, among others,<ref name=adcock>[http://john-adcock.blogspot.com/2009/09/funny-folks.html John Adcock, "Funny Folks", ''Yesterday's Papers'', 29 September 2009]. Retrieved 22 November 2020</ref> and benefitted from innovations in the use of cheap paper and photographic printing.<ref name=muston>[http://thepublici.blogspot.com/2013/01/its-just-joke.html Kimit Muston, "It's Just a Joke", ''The Public "I"'', November 2020]. Retrieved 22 November 2020</ref><ref>[https://www.gale.com/intl/essays/nicholas-hiley-comic-periodicals Nicholas Hiley, "Comic Periodicals", ''Gale.com'']. Retrieved 22 November 2020</ref> ''[[Ally Sloper's Half Holiday]]'' (1884) is regarded as the first comic strip magazine to feature a recurring character (Ally Sloper).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Birch|first1=Dinah|title=The Oxford Companion to English Literature|date=24 September 2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|page=240}}</ref> This strip cost one penny and was designed for adults. Ally, the recurring character, was a working-class fellow who got up to various forms of mischief and often suffered for it. In 1890 two more comic magazines debuted before the British public, ''Comic Cuts'' and ''Illustrated Chips'', both published by [[Amalgamated Press]]. These magazines notoriously reprinted British and American material, previously published in newspapers and magazines, without permission. The success of these comics was such that Amalgamated's owner, Alfred Harmsworth, was able to launch the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' and the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' newspapers on the profits.<ref>Sabin, p21</ref> ===20th century=== [[File:Beano Jan 6 1940.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Cover to ''[[The Beano]]'',<br />January 6, 1940 edition.]] Over the next thirty years or so, comic publishers saw the juvenile market as the most profitable, and thus geared their publications accordingly, so that by 1914 most comics were aimed at eight- to twelve-year-olds. The period between the two wars is notable mainly for the publication of [[Annual publication#British annuals|annuals]] by eagle Press, and also the emergence of [[D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd|DC Thomson]], launching both ''[[The Beano]]'' and ''[[The Dandy]]'' in the late 1930s, which thrived during the Second World War. Their successful mix of irreverence and slapstick led to many similar titles, notably ''[[Buster (comic)|Buster]]'', ''[[Topper (comic book)|Topper]]'' and ''[[The Beezer|Beezer]]''. However the originators of this format have outlasted all rivals, and ''The Beano'' is still published today. {{rquote|right|The problem which now faces society in the trade that has sprung up of presenting sadism, crime, lust, physical monstrosity, and horror to the young is an urgent and a grave one.|''[[The Times]]'', November 12, 1954<ref name="histoday94"/>}} In the early 1950s, "lurid American 'crime' and 'horror comics' reached Britain", prompting what in retrospect has been characterised as a [[moral panic]].<ref name="histoday94">{{cite journal| url=https://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5000228860 | title= Horror Comics: The Nasties of the 1950s | first= John| last= Sringhall | work=[[History Today]]| issue= 7| volume= 44 | date=July 1994| publisher= [[Questia Online Library]]| access-date=2010-10-23 }}</ref> Copies of ''[[Tales from the Crypt (comics)|Tales from the Crypt]]'' and ''[[The Vault of Horror (comics)|The Vault of Horror]]'', which arrived as [[Sailing ballast|ballast]] in ships from the United States, were first only available in the "environs of the great ports of [[Liverpool]], [[Manchester]], [[Belfast]] and London", but by "using blocks made from imported American [[matrix (printing)|matrices]]", British versions of ''Tales from the Crypt'' and ''The Vault of Horror'' were printed in London and [[Leicester]] (by companies like [[Arnold Book Company]])<ref name=Fowler>{{Cite web | url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/1375558/index.html |publisher=BFI Screenonline|title = Miller, Arnold Louis (1922-) Biography|author=Fowler, William|accessdate=December 21, 2020}}</ref> and sold in "small back-street newsagents."<ref name="histoday94"/> The ensuing outcry was heard in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]], and at the urging of the Most Reverend [[Geoffrey Fisher]], the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], Major [[Gwilym Lloyd George, 1st Viscount Tenby|Gwilym Lloyd George]], the [[Home Secretary]] and [[Minister of Welsh Affairs]], and the [[National Union of Teachers]], Parliament passed the [[Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955]].<ref>{{cite web| title= 22 February 1955 → Commons Sitting → Orders of the Day |work=[[Hansard]]| date= 22 February 1955 |url= http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1955/feb/22/children-and-young-persons-harmful | publisher= millbanksystems.com | access-date=2010-10-23}}</ref> The act prohibited "any book, magazine or other like work which is of a kind likely to fall into the hands of children or young persons and consists wholly or mainly of stories told in pictures (with or without the addition of written matter), being stories portraying (a) the commission of crimes; or (b) acts of violence or cruelty; or (c) incidents of a repulsive or horrible nature; in such a way that the work as a whole would tend to corrupt a child or young person into whose hands it might fall."<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/3-4/28/enacted | title= Children And Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955 (as Enacted) | publisher= [[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]| access-date=2010-10-23 }}</ref> Although the act had a [[sunset clause]], in 1969 the Act was made permanent,<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/3-4/28| title= Children And Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955 (as Revised) | publisher= The National Archives| access-date=2010-10-23 }}</ref> and continues to be in force today, represented, for example, in the [[Royal Mail]] prohibition against mailing horror comics and the [[matrix (printing)|matrices]] used to print them.<ref>{{cite web|date=June 7, 2010 | url= http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/fh_014.htm#ep3576772 |title= Country Conditions for Mailing — Great Britain and Northern Ireland | publisher= [[United States Postal Service]] | work= International Mail Manual Issue 37 |access-date=2010-10-22}}</ref> [[File:Eaglev14-41.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Cover of ''[[Eagle (British comics)|Eagle]]'',<br />12 October 1963.]] During the 1950s and 1960s, the most popular comic for older age-group boys was ''[[Eagle (British comics)|Eagle]]'' published by [[Hulton Press]]. ''Eagle'' was published in a more expensive format, and was a [[Printing#Gravure|gravure-printed]] weekly. This format was used originally by ''[[Mickey Mouse Weekly]]'' during the 1930s. ''Eagle''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s success saw a number of comics launched in a similar format — ''[[TV Century 21]]'', ''[[Look and Learn]]'' and ''[[TV Comic]]'' being notable examples. Comics published in this format were known in the trade as "slicks." At the end of the 1960s, these comics moved away from gravure printing, preferring [[Printing#Offset|offset litho]] due to cost considerations arising from decreasing readership. However, the boys' adventure comic was still popular, and titles such as ''[[Valiant (comics)|Valiant]]'' and ''[[Tiger (Fleetway)|Tiger]]'', published by [[IPC Magazines]], saw new adventure heroes become stars, including ''[[Roy of the Rovers]]'' who would eventually gain his own title. [[Odhams Press]] was a company that mainly printed (adventure-oriented) new material; it also reprinted American [[Marvel Comics]] material in its [[Power Comics]] line, which included the titles ''[[Smash! (comic)|Smash!]]'' and ''[[Fantastic (comic)|Fantastic]]''. By 1970 the British comics market was in a long-term decline, as comics lost popularity in the face of the rise of other popular pastimes for children. Initially, the challenge was the rising popularity of [[television]], a trend which the introduction of colour television to Britain during 1969 set in stone. In an effort to counter the trend, many publishers switched the focus of their comics to television-related characters. The television shows of [[Gerry Anderson]], such as ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'' and ''[[Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons]]'', had begun this in 1966 with the launch of tie-in comics such as ''[[TV Century 21]]'' and ''[[Lady Penelope (comic)|Lady Penelope]]'', which only included strips related to Anderson's TV shows. [[Polystyle Publications]] already published a TV-related comic for young children called ''[[TV Comic]]'', and in 1971 moved into the older market with ''[[Countdown (Polystyle Publications)|Countdown]]'' (later retitled ''TV Action''). The teenage market saw ''[[Look-in]]'' magazine feature strips solely based on popular television programs. Another strand of the reaction to television was the launch of comics focused entirely on [[association football]] (a sport as popular as television amongst boys), with titles such as ''[[Shoot (football magazine)|Shoot]]'' and ''Scorcher and Score''. Those comics that didn't compete with the popularity of television began to close down, merging with the few survivors. In the 1970s very few boys' comics in the "slick" format were launched, although Polystyle's ''Countdown'' was one exception, launching in 1971 with content similar to ''TV 21'' (which had closed by then) and ''TV Comic''. ''[[Vulcan (Fleetway)|Vulcan]]'', a reprint title, was another, in 1976. Girls' titles which had launched in the slick format in the 1960s continued in that format into the 1970s; and others, such as ''Diana'' and ''[[Judy (girls' magazine)|Judy]]'', changed to become slicks. They found themselves in the same market as teenage titles for girls such as ''Boyfriend'' and ''Blue Jeans'', which had changed their content and were featuring mainly product-related articles and [[photo comics]]. In [[1972 in comics|1972]], [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] set up a publishing arm in the UK, [[Marvel UK]], reprinting American superhero strips. These proved extremely popular, and a range of weekly titles was being published by 1975. So much so that in 1976 the parent company briefly published a minimal amount of new material specifically for the UK market in ''[[Captain Britain]]''. The American reprint material proved to be more successful and continued to appear into the 1980s, at which stage Marvel UK also began diversifying into home-produced original material, both UK-originated strips featuring American created characters such as Captain Britain, the [[Hulk]] and the [[Black Knight (Dane Whitman)|Black Knight]], and wholly original strips like ''[[Night Raven]]''. They also began producing television-based material, initially with ''[[Doctor Who Weekly]]'', launched in 1979. In the late 1960s and into the 1970s, the [[underground comics]] movement inspired two new comics in the UK: ''[[Oz (magazine)|Oz]]'' and ''[[Nasty Tales]]'' were launched with the underground premise of counter-culture rebellion. ''Oz'' notoriously featured the children's character ''[[Rupert the Bear]]'' performing sexual acts.<ref name=tele>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/sex-crazed-rupert-bear-stories-obscenity-trial-brought-oz-magazine/ "Sex-crazed Rupert the Bear and other stories... The obscenity trial that brought down ''Oz'' magazine"] by Mick Brown, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', London, 28 July 2017</ref> Both magazines were tried at the [[Old Bailey]] under the [[Obscene Publications Act]] because of their content. The ''Oz'' defendants were convicted,<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/46324,features,the-oz-trial-john-mortimerrsquos-finest-hour |title= The OZ trial: John Mortimer's finest hour| first= Felix |last= Dennis |work= The First Post |date= 19 January 2009}}</ref> although the conviction was overturned on appeal.<ref name=tele /> The ''Nasty Tales'' defendants were cautioned.{{cn}} However, both these comics ceased publication soon after their trial, as much due to the social changes at the end of the counter-culture movement as any effect of the court cases. These were always adult magazines, not aimed at the mainstream children's market. In the mid-1970s, comics became more action-oriented. The first such title to be launched was ''[[Warlord (DC Thomson)|Warlord]]'' in [[1974 in comics|1974]]. Published by [[DC Thomson]], it proved to be a success, and led to its then-rival, [[IPC Media|IPC Magazines Ltd]], producing ''[[Battle Picture Weekly]]'', a comic notably grimmer in style than its competitor. ''Battle's'' success led to IPC launching another, similarly styled title, ''[[Action (comic)|Action]]'', which became a success too but also became controversial, due to its violent content, such as a front cover illustration which appeared to show armed children beating up a helpless police officer. Complaints about its tone eventually led to questions being asked in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]]. As a result, and despite the comics' popularity, IPC decided to drastically tone down the content after 36 issues, and issue 37 was pulped. When it returned to newsstands it was far less violent, which neutered the comic's appeal. The title quickly declined and was merged with ''Battle''.<ref>Barker, Martin. ''Action: The Story of a Violent Comic'' ([[Titan Books]], 1990) {{ISBN|1-85286-023-5}}).</ref> [[File:2000AD First Edition.png|right|200px|thumb|Cover of the first issue of ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]'',<br />26 February 1977.]] ''Action's'' position as the UK's most popular title was taken over by ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]'', a science-fiction comic launched in [[1977 in comics|1977]] by IPC. Created as a comic for older boys and girls, it also held appeal for teenage and even adult readers. In the 1960s IPC began to source comic art from [[Spain]], mainly for financial reasons. This trend was continued through to the launch of ''2000 AD''. [[Carlos Ezquerra]] is the most notable Spanish artist to have worked in British comics, having worked on both ''Battle'' and ''2000 AD'', and is credited with the creation of the look of [[Judge Dredd]].<ref>Molcher, Michael. "Interrogation: Carlos Ezquerra" part 3, ''[[Judge Dredd Megazine]]'' #302 (12 October 2010), pp. 16–23.</ref> ''[[Star Wars Weekly]]'', published by Marvel UK, launched in 1977, lasted until 1986. In [[1982 in comics|1982]] ''[[Eagle (British comics)|Eagle]]'' was relaunched, this time including photo comics, but still with ''[[Dan Dare]]'' as the lead story. The comic moved it from the front page to the centre pages to allow a more magazine-style cover. In 1978 ''[[The Adventures of Luther Arkwright]]'' by [[Bryan Talbot]] began serialisation in ''[[Near Myths]]'' (and continued in other comics after that title folded). ''Luther Arkwright'' was later collected as a [[graphic novel]], and has been called the first British graphic novel.<ref>[https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/picture-books-for-grown-ups "Picture Books for Grown-Ups"] by Harry Mount, ''[[The Spectator]]'', 23 April 2016</ref> In 1982 [[Dez Skinn]] launched ''[[Warrior (comics)|Warrior]]'', possibly the most notable comic of the period, as it contained both the ''[[Miracleman|Marvelman]]'' and ''[[V for Vendetta]]'' strips, by [[Alan Moore]]. ''Warrior'' was a British equivalent of ''[[Heavy Metal (magazine)|Heavy Metal]]'' magazine. Marvelman was a [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]] clone that Skinn acquired, although the legality of that acquisition has been questioned. In Moore's hands, the strip became an "adult" style [[superhero]], and was later reprinted, with the story continued, in an American full-color comic, with the name changed from "Marvelman" to "Miracleman" to avoid any lawsuits that [[Marvel Comics]] may have considered. Eventually, ''Warrior'' succumbed to copyright issues. Adult comics also witnessed a slight resurgence with ''psst!'', an attempt to market a French-style monthly [[Franco-Belgian comics|bande dessinée]], and ''[[Escape (magazine)|Escape]]'' magazine, published by [[Paul Gravett]], former ''psst!'' promotions man. ''Escape'' featured early work from [[Eddie Campbell]] and [[Paul Grist]], amongst others. Neither comic managed to survive in the vagaries of the comics market, ''Escape'' beset by lack of publisher interest. During this period a number of smaller publishers were formed to provide inventive publications appealing to niche markets. [[Congress Press]] was one of these companies, releasing titles such as ''Birthrite'', ''Heaven & Hell'' and a graphic novel, ''Spookhouse''. Others included [[Harrier Comics]] (1984–1989) and [[Acme Press]] (1986–1995). Most of the surviving titles published by IPC, Fleetway, and DC Thomson were merged into each other in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as the popularity of comics waned further in response to a surge in the popularity of television (a popularity which received another major boost from the late 1970s onward as domestic [[videocassette recorder]]s became available), and due to the popularity of [[video games]] (as inexpensive home computers such as the [[ZX Spectrum]], mainly used for gaming, became available from 1980). Although new comics titles were launched in this period, none seemed to find a sustainable audience. Notable comics of the period included ''[[Deadline (magazine)|Deadline]]'', ''[[Toxic!]]'', ''[[Crisis (comic)|Crisis]]'', and ''[[Revolver (comic)|Revolver]]''. ''Deadline'' was conceived by [[Steve Dillon]] and [[Brett Ewins]], and mixed original strips with reprints of U.S. strips, notably ''[[Love and Rockets (comics)|Love & Rockets]]'', and articles and interviews on the British independent music scene of the time. [[Tank Girl]] was its most notable strip. ''Crisis'' was published by [[Fleetway|Fleetway Publications]], a company formed from [[IPC Media|IPC's]] comics holdings. It was aimed at readers who had outgrown ''2000 AD'', and featured first works by [[Garth Ennis]] and [[Sean Phillips]] amongst others. One publication of that period did find an audience. ''[[Viz (comics)|Viz]]'' began life in [[1979 in comics|1979]] as a [[fanzine]] style publication, before, in 1989, becoming the biggest selling comic in the country. Based upon bad taste, crude language, crude sexual innuendo, and the parodying of strips from ''[[The Dandy]]'' (among them ''[[Black Bag|Black Bag – the Faithful Border Bin Liner]]'', a parody of ''The Dandy's'' ''[[Black Bob (comics)|Black Bob]]'' series about a [[Border Collie]]), the popularity of ''Viz'' depended entirely upon a variant of Sixties counter-culture; and it promptly inspired similarly themed titles, including ''[[Smut (comics)|Smut]]'', ''[[Spit! (comic)|Spit!]]'', ''[[Talking Turkey (comic)|Talking Turkey]]'', ''[[Elephant Parts (comic)|Elephant Parts]]'', ''[[Gas (comic)|Gas]]'', ''[[Brain Damage (comic)|Brain Damage]]'', ''[[Poot! (comics)|Poot!]]'', ''[[UT (comic)|UT]]'' and ''[[Zit (comics)|Zit]]'', all of which failed to achieve ''Viz'''s longevity and folded, while ''Viz'' remained one of the United Kingdom's top-selling magazines. ===21st century=== Beginning in 2000, the British market arrested its long decline. However, there is no sign of any great growth in circulation for the few remaining titles, and no sign of any new launches from mainstream publishers into the comics arena.<ref>[http://www.ninthart.com/display.php?article=950 Life on the Island] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050806080924/http://www.ninthart.com/display.php?article=950 |date=August 6, 2005 }}, Ninth Art, November 15, 2004</ref> An ever-increasing number of [[British small press comics|small press]] and [[fanzine]] titles are being produced, such as ''[[Solar Wind (comic)|Solar Wind]]'' or ''[[FutureQuake]]'', aided by the cheapness and increasingly professional appearance of [[desktop publishing]] programs. It is from this scene that the UK's new talents now tend to emerge (e.g. [[Al Ewing]], [[Henry Flint]] or [[Simon Spurrier]]). After they were purchased by [[Rebellion Developments]], both ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]'' and the ''[[Judge Dredd Megazine]]'' have seen the release of more adaptations and [[trade paperback (comics)|trade paperbacks]], including complete reprint collections of the entire runs of ''[[Judge Dredd]]'', ''[[Strontium Dog]]'' and ''[[Nemesis the Warlock]]''. Starting in 2006 the ''Megazine'' began a regular small press section<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&Comic=Megazine&choice=SMALL |title='&#39;Megazine'&#39; small press section |publisher=2000adonline.com |access-date=2010-09-12}}</ref> which usually features an article on a title by Matthew Badham or David Baillie and a small press story. While British companies and creators have helped create the market for [[trade paperback (comics)|collected volumes]] there have, with a few exceptions like [[Raymond Briggs]], been very few British [[graphic novels|original graphic novels]] published.<ref name=tribune>[http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/21/arts/gnovel.php More than words: Britain embraces the graphic novel], ''[[International Herald Tribune]]'', August 22, 2007</ref> Briggs himself has said "On the Continent, graphic novels have been as accepted as films or books for many years, but England has had a snobby attitude towards them. They've always been seen as something just for children".<ref>[http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,1646837,00.html Strip lit is joining the literary elite], ''[[The Observer]]'', November 20, 2005</ref> However, thanks to the strong sales for Briggs' ''[[Ethel and Ernest]]'', and ''[[Jimmy Corrigan]]'' winning ''[[The Guardian]]'''s best first novel award, publishers have started expanding into this area. [[Random House]] UK's imprint [[Jonathan Cape]] has tripled its graphic novel output and Random House has also established [[Tanoshimi]] to publish manga. Other publishers have also been increasing their output, which, as well as producing original works like ''[[Alice in Sunderland]]'', have also been included adaptations of works of literature.<ref name=tribune /> There are a number of new publishers who are specifically targeting this area,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6647927.stm Shakespeare gets comic treatment], [[BBC]], May 11, 2007</ref> including [[Classical Comics]]<ref>[http://www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2421734 Then lend the eye an easy aspect] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209143630/http://www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2421734 |date=2007-12-09 }}, ''[[Times Educational Supplement]]'', August 17, 2007</ref><ref>[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=135709 Clive Bryant on Classical Comics] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224104409/http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=135709 |date=2009-02-24 }}, [[Newsarama]], November 8, 2007</ref> and [[Self Made Hero]], the latter having an imprint focused on [[manga]] adaptations of the works of Shakespeare.<ref>[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=134954 Self Made Hero, Shakespeare & Manga] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906190734/http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=134954 |date=2009-09-06 }}, [[Newsarama]], November 1, 2007</ref> This highlights another recent change, as there has been an increase in British [[original English-language manga]]. Self Made Hero's 'Manga Shakespeare' imprint draws on talent discovered in [[Tokyopop]]'s UK/Irish version of ''[[Rising Stars of Manga]]'', including members of the UK collective [[Sweatdrop Studios]],<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/cambridgeshire/content/articles/2007/01/26/manga_feature.shtml Manga Hamlet by The Bard?], BBC Radio Cambs, March 9, 2007</ref> who have also contributed to other British-based efforts like [[ILYA]]'s ''Mammoth Book of Best New Manga'' and ''[[MangaQuake]]''. Creators involved in those collections who have gone on to do several manga style graphic novels include British based Japanese creators such as Chie Kutsuwada and Michiru Morikawa, as well as, conversely, a British writer based in Japan, Sean Michael Wilson. Released at the start of the 21st century was ''[[Toxic (magazine)|Toxic]]'', a comic which mixed comic strips alongside [[Video game journalism|game reviews]] and other articles. Beginning in 2002, this comic proved very successful and is still running. Its influence can be felt on other comics as well most notably when ''[[The Dandy]]'', Britain's longest running comic at the time, became the ''Dandy Xtreme'' in August 2007; it borrowed many of the features prevalent in ''Toxic'', mixing articles alongside comic strips. However, ''The Dandy'' eventually moved away with this strategy in October 2010, when the comic was revamped, and published its final issue on its 75th anniversary in 2012.<ref>https://www.webcitation.org/6CdscwgbP?url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/medianews/article3618319.ece</ref> The ''[[BeanoMAX]]'' (which also started in 2007) also borrowed some of ''Toxic'''s features. That title was then replaced by ''The 100% Official Dennis the Menace and Gnasher Megazine'', which was later renamed ''Epic''. ''[[The DFC]]'' launched at the end of May [[2008 in comics|2008]] drawing together creators from the small press and manga, as well as figures from mainstream British comics and other fields,<ref name=saviour> [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/children/article3896701.ece Interview with David Fickling, saviour of the great British comic], ''[[The Times]]'', May 10, 2008</ref> including author [[Philip Pullman]].<ref>[http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/childrenandteens/story/0,,2282010,00.html Deep stuff], ''[[The Guardian]]'', May 24, 2008</ref> As it transpired, it didn't make it to its first birthday, ending with issue 43. However a new comic ''[[The Phoenix (comics)|The Phoenix]]'' began in January 2012 which is a successor to The DFC.<ref>https://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/the-dfc/</ref> ==Reprint market== The comic reading public in the UK were not always able to get reliable supplies of [[United States|American]] [[comic book]]s and yet have always enjoyed the different approach to comics writing from the other side of the [[Atlantic (ocean)|Atlantic]]. So the lack of reliable supplies was supplemented by a variety of black and white reprints of [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s 1950s monster comics, [[Fawcett Comics|Fawcett's]] [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]], and some other characters such as [[Sheena, Queen of the Jungle|Sheena]], [[Mandrake the Magician]], [[The Phantom]] etc. Several reprint companies were involved in repackaging American material for the British market, notably the importer and distributor [[Thorpe & Porter]]. Thorpe & Porter published similar formatted titles under various names. They were also re-publishing [[Dell Comics|Dell's]] ''Four Color'' series and ''[[Classics Illustrated]]'' in the UK. Their material also included some work never before published in the US. Thorpe & Porter published many black & white reprints of American comics in the 1950s. Thorpe & Porter/Stratos published a long-running Marvel series, ''[[Kid Colt, Outlaw|Kid Colt Outlaw]]'', which contained black-and-white reprints from both Atlas and DC. They also published ''[[Two-Gun Kid]]'' and ''[[Rawhide Kid]]'' in a smaller black-and-white format, though these were usually the entire contents of various American issues reprinted. When Captain Marvel ceased publication in the [[United States]] because of a [[lawsuit]], the British reprint company, [[L. Miller & Son]], copied the entire Captain Marvel idea in every detail, and began publishing their own knock-off under the names [[Marvelman]] and [[Young Marvelman]], taking advantage of different copyright laws. These clone versions continued for a few years and, as seen above, were revived years later in ''Warrior''. L. Miller also reprinted many other American series including the early 1950s ''[[Eerie]]'' and ''[[Black Magic (comics)|Black Magic]]'' in black and white format. These usually contain the American stories which relate to the cover but also contain other additional gems toward the back of the comic to fill-up the 64 pages. ''[[Sheena, Queen of the Jungle]]'', a female version of [[Tarzan]] (with an element of [[H. Rider Haggard]]'s ''"She who must be obeyed"'' – She... Na!), was licensed from [[Will Eisner]]'s Eisner-Iger studio for a British and Australasian [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloid]], ''[[Wags (tabloid)|Wags]]'', in 1937. The success of this character led to the ''Wags'' artwork being repackaged for publication in the [[United States]] for [[Fiction House]]'s ''[[Jumbo Comics]]'', thus exporting the character back to her country of origin. The reprint market really took off in the 1980s with [[Titan Books]] releasing collections of British material, as well as signing deals with [[DC Comics]] to release American comic books in the UK. [[Igor Goldkind]] was Titan's, and [[Forbidden Planet (bookstore)|Forbidden Planet]]'s, marketing consultant at the time and helped popularise the term "[[graphic novel]]" for the softcover [[trade paperback (comics)|trade paperbacks]] they were releasing, which generated a lot of attention from the mainstream press.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.2000adreview.co.uk/features/interviews/2006/goldkind/igor-goldkind.shtml |title=2006 interview with Igor Goldkind |publisher=2000adreview.co.uk |access-date=2010-09-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110405072212/http://www.2000adreview.co.uk/features/interviews/2006/goldkind/igor-goldkind.shtml |archive-date=2011-04-05 }}</ref> As well as [[Marvel UK]] reprints, [[Panini Comics]] reprint many of [[Marvel Comics|Marvel's]] titles. These include ''[[Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' (originally holding two issues of either ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' or ''[[Ultimate Marvel Team-Up]]'', now existing as a double feature with ''[[Ultimate X-Men]]'') and also produce a [[special edition|Collector's Edition]] line of comics, featuring a cardboard cover, three stories and a letters page on the inside back cover. Titles printed include many Marvel comics, including [[Astonishing Spider-Man]], [[Essential X-Men]] and [[Mighty World of Marvel]] which reprints a variety of Marvel Comics. They also printed one DC comic, ''[[Batman Legends]]'', reprinting various ''[[Batman]]'' adventures (e.g. two parts of a multi-title crossover and an issue of ''[[Batman: Year One]])'', though currently this title is published by [[Titan Magazines]] Since 2005, a small selection of American translations of the most popular [[manga|Japanese comics]] have been reprinted in the UK by major publishers such as [[Random House]], through their [[Tanoshimi]] imprint, and the [[Orion Publishing Group]]. Both no longer publish Japanese comics in British versions, for Orion, the reprints they were handling have been switched to having the original American versions imported, however all Japanese comic publishings by Random House were abandoned in early 2009. Simultaneously, the very small press Fanfare has published a few UK-exclusive English-language editions of alternative Japanese manga and French [[Franco-Belgian comics|bande dessinée]], both sublicensed from the Spanish publisher [[Ponent Mon]]. ==Thorpe & Porter and American comics== In the 1950s and 1960s American comics typically arrived in the UK as ballast on ships. In 1959, [[Thorpe & Porter]] (widely known as 'T & P') became the sole UK distributor of Marvel comics. These were printed on Marvel's American printing presses, along with a special cover giving the British price instead of the price in cents, and shipped across the Atlantic. Inside the front cover, with the indicia, a sentence mentioned Thorpe & Porter as sole distributor in the UK market. Thus it was that brand new American-printed copies of ''[[Fantastic Four]]'' #1, ''[[Amazing Fantasy]]'' #15, ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #1, and countless others appeared in the UK. Thorpe & Porter was purchased by the distribution arm of [[DC Comics]], then known as [[Independent News Distributors|IND.]], in 1964, going on to publish an official Superman/Batman reprint book, ''DC Special'' (not to be confused with the U.S. DC titles ''[[DC Special]]'' and ''[[DC Special Series]]''). ==List of British comics== {{Dynamic list}} There have been hundreds of comics in the UK over the years, including: {{columns-list|colwidth=22em| *''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]'' (1977–current) *''[[Action (comics)|Action]]'' (1976–1977) *''[[Action Man (comics)|Action Man]]'' (1996–2006) *''[[Adventure (DC Thomson)|Adventure]]'' (1921–1961) *''[[Air Ace Picture Library]]'' (1960–1970) *''[[Battle Picture Weekly]]'' (1975–1988) *''[[The Beano]]'' (1938–current) *''[[BeanoMAX]]'' (2007–2013) *''[[The Beezer]]'' (1956–1993) *''[[Bella (comics)|Bella]]'' *''[[The Big One (comic)|The Big One]]'' (1964–1965) *''[[Birthrite]]'' (1989–1990) *''[[Blast! (comics)|Blast!]]'' (1991) *''[[Bonnie (comics)|Bonnie]]'' (1974-1975) *''[[The Boy's Own Paper]]'' (1879–1967) *''[[Boys' World]]'' (1963–1964) *''[[Buddy (comic)|Buddy]]'' *''[[Bullet (DC Thomson)|Bullet]]'' (1976–1978) *''[[Bunty]]'' (1958–2001) *''[[Buster (comics)|Buster]]'' (1960–2000) *''[[Buster Classics]]'' (1996) *''[[Buzz (DC Thomson)|Buzz]]'' (1973–1975) *''[[BVC (comic)|BVC]]'' (1995) *''[[The Champion (story paper)|The Champion]]'' (1922–1955 and 1966) * ''The [[Chatterbox (comic)|Chatterbox]]'' *''[[Cheeky Weekly]]'' (1977–1980) *''[[Classics from the Comics]]'' (1996–2010) *''[[Cometman]]'' (1951–1956) *''[[Comic Cuts]]'' (1890–1953) *''[[Commando (comics)|Commando Comics]]'' (1961–current) *''[[Cor!!]]'' (1970–1974) *''[[Countdown (Polystyle Publications)|Countdown]]'' (1971–1972) *''[[Cracker (comics)|Cracker]]'' (1975–1976) *''[[Crisis (Fleetway)|Crisis]]'' (1988–1991) *''[[The Dandy]]'' (1937–2012) * ''[[The Daredevils]]'' (1983) *''[[Deadline (magazine)|Deadline]]'' (1988–1995) *''[[Death's Head]]'' (1988–1989) *''[[The DFC]]'' (2008–2009) *''[[Diana (comics)|Diana]]'' (1963–1976) *''[[Diceman (comics)|Diceman]]'' (1986) *''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' (1979–current) *''[[Dragon's Claws]]'' (1988–1989) *''[[Eagle (British comics)|Eagle]]'' (1950–1969 and 1982–1994) * ''[[Escape (magazine)|Escape]]'' (1983–1989) *''[[Fantastic (comics)|Fantastic]]'' (1967–1968) *''[[Film Fun]]'' (1920–1962) *''[[Funny (comic)|Funny]]'' (1989-early 1990s) *''[[Fun Size Comics|Fun Size Beano]]'' (1997–2010) *''[[Fun Size Comics|Fun Size Dandy]]'' (1997–2010) *''[[The Gem]]'' (1907–1939) *''[[Girl (UK comics)|Girl]]'' (1951–1964 and 1981–1990) *''[[Giggle (comics)|Giggle]]'' (1967–1968) *''[[Heven & Hell]]'' (1990) *''[[Hoot (comics)|Hoot]]'' (1985–1986) *''[[Hornet (DC Thomson)|Hornet]]'' (1963–1976) *''[[The Hotspur]]'' (1933–1981) *''[[Illustrated Chips]]'' (1890–1953) *''[[Jackpot (Fleetway comics)|Jackpot]]'' (1979–1982) *''[[Jack and Jill (comics)|Jack and Jill]]'' (1885–1887 and <!-- -->1954–1985) *''[[Jackie (magazine)|Jackie]]'' (1964–1993) *''[[Jeff Hawke]]'' (1955–1974) *''[[Jet (comic)|Jet]]'' (1971) *''[[Jinty (comics)|Jinty]]'' (1974–1981) *''[[Judge Dredd Megazine]]'' (1990–current) *''[[Judy (comic)|Judy]]'' *''[[Knockout (UK comics)|Knockout]]'' (1939–1963 and 1971–1973) *''[[Krazy (comics)|Krazy]]'' (1976–1978) *''[[Linzy & Charcol]]'' (2006) *''[[Lion (comics)|Lion]]'' (1952–1974) *''[[Look and Learn]]'' (1962–1982) *''[[Look-in]]'' (1971&ndash;1994) *''[[The Magic Comic]]'' (1939–1941) *''[[The Magnet]]'' (1908–1940) *''[[Mandy (comics)|Mandy]]'' (1967–1991) *''[[Mickey Mouse Weekly]]'' (1936–1955) *''[[Mirabelle (comic)|Mirabelle]]'' (1956–1977) *''[[Misty (comics)|Misty]]'' (1978–1980) *''[[Monster Fun]]'' (1975–1976) *''[[Near Myths]]'' (1978–1979) *''[[Night Warrior]]'' (2005–2007) *''[[Nikki (DC Thomson)|Nikki]]'' (1985–1988) *''[[Nipper (comics)|Nipper]]'' (1987) *''[[Nutty]]'' (1980–1985) *''[[Oink! (comics)|Oink!]]'' (1986–1988) *''[[The Phoenix (comics)|The Phoenix]]'' (2012–current) *''[[Picture Politics]]'' (1894–1914) *''[[Picture Fun]]'' (1909–1920) *''[[Pippin (comics)|Pippin]]'' (1966–1986) *''[[Playhour]]'' (1954–1987) *''[[Plug (comic)|Plug]]'' (1977–1979) *''[[Poot!]]'' (1985–1990 and 2009–2011) *''[[Pow! (comics)|Pow!]]'' (1967–1968) *''[[Prehistoric Peeps (cartoon)|Prehistoric Peeps]]'' (1890s) *''[[Princess (comic)|Princess]]'' (1960–1967; merged with Tina) and ''[[Princess Tina]]'' (1967–1973) *''[[Puck (comic)|Puck]]'' (1904–1940) *''[[Radio Fun]]'' (1938–1961) *''[[Rainbow (comic)|Rainbow]]'' (1914–1956) *''[[Revolver (comics)|Revolver]]'' (1990–1991) *''[[Robin (magazine)|Robin]]'' (1953–1969) *''[[Romeo (comic)|Romeo]]'' (1957–1974) *''[[Roy of the Rovers]]'' (1976–1993) *''[[Sandie (comic)|Sandie]]'' (1972–1973) *''[[School Fun]]'' (1983–1984) *''[[Scorcher (magazine)|Scorcher]]'' (1970–1974) *''[[Scream! (comics)|Scream!]]'' (1984) *''[[Shiver and Shake]]'' (1973–1974) *''[[Smash! (comics)|Smash!]]'' (1966–1971) *''[[Smut (comics)|Smut]]'' (1989–2007) *''[[Sonic the Comic]]'' (1993–2002) *''[[Sparky (comics)|Sparky]]'' (1965–1977) *''Speed'' (1980; merged into ''[[Tiger (Fleetway)|Tiger]]'') *''[[Spellbound (comic)|Spellbound]]'' (1976–1978) *''[[Spookhouse]]'' (1990) *''[[Starlord (comics)|Starlord]]'' (1978) *''[[Star Wars Weekly]]'' (1978–1986) *''[[Swift (comic)|Swift]]'' (1954–1963) *''[[Tammy (comics)|Tammy]]'' (1971–1984) *''[[Terrific (comics)|Terrific]]'' (1967–1968) *''[[Thunder (comic)|Thunder]]'' (1970–1971) *''[[Tiger (comic)|Tiger]]'' (1954–1985 when merged into ''The Eagle'') *''[[Tiger Tim's Weekly]]'' (1920–1940) *''[[Tina (comic)|Tina]]'' (1967) *''[[The Topper (comics)|The Topper]]'' (1953–1990) *''[[Tornado (comic book series)|Tornado]]'' (1978–1979) *''[[Tottering by Gently]]'' *''[[Toxic!]]'' (1991) *''[[Toxic (magazine)|Toxic]]'' (2002–current) *''[[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|The Transformers]]'' (1984–1992 and seasonal reprints until the late 1990s) *''[[Trixton]]'' (2005–2007) *''[[TV Action (comic)|TV Action]]'' (1972–1973) *''[[TV Century 21]]'' (1965–1971) *''[[TV Comic]]'' (1951–1984) *''[[Twinkle (comics)|Twinkle]]'' (1968–1999) *''[[Valentine (comics)|Valentine]]'' (1957–1974) *''[[Valiant (comics)|Valiant]]'' (1962–1976) *''[[The Victor (comics)|The Victor]]'' (1961–1992) *''[[Viz (comics)|Viz]]'' (1979–current) *''[[Vulcan (Fleetway)|Vulcan]]'' (1975 to 1976) *''[[War Picture Library]]'' (1958–1984) *''[[Warlord (DC Thomson)|Warlord]]'' (1974–1986) *''[[Warrior (comics)|Warrior]]'' (1982–1985) *''[[Wham! (comics)|Wham!]]'' (1964–1968) *''[[Whizzer and Chips]]'' (1969–1990) *''[[Whoopee! (comics)|Whoopee!]]'' (1974–1985) *''[[Wildcat (UK comic)|Wildcat]]'' (1988–1989) *''[[Wonder (comics)|Wonder]]'' (1942–1953) *''[[Wow! (comic)|Wow!]]'' (1982–1983) *''[[Zit (comic)|Zit]]'' (1991–2002) }} ==See also== {{Portal|United Kingdom|Comics|Children's literature}} *[[List of British comic strips]] *[[List of DC Thomson publications]] *[[List of comic creators#United Kingdom|List of comic creators in the UK]] *[[British small press comics]] *[[British Invasion (comics)|The British Invasion of American comics]], that took place during the late eighties *''[[Comics Britannia]]'', [[BBC Four]] documentary series on the history of British comics presented by [[Jonathan Ross]] *[[Welsh comics]] ==Notes== {{Reflist|2}} ==References== <!-- Use [[WP:CITESHORT]] for referencing these books using footnotes --> {{Refbegin}} *{{cite book |first=James |last=Chapman |author-link=James Chapman (media historian) |title=British Comics: A Cultural History |year=2011 |publisher=[[Reaktion Books]] |isbn=978-1-86189-855-5 |page=320 }} *{{cite book |first1=George |last1=Perry |first2=Alan |last2=Aldridge |author-link2=Alan Aldridge |title=The Penguin Book of Comics (reprint)|year=1989 |publisher=[[Penguin Books|Penguin]] |isbn=0-14-002802-1 }} *{{cite book |first=Roger |last=Sabin |author-link=Roger Sabin |title=Adult Comics An Introduction |year=1993 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=0-415-04419-7 }} *{{cite book |first=Paul |last=Gravett |author-link=Paul Gravett |title=Great British Comics |date=October 2006 |publisher=[[Aurum Press]] |isbn=1-84513-170-3 }} *{{cite book |first=Ernest Sackville |last=Turner |author-link=Ernest Sackville Turner |title=Boys Will Be Boys |orig-year=1948|year=1957 |publisher=[[Michael Joseph (publisher)|Michael Joseph]] |isbn=0-8103-4091-7 }} {{Refend}} ==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20101018033513/http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/news/britcomics/ Help for Researchers: British Comics Collection] from the [[British Library]] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100316205031/http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/ Comics UK] * [http://www.britishcomics.com/british-comics-history History of British Comics] from britishcomics.com * [http://www.downthetubes.net/ downthetubes.net] (British Comics News, Interviews and other features) * [http://www.indiereview.co.uk/ IndieReview] (UK Indie Comics News and Reviews) * [https://michaelowencarroll.wordpress.com/2020/04/10/the-british-comics-top-10-issue-count-chart-2020-edition/ ''British Comics Top-10 Issue-Count Chart – 2020 edition!''] by [[Michael Carroll (author)|Michael Carroll]], 10 April 2020. A list of the 10 longest-lasting British comics. (Retrieved 15 June 2020.) * [https://michaelowencarroll.wordpress.com/2018/05/26/eaglution-of-british-comics-part-1/ ''The Eaglution of British Comics'' (part 1)] by Michael Carroll, 26 May 2018. Article featuring a chart showing which comics (published by IPC/Fleetway) were merged with which, with the dates they were founded and merged. (Retrieved 27 May 2018.) * [https://michaelowencarroll.wordpress.com/2018/08/25/dc-thomson-comics-timeline/ ''DC Thomson Comics Timeline''] by Michael Carroll, 25 August 2018, about comics published by DC Thomson. (Retrieved 24 September 2018.) * [https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/comics/ BBC Cult presents: 2000AD and British Comics] from [[BBC Online]] (last updated September 2005) {{Comics}} [[Category:British comics| ]] [[Category:British children's literature|Comics]] [[Category:Cultural history of the United Kingdom|Comic]]'