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WWII comics

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St Germain | 22:08 Tue 06th Feb 2007 | History
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Hi, could you give me the titles of british comics that were available during the war. I'm thinking specifically of comics that depict war stories not Beano, Topper type of comics. Thank you
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Paper was rationed in World War Two, but comics were still produced because they brightened the lives of children. They read them from cover to cover and swapped them among each other. Their favourites included the Beano and the Dandy which are still popular today. For the first two years of the war, these two comics came out every week. After that they were published once a fortnight to save paper. The Dandy poked fun at the Germans and the Italians who were on their side. The magazine's best-known character, Desperate Dan, was shown punching Hitler out of Britain, so that he landed in Germany. The Beano also did its best to cheer up youngsters. Lord Snooty and Pansy Potter were often seen giving the enemy a kick up the backside. Other comics that were sold during the war included Tiny Tots, Chicks Own, Wizard, Rover, Hotspur and Champion.

Some other info (probably printed after the war though)

http://www.britishcomics.20m.com/misc.htm

http://www.commandocomics.co.uk/other.html



Some info here but these are American.
http://www.dereksantos.com/comicpage/gold4.htm l

In Britain the period between the two wars is notable mainly for the publication of annuals by Amalgamated Press, and also the emergence of DC Thomson, launching both The Beano and The Dandy in the late 1930s, as you have noted. During the wars the Beano and Dandy thrived due to a ban on publishing new comics, this was because of a paper shortage.

Most of the comic books we would remember such as Commando, Air Ace and Eagle (Dan Dare) were post war productions kicking off in the 50�s and 60�s.
As well as the Wizard, Rover, and Hotspur already mentioned, there was the Adventure and the Skipper (though this last one was withdrawn in 1941). All five were story type comics. They were published by the company that produces the Beano and the Dandy, and did contain war stories.
I don't think Knockout or Adventure has been mentioned. I seem to remember Rockfist Rogan of the RAF, The Wolf of Kabul, Sexton Blake & Tinker. Perhaps you will find the following useful?

http://www.26pigs.com/index.php3
Sorry this is the one

http://www.26pigs.com/comics.html
Question Author
Thank you all for those answers. You've been a great help. I'm writing a story of a young boy set in Newcastle in 1942. At one point I describe him reading a war comic. I'm a stickler for detail so I needed to know what war comic he might be reading. From the links provided I think I'll have him reading Hotspur, that sounds particularly British and contemporaneous. Once again, thanks

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