Children's comics

 









Children's comics 

Children's comics

were produced in profusion during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, and appreciation of them is greater than ever. Search the attic for old boxes full of vintage Beanos or Eagles and you

 

Interest in British comics has increased in the last few years, and those from the 1970s are now sought after by people wanting to revisit or own items they enjoyed as children. Comics from the 1950s and 60s are slightly harder to find, hut today they are prized for the quality of their artwork and stories.

Colourful capers

Children's comics

Mickey Mouse Weekly (1936-55) was the first full-colour comic. The 1930s are considered to lie the golden age of the comic, with titles such as Tiny Tots (1927-59) and Crackers (1929-41), followed by D.C. Thomson's The Dandy and The Beano, which introduced a new style of drawing and a colourful cast of characters.

The Dandy first appeared in 1937. It introduced Korky the Cat', Keyhole Kate', and 'Desperate Dan', and used speech balloons instead of captions.

While a first issue of Mickey Mouse Weekly may cost £200-250, vintage comics can be found for under £5.

Children's comics

Eggo mania

The Beano arrived in 1938 with Big Eggo' on the cover. Lord Snooty' featured in the first issue but many recognisable characters came later, including Dennis the Menace' (1951), Roger the Dodger' and 'Minnie the

Minx' (both 1953), and Billy Whizz' (1954). A first issue of The Beano fetched £7,565 in 2003. Issues from the 1960s and 70s are worth about £5 or less, with examples from the 80s onwards worth only 20-50p or less.

Children's comics

Dan Dare to the rescue

Eagle (1950-69) introduced 'Dan Dare', The Mekon', and PC 49'. The comic- was so popular - because of its quality

artwork, which is itself collectable - that many readers saved their weekly copies. They are now easy to find; expect to pay £2-8 for a 'standard' copy. Older and rarer issues from the early to mid-1950s can go for more. A first-issue copy sold for £576 in 2002.

Girl guides

During its heyday in the 1960s, Bunty sold a million copies a 

Children's comics

week. In general, girls are less possessive about comics, so most were discarded. Bunty usually came with a cut-out doll or doll's clothing on the back page, so many copies were cut up. A complete Bunty from the late 1950s or early 60s might sell for £5-6 and one from the 1980s £1-2. Misty, a supernatural comic for girls first issued in 1978, has developed a cult following and copies can be picked up for £3-5.

Classic tales

Children's comics

The Classics Illustrated series was introduced into the UK in 1951 and featured 168 titles, including Moby Dick, Macbeth, Robin Hoocl, and The Time Machine. They are noted for memorable front cover artwork. Copies are available for about £3-4, but some hard-to-find issues, such as Gulliver's Travels, can cost £20 or more, and the rare The Argonauts can fetch £250.




 

Superstars

There is a huge interest in US comic-book superheroes such as Spider Man and The Incredible Hulk. Original issues of Action Comic, in which Superman took his bow in 1938, are now changing hands for £100,000 plus, but examples from the 1960s can often be found for around £3—5 or less.