After 2,499 posts about all sort of stuff I though I should make this 2,500th post more reflective. Looking back at the last 6 and a half years and try and pick out some of my favourite posts / topics. These then, in no particular order, are 13 of my favourite topics/posts...
1). Jet Jason
The story of how I re-discovered a lost sci-fi comic strip by Dave Gibbons is one of the highlights of the blog. I wrote about it (here) in 2017 and have filled in some more gaps in my collection subsequently. All references to Jet Jason can be found here (and to Fleetwings magazine here)
Or you can look at individual issues thus...
1979 - July (here); October/November (here)
1980 - Spring (here); Summer (here); Winter (here)
1981 - Spring (here); Summer (here); Winter (here)
1982 - Spring (here); Summer (here); Winter (here)
1983 - Spring (here); Winter (here)
1980 - Spring (here); Summer (here); Winter (here)
1981 - Spring (here); Summer (here); Winter (here)
1982 - Spring (here); Summer (here); Winter (here)
1983 - Spring (here); Winter (here)
2). Powerman
My complete notes on the subject can be found here or you can look at individual episodes here...
a) issue 5 is here
b). issue 6 is here
3). Cartoon Aid
This has been an interesting rabbit-hole to go down! This was the strip cartooning equivalent of Band Aid. Lots of book & merchandise produced. My last post on the subject was here and gives a good run down of all the books that were published under the Cartoon Aid banner. All references to Cartoon Aid can be found here
4). Reference books
I've always enjoyed collecting reference books relating to British comics and there are actually quite a few books out there to collect. It's been a pleasure to celebrate those comics historians whose work our work relies on. So far I've looked at:
Ray Moore is here
Martin Hamer is here
All reference books links are here
5). Calendars
This (see all links here) has been another really interesting rabbit-hole to go down. Lots of comic-y calendars out there to collect - especially if you're a fan of the Beano
6). Hulton press merchandise
I've collected Eagle & Dan Dare comics & merchandise for about 40 years now but it's only recently that I've started looking at (and occasionally collecting) material related to the other Hulton titles like Girl, Swift and Robin - this is material from the 1950s and it's suddenly feeling a long time ago. Some lovely ephemeral items were produced by all three titles and it's these that I'm looking to collect (rather than runs of the original comics).
All posts to do with Girl are here
All posts to do with Swift are here
All posts to do with Robin are here
My look at free gifts in the original Eagle is here
7). Warhammer books
In recent years I've started collecting the Warhammer comics & trade paperbacks that were produced at the time (and subsequently). Not being able to find a complete list of what was available I worked it out for myself. The current list has 57 different books to collect. At the time of typing I've got 50 of them.
My latest Warhammer books listing is here
8). Convention programmes
I've always enjoyed collecting programmes issued by comic conventions - often because they contained unique illustrations - but until I started looking at this in such detail I had no idea just how many programmes there were out there to collect...
Bristol comic expo (2004-2014) is here
9). Shreddieboy
It was a delight to discover some lost Don Lawrence & Ron Embleton art on the back of Shreddies packets - all posts relating to "Shreddieboy" are here
10). Loadsa Funnies
Always a delight to find a lost Judge Dredd strip by John Wagner and here it is - from the pages of "Loadsa Funnies" (all links to this can be found here)
11). Dave Gibbons - wallpaper designer
with thanks to Rufus Dayglo for this one. All details can be found here
12). Mick McMahon's first comics work
The post about that can be found here
13). My (long and complicated) guide to collecting Charley's War was a bit of a labour of love to work out, but well worth it in the end. You can read the results here
If you asked me on a different day I'd probably come up with a slightly different list, but hey-ho it's just too tricky to actually remember everything I've actually blogged about.
Don't forget to check out these other great blogs about British comics...
Lew Stringer's 3,357 (!!!) posts on his Blimey! blog can be found here
Lew blogs about his own work here
Mike Carroll's 'Rusty Staples' blog is essential and is here
John Freeman's news and review site 'Down the tubes' is (essential and) here
Steve Holland's 'Bear Alley' is (essential and) here - (4,796 postings over the period 2006-2020 and plenty more since the)
