Comical comics
Comical comics |
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Page 4 of 34  The first appearance of Desperate Dan [The Dandy, 1937). More than this, comics became a private reading space for children, a place where they could negotiate adult power and authority, and where juvenile fantasies could be played out: a world of naughtiness, make believe violence and what primary school teachers used to call 'messy play'. For this reason above all, comics formed a strong bond between children: playground chat was commonly about the week's new releases, and if a child did not know the names of characters, then he or she might be excluded from the group. Indeed, the characters themselves became 'friends' in many instances: a relationship re-established and fortified every week. The Amalgamated Press were the first to cash in. They built on the success of their (now passe) adult comics empire with a flood of children's titles. The inter-war years saw 'penny blacks' like Jingles (1934) and Jolly (1935) joined by 'tuppenny coloureds', including My Favourite (1928), Crackers (1929) and, most spectacular of all, Happy Days (1938), which was produced in stunning photogravure (a process involving photographically produced printing plates). All of them featured a mix of stories about funny animals and gormless families.  'Dennis the Menace' (The Beano, 1954). Art/script: David Law. |