Saturday, February 28, 2015

DAILY MIRROR comic strip series index 1904-2019



 Info UPDATED, January 26, 2019


[1] June 23, 1938, art by Elzie Segar.
      
Compiled and researched by
Leonardo De Sá
   
 A  LFRED Harmsworth, Lord Northcliffe (1865-1922) published the first issue of his Daily Mirror newspaper on Monday, November 2, 1903. His brother Harold Harmsworth, Lord Rothermere (1868-1940), became the paper’s chief proprietor in 1914. Harry Guy Bartholomew (1878-1962) joined the Mirror in January 1904 and in November 1934 began experimenting with heavy black type, bold headlines, pin-ups, pictures and short easily digested text — with crime and sex as main features. Similar methods were soon adapted by other British newspapers. Bartholomew was Chairman of The Daily Mirror and The Sunday Pictorial from 1944 to 1951. William Kerridge Haselden (1872-1953) is considered the father of the British newspaper strip cartoon. His topical cartoons in the period 1904 to 1944, similar to the American cartoons of Clare A. Briggs, were a popular feature in the Mirror. The first British daily newspaper comic strip — titled Teddy Tail — appeared in another Harmsworth brothers paper, the Daily Mail. It began April 5, 1915, and was written and drawn by Charles Folkard (1878-1963). The Daily Mirror began printing comic strips in full colour on 06/Jun/1988.
[2] June 30, 1938.
DAILY MIRROR
comic strip series index

[3] June 28, 1938, art by A.B. Payne.  
Mrs. Hippo’s Kindergarten
   16/APR/1904 (one-shot)
By Julius Stafford Baker. One-shot strip introducing Tiger Tim (the newspaper was then called The Daily Illustrated Mirror). In November 1904 the same animal characters began as a regular series in The Monthly Playbox, the children's supplement to the magazine The World and His Wife, then was transferred to The Children's Encyclopedia in 1914 and that same year The Bruin Boys and Tiger Tim became the lead strip in The Rainbow. It also had its own comic, Tiger Tim’s Weekly in 1920.
Pip, Squeak and Wilfred
   Debuted 12/MAY/1919, ended 31/AUG/1954
By “Uncle Dick” (writer; real name Bertram J. Lamb) & Austin B. Payne (artist); later written by Don Freeman, from 1938, and drawn by Hugh McClelland, after 1953. McClelland was the first head of the Daily Mirror strip department and creator of several comic strips.

Pip, Squeak and Wilfred was dropped in 28/JUN/1940 and was revived in 18/JAN/1947; it was transferred the next day after the end in the newspaper to Junior Mirror and was finally discontinued 09/MAR/1955. One story was reprinted in the Daily Mirror 21/NOV/1998 through 09/JAN/1999
  
   Pip and Squeak was the slightly different title of a free four-page Saturday pull-out comic supplement, numbered independently but maintaining the paper’s proper page numbers: it debuted 15/OCT/1921; was reduced to three pages with no. 24, dated 25/MAR/1922, then to two pages with no. 39, dated 08/JUL/1922, until no. 211, dated 24/OCT/1925. It proceeded with only one page with no. 212, dated 31/OCT/1925. Its front page title (masthead) was sporadically changed to Pip, Squeak and Wilfred with no. 113, dated 08/DEC/1923, and became permanent with no. 141, dated 21/JUN/1924. Besides the title heroes, it also featured several other individual comic stories and strip series for children such as “Betty or No Mother to Guide Her,” “The Adventures of Mollie and Maurice Mouse,” “Whispering Island,” “Big-Toe and Pearly-Tooth, the Pre-historic Children,” “The Magic Haystack,” “Peter and Pam Fight the Wolves,” etc.
Mutt & Jeff (USA)
   Debuted 19/MAR/1923, ended 11/SEP/1923
By Bud Fisher.

Nelson
   Debuted 08/NOV/1924, ended 18/APR/1925
B
y MacMichael (?), later by Walter Bell. Appeared in Pip, Squeak and Wilfred supplement.
A Trip Into the Future
   Debuted 06/DEC/1924, ended 24/JAN/1925
Credits unknown.
Appeared in Pip, Squeak and Wilfred supplement.
Tik and Tok
   Debuted 14/FEB/1925, ended 18/APR/1925
B
y Gail Holloway. Appeared in Pip, Squeak and Wilfred supplement.
Margie
   Debuted 02/MAY/1925, ended 16/MAY/1925
Credits unknown.
Appeared in Pip, Squeak and Wilfred supplement.
Izzy and Dizzy
   Debuted 18/JUL/1925, ended 03/OCT/1925
Credits unknown.
Appeared in Pip, Squeak and Wilfred supplement.
The Newlyweds (USA)
   Debuted 26/OCT/1925, ended 26/APR/1926
B
y George McManus.

The Jinks Family
   Debuted 18/APR/1927, ended 29/OCT/1927
B
y W.S.F.

Father On His Holiday
   Debuted 01/AUG/1928, ended 04/AUG/1928
B
y W. K. Haselden.

Dud
   Debuted 25/AUG/1928, ended 01/DEC/1928
B
y Harold Earnshaw.

The Pater
   Debuted 10/DEC/1928, ended 28/FEB/1931
B
y Harold Earnshaw.

Jay 
   Debuted 19/OCT/1931, ended 19/NOV/1931
B
y Jove.

Tich
   Debuted 21/NOV/1931, ended 25/NOV/1933
B
y Frank Dowling (writer) & “Dart” (Martin [unknown if Martin is first or last name], then Steve Dowling). Also appeared in the Sunday Pictorial.
[4] June 27, 1938, by Norman Pett.
Jane’s Journal – The Diary of a Bright Young Thing
   Debuted 05/DEC/1932, ended 10/OCT/1959
By Norman Pett. Title changed to Jane… beginning 01/APR/1938; later written by Don Freeman, from December 1938; drawn by Michael Hubbard, starting 01/MAY/1948; its final episodes were written by Ian Gammidge.
 
Is Truth Stranger Than Fiction?
   Debuted 14/NOV/1933, ended 14/FEB/1934 (strip #65)
By Jack Dunkley.
Ruggles
   Debuted 11/MAR/1935, ended 03/AUG/1957
B
y Frank Dowling (writer; from 1946 succeeded by Guy Morgan, William Connor & Ian Gammidge) & “Blik” (artist; real name Steve Dowling, sometimes ghosted by Angus Scott). At times titled The Ruggles or The Ruggles Family.
[5] June 23, 1938, art by Gloria.
Belinda Blue-Eyes
   Debuted 30/SEP/1935, ended 17/OCT/1959
By William Connor (writer) & “Gloria” (artist; later drawn by Steve Dowling under the same pseudonym; sometimes ghosted by Angus Scott); title shortened to Belinda 07/SEP/1939; drawn by Tony Royle from 1943; written by Peter O’Donnell for a while in 1952; later scripts by Don Freeman.

Gordon Fife, Soldier of Fortune (USA)
  
Debuted 03/AUG/1936, ended 16/OCT/1937
B
y Bob Moore (writer) & John Hales (art), later drawn by Carl Pfeufer.
Can You Beat It?
   Extant 03/OCT/1936, extant 10/APR/1937
B
y Jack Monk. Curiosities and puzzles in strip format, sometimes titled Can You Beat This? The series appeared earlier in the Daily Express.
Terror Keep
   Debuted 18/DEC/1936, ended 20/MAR/1937
B
y Don Freeman (writer; adapted from Edgar Wallace) & Jack Monk (artist). 
[6] June 28, 1938, art by Jack Monk.
Buck Ryan
   Debuted 22/MAR/1937, ended 31/JUL/1962
By Don Freeman (writer; later by James Edgar) & Jack Monk (artist). Reprints started 03/AUG/2015 newly colored by Martin Baines, and ended 07/APR/2018.
Behind the Scenes...
   Debuted 17/APR/1937, extant 19/JUN/1937
B
y Jack Monk. Curiosities in strip format.
Popeye (USA)
   Debuted 13/MAY/1937, ended 16/FEB/1946
By
E.C. Segar, then Doc Winner, then Bela Zaboly.

Love Me Forever… (photo-comic)
   Debuted 24/JUL/1937, ended 21 or 22/SEP/1937
Credits unknown.

Connie (USA)
   Debuted 24/SEP/1937, ended 31/MAR/1938
B
y Frank Godwin.

Camille and Her Boss(USA, originally Somebody's Stenog) 
   Debuted 04/OCT/1937, extant 20/DEC/1937, ended before 28/DEC/1937
B
y
 A.E. Hayward (ghosted possibly by Ray Thompson or Sam Nichols).

Beelzebub Jones
   Debuted 28/DEC/1937, ended 28/DEC/1945
By
Hugh McClelland.

The Mulligans
   Debuted 16/APR/1938, ended 04/JUN/1938
B
y Jack Greenall.
[7] June 25, 1938, by Bernard Graddon.
Just Jake
   Debuted 04/JUN/1938, ended 14/APR/1952
By Bernard Graddon (in later years written by Don Freeman, and drawn by Tony Royle; occasionally drawn by Ron Gibbs).
Henry (USA)
   Debuted 06/JUL/1939, ended 12/DEC/1939
By
Carl Anderson.

Garth
   Debuted 24/JUL/1943, ended 22/MAR/1997
By Steve Dowling (writer-artist), then drawn by John Allard 23/APR/1969 to 10/JUL/1971; drawn by Frank Bellamy 12/JUL/1971 to 25/OCT/1976; drawn by Martin Asbury starting 26/OCT/1976. Written by Steve Dowling, then by Don Freeman, then Hugh McClelland (1952-53), then Peter O’Donnell (from 1953), then James Edgar (from 1966), then Angus Allan (from 1985) and others. Reprints started 21/FEB/2011, with colours added by Martin Baines: ongoing as of 26/JAN/2019.

Dan Doofer
   Debuted 29/DEC/1945, ended 20/JUL/1946
By Hugh McClelland.
 
[8] February 20, 1952, art by Steve Dowling, Hugh McClelland, Jack Dunkley.
Jimpy
   Debuted 05/JAN/1946, ended 23/AUG/1952
By Hugh McClelland.

Sunshine Falls
   Debuted 22/JUL/1946, ended 19/JUL/1947
B
y Hugh McClelland.

Patsy
   Debuted 23/SEP/1946, ended 02/JAN/1953
B
y Bill Herbert (creator), Ambrose Heath (writer) & Jack Dunkley (artist).

The Battle of the Back Garden
   Debuted 28/SEP/1946, ended (?) 01/JAN/1953
By Bernard Venables. Initial
title until 19/JUL/1947; title changed to Gardening 25/JUL/1947 to 12/DEC/1947; title changed to Mr. Crabtree 19/DEC/1947 to 19/MAR/1948; title changed back to Gardening 02/APR/1948 to 20/AUG/1948; title changed back to Mr. Crabtree 27/AUG/1948. Returned in new series Mr. Crabtree Crusades in 1974-75.
Mr. Digwell
   Debuted 1946? (unchecked), still extant 27/MAY/1989 (end unchecked)
B
y
Ambrose Heath (writer) & Bernard Venables (artist), later written by Ian Gammidge and drawn by Jack Dunkley. Extant 01/MAR/1949; extant 07/JUL/1949 (already Dunkley).
[9] February 15, 1952, art by Leonard Gamblin.
The Flutters
   Debuted 07/JUL/1947 (intro; really started 09/JUL/1947), ended 27/FEB/1971
B
y Jack Hargreaves, then Ian Gammidge (writers) & Leonard Gamblin (artist).

Romeo Brown
   Debuted 01/SEP/1954, ended 07/JUL/1962
B
y
“Maz” (writer-artist; real name Alfred Mazure); written by Peter O’Donnell and drawn by Jim Holdaway starting 22/Jan/1957.

Sooty
   Debuted 24/SEP/1956, ended 16/JUL/1962
By
Doris Atkins (writer) & Margaret Abbott (artist; succeeded by Harry Smith).
[10] August 12, 1959, by Reg Smythe
Andy Capp
   Debuted 05/AUG/1957, then 14/APR/1958 (national edition), ongoing as of 26/JAN/2019
By
Reg Smythe. Originally started 05/AUG/1957 only in the Manchester edition; first Andy Capp in the London newspaper: 14/APR/1958; since late 1998/early 1999 by Roger Kettle (writer) & Roger Mahoney (artist), credits for both only started 04/NOV/2004; since 04/APR/2011 written by Lawrence Goldsmith (also colourist) and Sean Garnett, for artist Roger Mahoney.

The Larks
   Debuted 05/AUG/1957, ended 28/FEB/1985
By Bill Kelly and Arthur Lay, R. St. John Cooper, Brian Cooke, and lastly Ian Gammidge (writers) & Jack Dunkley (artist).

Hylda Baker’s Diary
  
1957/1958 (unchecked)
By Denis Gifford (writer) & “Kol” (artist; real name Dennis Collins). Only appeared in the Northern edition of the Daily Mirror, printed in Manchester.
The Perishers
   Debuted 10/FEB/1958, then 19/OCT/1959 (national edition), ended 10/JUN/2006
By Bill Herbert (artist and creator) & Ben Witham (writer); in 1959 succeeded by Maurice Dodd (writer) & Dennis Collins (artist); in 1983-92 drawn by Maurice Dodd; since November 1992 drawn Bill Mevin.
Originally started 10/FEB/1958 only in the Northern edition of the Daily Mirror; first appeared in the London newspaper 19/OCT/1959. Reprints started 22/FEB/2010: ongoing as of 26/JAN/2019.
Patti
   Debuted 12/OCT/1959, ended 08/APR/1961
By Jenny Butterworth (writer) & Rab Hamilton (artist; real name Alex Hamilton).

Keeping Up With the Joneses
   Debuted 09/MAR/1960, ended 26/AUG/1961
B
y
Ian Gammidge (writer) & Steve Dowling (artist; succeeded by Leslie Caswell).

Jane, Daughter of Jane
   Debuted 28/AUG/1961, ended 30/AUG/1963
B
y Roger Woddis (writer) & “Maz” (artist; real name Alfred Mazure). 
[11] March 9, 1935, art by A.B. Payne.
The Fosdyke Saga
   Debuted 02/MAR/1971, ended 28/FEB/1985
By Bill Tidy.

Little Joe
   Debuted 16/APR/1973, ended 30/NOV/1976
By Ian Gammidge (writer) & “Fel” (artist; real name Bert Felstead, aka Felgate?)
.  
Mr. Crabtree Crusades
   Debuted 31/MAY/1974, still extant 04/APR/1975 (end unchecked)
B
y Bernard Venables.
Patty’s Hours of Agony: A Reconstruction of the Life of Patty Hearst
   20/MAR/1976 (one-shot)
B
y Anthony Delano (writer) & Frank Bellamy (artist). Complete story.

The Mr. Men
  
Debuted 01/DEC/1976, ended 04/DEC/1982
By Roger Hargreaves
.
The Elvis Presley Story
   Debuted 12/SEP/1977, ended 21/OCT/1977 (Day 30)
B
y Ian Gammidge (writer) & Martin Asbury (artist).

Daisy in the Garden
   Debuted 01/SEP/1978, ended (?) 31/JUL/1981
B
y John Hill.

The Skolars (advertisement strip)
   Debuted 29/MAR/1980, ended 22/AUG/1981
Credits unknown
.

Studs
   Debuted 29/AUG/1981, ended 02/JAN/1982
C
redits unknown.

Flook
   Debuted 19/NOV/1984, ended 15/NOV/1985
B
y Keith Waterhouse (writer) & “Trog” (artist; real name Wally Fawkes). Transferred from the Daily Mail; continued after in the Sunday Mirror.

Jane, Grand Daughter of Jane
   Debuted 16/APR/1985, ended 01/SEP/1990
By Ian Gammidge (writer; succeeded by Roger Mahoney, Hilary King, Tim Quinn and Les Lilley) & John M. Burns (artist)
.
[12] February 16, 1952, art by Michael Hubbard.
The Greens
   Debuted 26/JAN/1987, ended 24/MAR/1990
By Iain Reid (writer) & Roger Mahoney (artist)
.

A Man Called Horace
   Debuted 29/MAY/1989, ended 01/AUG/2015
By Roger Kettle (writer) & Andrew Christine (artist). Suspended 22/JUN/1996; revived with title shortened to Horace in 1997 (before 11/OCT/1997)
.

Scorer
   Debuted 14/AUG/1989, ended 19/FEB/2011
By Barrie Tomlinson and James Tomlinson (writers) & Barrie Mitchell (artist the first year), John Gillatt (much of the 1990s), David Sque (until the end), with colours by David Pugh and Martin Baines (mid/late 2000s)
.

Millie and Her Brother Richard
   Debuted 31/MAR/1990, ended 18/NOV/1995
By Roger Mahoney. Title shortened to Millie 03/SEP/1990
.

Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
   Debuted 30/APR/1990, ended 04/MAY/1991
By Martin Griffiths
. 
Disney Mirror
   Debuted 02/MAR/1991, ended 26/MAR/1994
C
olour and B&W 8-page Saturday giveaway supplement reprinting classic American Walt Disney newspaper strips and puzzles. No. 1 to no. 160.
Baz & Co.
   Debuted 24/JUN/1991, ended 12/DEC/1992
By
Mike Higgs.

Girl Chat
   Debuted 14/DEC/1992, ended 18/NOV/1995
B
y John M. Burns.

Real Life
   Debuted 24/JUN/1996, ended 30/OCT/2004
Created by 
Tom Johnston.

Mandy Capp
   Debuted 06/JAN/1997, ended 07/APR/2018
B
y Carla Ostrer (writer) & Roger Mahoney (artist); later written and drawn by Carla Ostrer. Title shortened to Mandy 26/DEC/1998.

Ronaldinho (Brazil)
   Debuted 12/JUN/2006, ended 21/JUL/2006
By Mauricio de Sousa
.

Pooch Café (USA)
   Debuted 24/JUL/2006, ended 20/FEB/2010
B
y Paul Gilligan.

Simon’s Cat
   Debuted 21/FEB/2011, ended 15 or 16/FEB/2013
By Simon Tofield.
[13] June 27, 1938, art by A.B. Payne.

[14] Daily Mirror 03/FEB/2018 

COMING SOON
Images For Many of the Titles in This List…
Meanwhile, any additional information is welcomed, especially missing names of WRITERS and ARTISTS.





12 comments:

  1. Further proof that Mike Hubbard is a forgotten master; I love that guy's work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great work. I like to ad some words to Romeo Brown and Jane, daughter of Jane, both drawn by Alfred Mazure (Maz)
    Maz wrote and drawn Romeo Brown from september 1st 1954 till january 21ste 1957. Peter O'Donnell wrote the stories for Jim Holdaway from january 22nd 1957 till july 7th 1962.
    Jane, daughter of Jane was probably also written by Maz, and not by Roger Woddis.
    I have done a lot of research for my book about Maz, En Maz creeerde Dick Bos (And Maz created Dick Bos) and I could not find the connection with Roger Woddis.

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Rich Thomassen
    Thanks for your input. As you surely know, most of the scant information about British newspaper strips is scattered in odd places, mostly articles by Denis Gifford. Series “Romeo Brown” is one of the very few that has been fairly well reprinted (outside the UK, namely in Italy) and referenced more often, since the art was such an accomplishment. And it was hilarious too, because it was very well written indeed.
    One of the problems when compiling the data for this index was finding the creators’ names, especially scripters. Again, everything is dispersed if it even exists. A good portion of the information I use came from an article by John Allard, published in Comic Cuts (the Association of Comics Enthusiasts’ newsletter) Vol. 13, No. 6 (No 118), dated Oct/Nov 1990, wherein he states:
    “An attempt to launch a strip JANE, DAUGHTER OF JANE in 1961, drawn by Mazure and written by Roger Woddis, with the heroine a modern young woman whose loss of clothes was anything but accidental, was called off after a run of two years.
    John Allard was cartoon editor of the Daily Mirrors, so he should know.
    As for Romeo Brown, you are right and the info will be corrected in the main index above. I now realize the same John Allard in that article actually writes:
    “Peter O'Donnell [...] in addition wrote the comic detective ROMEO BROWN drawn by Jim Holdaway from 1957 to 1962. This strip had been drawn and written by Mazure from 1954 to 1957. Jim, a very gifted artist, died suddenly in 1962.”
    You will notice the ever so slight mistake, as Jim Holdaway actually died in 1970. Confusing data. Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It took me more than a month, but I’ve finally been able to re-check the "Romeo Brown" series for the first months of 1957:

    - The last strip drawn and signed by Maz was indeed number Q18 (21/JAN/1957), the end of story "Double Trouble."
    - The next episode, called "Fingle's Follies," beginning with strip Q19 (22/JAN/1957), was the first drawn by Jim Holdaway. The whole story appeared unsigned until the end in strip Q140 (13/JUN/1957).
    - The first strip signed by Holdaway was Q141 (14/JUN/1957), the beginning of episode “Romeo the Ruthless.”

    The Daily Mirror Comic Series Index has now been updated to reflect this. A tidbit about the introduction of colour printing was also added to the opening paragraph. The objective is, hopefully, to gather here the most correct and complete data on the newspaper’s strip series. Additional information is always welcomed.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Leo. Re ‘A Man Called Horace’: This brilliant strip unfortunately ended last year. Roger Kettle posted this on the Beau Peep (his Daily Star strip) website on 03-08-2015:

    End of an Era
    Those of you who read the "Daily Mirror" or "Daily Record" may have noticed a Horace-sized gap in your paper today. Sadly, after 26 years, the strip has made its final appearance. Due to the financial situation at most newspapers today, severe cuts are being made and Horace is a victim of these circumstances.
    Andrew and I would like to thank all those readers who have followed our daft little characters over the past quarter of a century---it really is appreciated. Who knows---maybe Horace, Mojo, Granny and the rest will pop up somewhere in the future. In the meantime, thanks again.
    I'll leave you with a line from Granny to the outlaw, Jesse James...
    "Son, you've got a big mouth and a girly name---neither of which will stop a knee to the groin."
    Keep smiling.
    Roger Kettle.


    There's some strips here: http://www.cameldung.co.uk/index.php?topic=1416.0 or I can scan some in from my collection if you want them...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks. Would you happen to know the exact date of the last published strip? Your comment has been passed on to Leo.

    ReplyDelete
  7. @colescargot
    Thanks for the information, unfortunate as it is. I’ve been thinking about updating this post for some time and your commentary has given me the boost to do it. The Daily Mirror Comic Strip Series Index is presently up-to-date though mid-2016, now including an entry on the appearance of Tiger Tim (even if it wasn’t a series in the Daily Mirror it became one afterwards), the info about the demise of “Horace,” and also with several bits of new data I was able to uncover.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have several complete sets of the original Daily Mirror comic strips, some of which include Romeo Brown, Patti, Garth, etc from 1959/1960 which I had a passion for collecting. Also some from other newspapers - Jeff Hawke, etc. I'm glad they are still being reprinted

    ReplyDelete
  9. Fosdyke Saga started brilliantly but seemed to fade.have to check final.strips some time
    Why did they drop.Mandy?

    ReplyDelete
  10. THe strip cartoon Real Life, from 1996, was created by myself, Tom Johnston.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Millie and her brother Richard 31/3/90 to 1/9/90 was only on Saturdays as a double sized strip then went to the normal size when it was printed Monday to saturday on the 3/9/90

    ReplyDelete