Line #61 Main/BritishComics


1	%% Image selected via crowner in the Image Suggestion thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1452266899092104700
2	%% https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php?crowner_id=768ocibx
3	%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.
4
5	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/british_comics.png]]
6	[[caption-width-right:350:Clockwise from top right: ''ComicBook/{{Hilda}}'', ''ComicBook/CommandoComics'', ''ComicBook/TheBeano'' (Specifically, ''ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUK)'', ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'']]
7
8	British comics, as the name suggests, are comics that originate from Britain. British comics are usually [[AnthologyComic Anthology Comics]] and often have annuals printed once a year in time for Christmas (or at least they used to), likewise summer specials printed in time for the summer holidays. British comics evolved out of [[DimeNovel story papers]] with a number of story papers switching to comics. The earliest British comics, such as ''Comic Cuts'', began in [[TheGay90s the 1890s]] and these slowly evolved into the modern anthology comic, which in the early days would feature humourous and adventurous stories. Because of their [[DimeNovel story paper]] roots, they also featured text stories. The oldest British Comic which survives to this day is ''ComicBook/TheBeano'' [[PrintLongRunners which began in 1938]]. ''ComicBook/TheDandy'', from the same publisher, had previously held the record for longest runner, having launched eight months earlier, but it closed in December 2012.
9
10	There are four main genres of British comics. It should be noted that as many British Comics are anthologies, different strips in a comic were often different genres up until about the 1970s. Since then, the remaining major comics tend to be defined by genre.
11
12	Perhaps the biggest and most popular (and certainly the most visible) is the British humour comic. The two pinnacles of the genre are childhood staples ''ComicBook/TheBeano'' and ''ComicBook/TheDandy''. There used to be many more, but sales decreased over the years and many of them [[ComicsMerger merged]] or became defunct around The90s: some of the most popular characters from these discontinued comics migrated to ''ComicBook/TheBeano'' or ''TheDandy''. They generally emphasise dynamic movement and cartoonish exaggeration, similar to France's [[Creator/AndreFranquin Marcinelle school]]. The humour comic genre is probably the most historically popular genre, though as of 2016, only ''ComicBook/TheBeano'' still publishes regular issues (''The Dandy'' is also still published, but only in annual form).
13
14	There is also what might broadly be termed "adventure comics", which are quite different to their American equivalents. Instead of the [[MediaNotes/TheComicsCode particular]] [[MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks history]] that led to a market dominated by [[SuperHero superhero stories]], British comics readers read a lot of war, sci-fi or football stories, as well as some uniquely British oddball "superheroes", often more violent, more ambiguous or just plain more ''sinister'' than their mainstream American counterparts. The two highest-profile comics in this genre today are ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'' and ''ComicBook/CommandoComics''. In certain ways, such as their darker subject matter and their manner of serialization, these British comics have more in common with Japanese manga than they do with American comic books.
15
16	The girls' equivalent of this (the British equivalent of {{Shoujo}} manga) would often feature sports- or ballet-themed stories and school settings, although they would often include an element of fantasy or science fiction. Typical examples would be ''ComicBook/{{Girl}}'', ''ComicBook/{{Bunty}}'', ''ComicBook/{{Mandy}}'' and ''ComicBook/{{Tammy}}''. In the 1970s genre aspects became more explicit with the appearance of overtly themed titles such as ''ComicBook/{{Misty}}'' (supernatural and horror), ''ComicBook/{{Jinty}}'' (SF), and ''ComicBook/{{Spellbound\|1976}}'' (fantasy and SF). Immensely popular in their day -- according to Pat Mills, ''ComicBook/{{Tammy}}'' outsold ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'' by 30,000 copies a week -- but as newsstand comics declined, girls' titles merged, with surviving titles morphing into teen magazines, dropping comic strips as they did so.
17
18	There are also comics aimed at the very young children. Most of these comics are now based off licensed properties but back in the 70s and earlier this genre did not rely on them. An example of this genre would be the now seemingly oddly titled ''[[HavingAGayOldTime Bimbo]]''.
19
20	!!Notable British comics:
21	[[index]]
22	* ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD''
23	* ''ComicBook/{{Action}}''
24	* ''ComicBook/AlphaGods''
25	* ''ComicBook/{{Battle}}''
26	* ''ComicBook/BazookaJules''
27	* ''ComicBook/TheBeano''
28	* ''ComicBook/TheBeezer''
29	* ''ComicBook/BlackAxe''
30	* ''ComicBook/{{Bunty}}''
31	* ''ComicBook/{{Buster}}''
32	* ''ComicBook/CaptainBritainWeekly''
33	* ''ComicBook/CaptainBritainMonthly''
34	* ''ComicBook/CindyAndBiscuit''
35	* ''ComicBook/{{Classwar}}''
36	* ''ComicBook/CodenameGenetix''
37	* ''ComicBook/CommandoComics''
38	* ''ComicBook/TheDandy''
39	* ''ComicBook/DarkAngelMarvelComics''
40	* ''ComicBook/DeathSentence''
41	* ''ComicBook/TheDFC''
42	* ''ComicBook/BBCBooksDoctorWhoGraphicNovels''
43	* ''ComicBook/DieCut''
44	* ''ComicBook/{{Digitek}}''
45	* ''ComicBook/{{Eagle}}''
46	* ''ComicBook/{{Family}}''
47	* ''ComicBook/FatherChristmas''
48	* ''ComicBook/FiendsOfTheEasternFront''
49	* ''ComicBook/FromHell''
50	* ''ComicBook/GeekGirl''
51	* ''ComicBook/GeneDogs''
52	* ''ComicBook/{{Girl}}''
53	* ''ComicBook/{{Grandville}}''
54	* ''ComicBook/GunRunner''
55	* ''ComicBook/{{Hilda}}''
56	** ''ComicBook/HildaAndTheTroll''
57	** ''ComicBook/HildaAndTheMidnightGiant''
58	** ''ComicBook/HildaAndTheBirdParade''
59	** ''ComicBook/HildaAndTheBlackHound''
60	** ''ComicBook/HildaAndTheStoneForest''
61	** ''ComicBook/HildaAndTheMountainKing2019''
62	* ''ComicBook/ItCame''
63	* ''ComicBook/{{Jinty}}''
64	* ''ComicBook/{{Killtopia}}''
65	* ''ComicBook/TheKnightsOfPendragon1990''
66	* ''ComicBook/LutherArkwright''
67	** ''The Adventures of Luther Arkwright''
68	** ''Heart of Empire''
69	* ''ComicBook/TheMan''
70	* ''ComicBook/{{Mandy}}''
71	* ''ComicBook/MendozaTheGreat''
72	* ''ComicBook/MotormouthAndKillpower''
73	* ''ComicBook/MystechWars''
74	* ''ComicBook/{{Misty}}''
75	* ''ComicBook/TheMotherlessOven''
76	* ''ComicBook/MyLittlePony''
77	* ''ComicBook/{{Oink}}''
78	* ''ComicBook/PantheonTheTrueStoryOfTheEgyptianDeities''
79	* ''ComicBook/ThePhoenix''
80	* ''ComicBook/{{Plasmer}}''
81	* ''ComicBook/RequiemVampireKnight''
82	* ''ComicBook/SamuraiChef''
83	* ''ComicBook/{{Sha}}''
84	* ''ComicBook/ShadowRiders''
85	* ''ComicBook/SherlockHolmesAndTheHorrorOfFrankenstein''
86	* ''ComicBook/TheSnowman''
87	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheComic''
88	* ''ComicBook/TheTaleOfOneBadRat''
89	* ''ComicBook/TamaraDrewe''
90	* ''ComicBook/{{Tammy}}''
91	* ''ComicBook/TankGirl''
92	* ''ComicBook/TheTopper''
93	* ''ComicBook/TwistedDark''
94	* ''ComicBook/{{Viz}}''
95	* ''ComicBook/{{Warheads}}''
96	* ''ComicBook/WhenTheWindBlows''
97	* ''ComicBook/WhizzerAndChips''
98
99	!!Notable Comic strips from British Comics:
100
101	* ''ComicBook/ABCWarriors''
102	* ''ComicBook/{{Absalom}}''
103	* ''ComicBook/AgeOfTheWolf''
104	* ''ComicBook/AlsBaby''
105	* ''ComicBook/{{Aquila}}''
106	* ''ComicBook/{{Atavar}}''
107	* ''ComicBook/TheBalladOfHaloJones''
108	* ''ComicStrip/{{Bananaman}}''
109	* ''ComicStrip/BillyBunter''
110	* ''ComicBook/TheBojeffriesSaga''
111	* ''ComicBook/ButtonMan''
112	* ''ComicBook/CaballisticsInc''
113	* ''ComicStrip/DanDare''
114	* ''ComicBook/DeathsHead''
115	* ''ComicBook/DeathsHeadII''
116	* ''ComicBook/DeathThree''
117	* ''ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUK''
118	* ''ComicBook/DroidLife''
119	* ''ComicBook/DRAndQuinch''
120	* ''ComicBook/TheGrievousJourneyOfIchabodAzrael''
121	* ''ComicBook/HarlemHeroes''
122	* ''ComicBook/LobsterRandom''
123	* ''ComicBook/ALoveLikeBlood''
124	* ''ComicBook/JackStaff''
125	* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd''
126	** ''ComicBook/AndersonPsiDivision''
127	** ''ComicBook/TheFallOfDeadworld''
128	** ''ComicBook/LowLife''
129	** ''ComicBook/TheSimpingDetective''
130	** ''ComicBook/TalesFromTheBlackMuseum''
131	* ''ComicBook/TheLeopardFromLimeStreet''
132	* ''ComicBook/MegaRoboBros''
133	* ''ComicBook/{{Miracleman}}''
134	* ''ComicBook/{{Necronauts}}''
135	* ''ComicBook/{{Necrophim}}''
136	* ''ComicBook/NemesisTheWarlock''
137	* ''ComicBook/NikolaiDante''
138	* ''ComicBook/RogueTrooper''
139	* ''ComicBook/{{Savage}}''
140	* ''ComicBook/{{Shakara}}''
141	* ''ComicStrip/SidTheSexist''
142	* ''ComicBook/SinisterDexter''
143	* ''ComicBook/{{Slaine}}''
144	* ''ComicBook/TheSpider''
145	* ''ComicBook/TheSteelClaw''
146	* ''ComicBook/StrontiumDog''
147	* ''ComicBook/TalesOfTelguuth''
148	* ''ComicBook/TheTenSeconders''
149	* ''ComicBook/ThargsFutureShocks''
150	* ''ComicBook/TheTriganEmpire''
151	* ''ComicBook/VForVendetta''
152	* ''ComicBook/{{XTNCT}}''
153	* ''ComicBook/{{Zenith}}''
154	* ''ComicBook/{{Zombo}}''
155
156	!!Notable British newspaper comic strips
157
158	* ''ComicStrip/AndyCapp''
159	* ''ComicStrip/AngusOg''
160	* ''ComicStrip/TheBroons''
161	* ''ComicStrip/GeorgeAndLynne''
162	* ''ComicStrip/ModestyBlaise''
163	* ''ComicStrip/ThePerishers''
164	* ''ComicStrip/RupertBear''
165
166	!!British Comics publishers
167
168	* ''Creator/DCThomson''
169	* ''Creator/MarvelUK''
170
171	!!The following creators have their own pages:
172
173	* Creator/DanAbnett
174	* Creator/RaymondBriggs
175	* Creator/MikeCarey
176	* Creator/AlanDavis
177	* Creator/JamieDelano
178	* Creator/SteveDillon
179	* Creator/WarrenEllis
180	* Creator/GarthEnnis
181	* Creator/AlEwing
182	* Creator/NeilGaiman
183	* ComicStrip/CarlGiles
184	* Creator/HarryHarrison
185	* Creator/AndyLanning
186	* Creator/MarkMillar
187	* Creator/PeterMilligan
188	* Creator/AlanMoore
189	* Creator/GrantMorrison
190	* Creator/KenReid
191	* Creator/SiSpurrier
192	* Creator/BryanTalbot
193
194	!!British Comic Tropes:
195
196	* PhotoComic
197	* ComicsMerger
198	* TheChristmasAnnual
199	[[/index]]

Context Main / BritishComics