As you might be aware, this regular feature on Rusty Staples looks back at important anniversaries of British comics, and one of the entries on today’s list (in fact, the final entry) is a very strong contender for the title of World’s First Comic Book: With an internal date of 11 June 1825, The Glasgow Looking Glass, published by John Watson & Company, was launched two hundred years ago.
The cover reproduced here comes from the Glasgow University Library and was hand-painted by some unknown person: all other known surviving copies are in black and white, so this seems to have been a one-off.
After issue #5, “Glasgow” in the title was replaced by “Northern”, presumably to encourage wider distribution. The Northern Looking Glass carried on until 3 April 1826, calling it a day with issue #19. (The publication rate works out at one issue every 16.45 days, so if it had kept going at that rate it’d now be on about issue 4441, which is still fewer issues than Commando which is 136 years younger and yet is currently around issue 5854.)
Was it really the first ever comic book? That’s debatable, because it depends on what we define as a comic. The Glasgow Looking Glass featured cartoons with speech bubbles, and some with multiple panels, so that’s a big tick in the positive column right there… but then that also describes the average newspaper of today.
Some people point to Rodolphe Töpffer’s Histoire De Mr. Vieux Bois as the first “proper” comic, but that was published in 1837, twelve years after The Glasgow Looking Glass.
But then if we jump back in time to fifty years before The Glasgow Looking Glass, we’ll find Koikawa Harumachi’s 1775 work Kinkin sensei eiga no yume (translated as Master Flashgold’s Splendiferous Dream) which some will say was the first recognisable comic, but others will argue that it’s more accurately described as a kibyōshi (a Japanese illustrated book), and it wasn’t even the first kibyōshi to be published, just the first to achieve widespread notice.
Maybe it’s not actually possible to pin-point the first “real” comic because there’s no universally agreed-upon definition of a comic. Illustrations? Certainly. I think we’re all happy with that. Story told over multiple illustrations? Um, that’s less certain. There’s an awful lot of single panel comics and cartoons out there. Speech balloons, then? Well, no… Rubert Bear has managed to get along fine without such things for over a century. On-going stories? Nope: Commando and countless others have almost entirely self-contained stories. Printed on paper? Definitely not! These days a lot of comics exist entirely in the digital realm: Aces Weekly naturally comes to mind there.
My own opinion is that — outside of bragging rights — it’s not particularly important to be able to identify the first real comic, and anything that even borders on comics should be embraced as part of the community.
This is why I include story-papers and even some popular novel series in these Hatch, Match & Dispatch lists: such things might not be actual comics, but they live right next door and the walls are thin, often no thicker than a sheet of newsprint.
Blog News:
Standard disclaimer: unless I decide otherwise, these are only the “big” anniversaries (25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 75, 80, 90 & 100+ years); dates are cover-dates where known; monthly comics with no confirmed day of launch default to the start of the month; and this list is accurate only to the best of my knowledge, so do please let me know of any important errors or omissions!
Previous episodes of Hatch, Match & Dispatch:
2019: Oct, Nov, Dec
2020: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2021: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2022: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2023: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2024: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2025: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May
25 years ago:
07 June – Sindy (2000) launched.
Publisher: Panini UK
From: 07 Jun 2000
To: 01 Oct 2004
Duration: 4 years, 4 months
Issues: 58
Every four weeks.
30 years ago:
June – The X-Files launched.
Publisher: Manga Publishing/Titan Comics
From: Jun 1995
To: Dec 1997
Duration: 2 years, 6 months
Issues: 27
Monthly. Issues #1-#18 published by Manga Publishing, remainder by Titan Comics
29 June – Action Man (1995) launched.
Publisher: Tower Magazines
From: 29 Jun 1995
To: 03 Aug 1996
Duration: 1 year, 2 months
Issues: 6
Fortnightly. End date not confirmed.
35 years ago:
June – Dick Tracy (1990) launched.
Publisher: Fleetway
From: Jun 1990
To: 1990
Duration:
Issues: 3
Three issues, square-bound, undated. #2 adapts the Warren Beatty movie. Date of final issue unknown.
June – The Best of Roy of the Rovers Monthly final issue.
Publisher: Fleetway
From: Apr 1988
To: Jun 1990
Duration: 2 years, 2 months
Issues: 27
Reprinted strips from Roy of the Rovers. Relaunched as Roy of the Rovers Monthly (1990), although it’s arguable that this was merely a rebranding : the new version didn’t use issue numbers.
40 years ago:
June – Combat Picture Library (1960) final issue.
Publisher: Micron
From: 1960
To: Jun 1985
Duration: 25 years
Issues: 1160
Issues are numbered #53 to #1212 – continued from Combat Picture Library (1959) by G.M. Smith
June – The Best of Whoopee! Monthly launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: Jun 1985
To: Jan 1991
Duration: 5 years, 7 months
Issues: 68
Dates and issue-count unconfirmed.
11 June – Beeb final issue.
Publisher: Polystyle Publications
From: 29 Jan 1985
To: 11 Jun 1985
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 20
A weekly children’s TV mag in the style of Look-In
29 June – Jack and Jill (1954) final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press/Fleetway/IPC
From: 27 Feb 1954
To: 29 Jun 1985
Duration: 31 years, 4 months
Issues: 1640
Absorbed into Playhour. See Playhour Timeline.
29 June – Robin (1985) final issue.
Publisher: IPC
From: 19 Jan 1985
To: 29 Jun 1985
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 20
Absorbed into Play-Group.
45 years ago:
10 June – Blue Jeans Photo Novel launched.
Publisher: DC Thomson
From: 10 Jun 1980
To: 1992
Duration: 12 years
Issues: 546
Twice monthly until sometime in 1992. At least 546 issues
14 June – Pink final issue.
Publisher: IPC
From: 24 Mar 1973
To: 14 Jun 1980
Duration: 7 years, 3 months
Issues: 377
Absorbed into Mates.
50 years ago:
14 June – Monster Fun Comic launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 14 Jun 1975
To: 30 Oct 1976
Duration: 1 year, 4 months
Issues: 73
21 June – Lindy launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 21 Jun 1975
To: 01 Nov 1975
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 20
55 years ago:
06 June – Cor!! launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: 06 Jun 1970
To: 15 Jun 1974
Duration: 4 years
Issues: 211
60 years ago:
June – Pop Pic Library launched.
Publisher: Micron
From: Jun 1965
To: 1968
Duration: 3 years
Issues: 72
Date of final issue unknown.
June – Secret Service Picture Library launched.
Publisher: MV Features
From: Jun 1965
To: 1966
Duration: 1 year
Issues: 28
Date of final issue unknown.
65 years ago:
June – Valentine Picture Story Library launched.
Publisher: IPC
From: Jun 1960
To: Jun 1961
Duration: 1 year
Issues: 26
Dates are estimated.
70 years ago:
11 June – The Playbox (1925) final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 14 Feb 1925
To: 11 Jun 1955
Duration: 30 years, 4 months
Issues: 1279
Absorbed into Jack and Jill (1954).
75 years ago:
June – Commando Craig launched.
Publisher: Scion
From: Jun 1950
To: Aug 1950
Duration: 2 months
Issues: 3
June – Glamour Library launched.
Publisher: Pearson
From: Jun 1950
To: 1961
Duration: 11 years
Issues: unknown.
Date of final issue unknown.
June – Love Romance (1950) final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: May 1950
To: Jun 1950
Duration: 1 month
Issues: 2
June – Lucky Star Library launched.
Publisher: Pearson
From: Jun 1950
To: 1961
Duration: 11 years
Issues: 236
Date of final issue unknown.
85 years ago:
June – Fresh Fun launched.
Publisher: Swan
From: Jun 1940
To: Jan 1951
Duration: 10 years, 7 months
Issues: 32
June – Slick Fun launched.
Publisher: Swan
From: Jun 1940
To: 1951
Duration: 11 years
Issues: 88
Retitled Coloured Slick Fun from issue #22.
June – The Boys’ Friend Library (1925) final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: Jun 1925
To: Jun 1940
Duration: 15 years
Issues: 724
From #701, issues are renamed, alternating between Bullseye Library (odd-numbered issues) and Knockout Library (even-numbered issues).
June – The Champion Library (1929) final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: Feb 1929
To: Jun 1940
Duration: 11 years, 4 months
Issues: 274
June – The Girls’ Friend Library (1925) final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: May 1925
To: Jun 1940
Duration: 15 years, 1 month
Issues: 728
Like its counterpart The Boys’ Friend Library (1925), above, the final issues are renamed, alternating between Oracle Library (odd-numbered issues) and Miracle Library (even-numbered issues).
06 June – Schoolboys’ Own Library final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 03 Apr 1925
To: 06 Jun 1940
Duration: 15 years, 2 months
Issues: 411
15 June – Complete Novel Weekly final issue.
Publisher: Shurey’s Publications
From: 07 Nov 1925
To: 15 Jun 1940
Duration: 14 years, 7 months
Issues: 763
Absorbed into The Duchess Novelette.
90 years ago:
15 June – Target (1935) launched.
Publisher: Target Press
From: 15 Jun 1935
To: 22 Oct 1938
Duration: 3 years, 4 months
Issues: 176
29 June – Boys’ Broadcast final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 27 Oct 1934
To: 29 Jun 1935
Duration: 8 months
Issues: 36
Absorbed into Boy’s Cinema.
95 years ago:
27 June – The Holiday Comic launched.
Publisher: Pearson
From: 27 Jun 1930
To: 02 Jun 1939
Duration: 9 years
Issues: 7
27 June – The Seaside Comic launched.
Publisher: Pearson
From: 27 Jun 1930
To: 02 Jun 1939
Duration: 9 years
Issues: 7
100 years ago:
June – Sexton Blake Library (1925) launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: Jun 1925
To: May 1941
Duration: 15 years, 11 months
Issues: 744
June – The Boys’ Friend Library (1925) launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: Jun 1925
To: Jun 1940
Duration: 15 years
Issues: 724
See above for launch info.
110 years ago:
05 June – The Boys’ Realm Football and Sports Library final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 18 Sep 1909
To: 05 Jun 1915
Duration: 5 years, 9 months
Issues: 299
12 June – The Dreadnought final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 01 Jun 1912
To: 12 Jun 1915
Duration: 3 years
Issues: 171
Absorbed into The Boys’ Friend.
Retitled Dreadnought and War Pictorial from 26 Sep 1914, then Dreadnought Boys’ War Weekly from 7 Nov 1914, then back to Dreadnought from 2 Jan 1915.
12 June – The Nelson Lee Library launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 12 Jun 1915
To: 12 Aug 1933
Duration: 18 years, 2 months
Issues: 948
125 years ago:
16 June – Horner’s Pocket Library launched.
Publisher: W.B. Horner & Son
From: 16 Jun 1900
To: 26 Apr 1913
Duration: 12 years, 10 months
Issues: 672
Rebranded as Horner’s Pansy Library from 20 Jul 1907, Horner’s Pansy Library Stories from 20 Jun 1908, Horner’s Pansy Stories from 17 Apr 1909, Jeannie Maitland’s Stories and Pansy Stories 15 Jul 1911, Jeannie Maitland’s Weekly Stories from 26 Oct 1912 and Jeannie Maitland’s Stories from 4 Jan 1913
200 years ago:
11 June – The Glasgow Looking Glass launched.
Publisher: John Watson
From: 11 Jun 1825
To: 03 Apr 1826
Duration: 10 months
Issues: 19
Fortnightly (roughly). After issue #5, the title was changed to The Northern Looking Glass.
