WebFinds: Wonderfully Vulgar, an online exhibition of British Comics

By John Freeman on May 30, 2013

Early comics merchandise: an Ally Sloper greeting card from 1890

(with thanks to Norman Boyd and Kevin Carpenter): It was a surprize to me too – but British Comics do turn up in the strangest of places – but none appear to be treated with more reverence lately than by Germany’s Library of the University of Oldenburg, which has around 5000 old British comics, mainly Amalgamated Press products of the era 1890 to 1930, but also including odd items such as The Man in the Moon (1848) and Ally Sloper: A Moral Lesson (1873).

Making full use of just some of these assets, the Library has created Wonderfully Vulgar – a superb online exhibition to show off some of the archive, documenting the early history of British comics up until the 1930s. The online display includes plenty of Victorian comics, comic covers and strips published during World War One – and a wonderful selection of material from the post-war years including information on such longtime favourites as Tiger Tim and Comic Cuts.

The Library also has around 300 bound volumes of Victorian story-papers (B.O.P., The Captain, G.O.P., The Monthly Packet, etc.) and around 200 bound “penny dreadfuls” 1830-1900.

• View the web exhibition at www.wonderfullyvulgar.de

• Robert J. Kirkpatrick’s recent book From the Penny Dreadful to the the Ha’Penny Dreadfuller (2013) is a truly magisterial study of periodicals for boys

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.