Cor!! Comic Holiday Specials are heading back to British newsagents!

Rebellion is making holidays special again this year with a whole slate of classic comic book specials for new readers and nostalgic parents alike!

Holiday Specials – usually released in the summer – were once a staple of the UK news stand, with titles like Buster, Cor!!, Valiant, Eagle, Whizzer & Chips and Beano and more all vying for that extra pocket money, something to read in the back of the car, perhaps, as you headed off for your holiday, or stored in a box by grandparents to keep you occupied on a rainy day.

(We’ve included some classics in this article, and there’s a terrific gallery of many of them on ComicsUK here).

2000AD has continued the tradition to this day, of course, as has Beano, and in recent years we’ve been treated to the Scream and Misty Specials, too.

Some classic covers for some Holiday Specials from just some of the titles now owned by Rebellion © Rebellion Publishing Ltd

Some classic covers for some Holiday Specials from just some of the titles now owned by Rebellion © Rebellion Publishing Ltd

Changes to the way one shots could be sold into newsagents (and the attendant sell-in fees) pretty much kiboshed the whole tradition for ages, but now Rebellion is resurrecting some of the most beloved comic books in British history – and from humour to football, from superheroes to girls’ comics, they’ll be packed with all-new material!

The new specials will be storming the newsstands between April and October, each one honouring a different part of the British comic industry – the Cor!! & Buster Special, 2000AD Villains Takeover Special, 2000AD Regened, 2000AD Sci-Fi Special, Tammy & Jinty Special, The Vigilant, the Roy of the Rovers 65th Anniversary Special, and the Scream & Misty Presents The Thirteenth Floor.

Cor! & Buster Special 2019 - Cover by Neil Googe

Cor! & Buster Special 2019 – Cover by Neil Googe

Previously plugged, Buster and Cor!! were two of the biggest humour comics in Britain – and now they’re back and they’ve brought their friends! The 48-page Cor!! & Buster Special will hit newsstands in on 17th April, retailing at £4.99.

A panel from a strip written by John Freeman with art by Lew Stringer for the 2019 Cor! & Buster Special © Rebellion Publishing Ltd

A panel from a strip written by John Freeman with art by Lew Stringer for the 2019 Cor! & Buster Special © Rebellion Publishing Ltd

From the world’s naughtiest baby, Sweeny Toddler, to Gums, the most incompetent shark in the seven seas, this one-shot special will feature top comics talent including a cover by Neil Googe, and strips by Abigail Bulmer, John Freeman, Ned Hartley, Tanya Roberts and Lew Stringer (and that’s just some of the creators involved – expect more names to be revealed as the launch date nears).

2000AD Villains Take Over One Shot SpecialThe dastardly and the iniquitous will be taking over 2000AD on 4th May – the 32-page US-format 2000AD Villains Takeover special sees the baddies from some of the 2000AD’s biggest strips, including Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, and Sláine, get their moment in the spotlight! (Note that this Special is available only from comic book stores for the low price of just 99p – check out our comic shop map here).

2000AD Regened - Free Comic Book Day 2018

Last year’s Free Comic Book Day “2000AD Regened” one shot

On 8th May, the kids are taking over as 2000AD gives way to 2000AD Regened – a one-off special issue of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic intended for all ages! Following the massively successful Free Comic Book Day issue of Regened in 2018, the pint-sized anti-heroes return for another bumper Prog for kids of all ages and species!

2000AD Prog 2130 will be 100 packed pages, retailing at £4.99 from all good stockists!

Carlos Ezquerra 2018In 2018, the comics world lost one of its best creators – Carlos Ezquerra. This June, the 2000AD Sci-Fi Special will pay tribute to the co-creator of Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog with a special issue focusing on some of his greatest moments.

It will also include his unpublished work on “Specter“, a new series he was working on with long-time collaborator John Wagner.

This 48-page special hits shelves on 19th June at £4.99.

Some classic covers for some girls comics Holiday Specials from just some of the titles now owned by Rebellion © Rebellion Publishing Ltd

Some classic covers for some girls comics Holiday Specials from just some of the titles now owned by Rebellion © Rebellion Publishing Ltd

In the 1970s and 1980s, comics aimed at girls outsold those aimed at boys – and Tammy and Jinty were two of the biggest titles. This June, these classic titles return, retooled for the 21st Century and with a host of new creators producing high-quality strips that pay tribute to the legacy of trail-blazing comics while introducing a new audience to the medium!

Full of all-new material and edited by Lizzie Boyle, it’s going to be nothing short of spectacular.

The 48-page Tammy & Jinty Special lands on 27th June, priced at £4.99.

The Vigilant - SNIP

Back in action – The Vigilant!

After its smash hit debut last year, as Rebellion Senior Editor Keith Richardson revealed in our exclusive interview recently, The Vigilant returns in August, resurrecting the greatest home-grown superheroes Britain has to offer – a team unlike any other, a challenge none have faced before! Even if superhero comics have never been your thing, take up the call of The Vigilant with this 64-page special – out on 14th August , priced at £4.99.

(And yes – we’re reliably assured you can expect this Special to cameo some of the classic heroes acquired by Rebellion last year from the pages of Lion and Valiant!)

Just some of the many Roy of the Rovers specials released down the years. © Rebellion Publishing Ltd.

Just some of the many Roy of the Rovers specials released down the years. © Rebellion Publishing Ltd.

Following his spectacular return to comics, Roy of the Rovers gets his first new special in September for his 65th birthday and the start of the new footie season! The golden-footed hero is back for a new generation! The Roy of the Rovers 65th Anniversary Special kicks off on 11th September with a bumper 128-page £9.99 issue!

“The Thirteenth Floor” by Guy Adams, John Stokes and Frazer Irving

“The Thirteenth Floor” from the first Scream & Misty Special by Guy Adams, John Stokes and Frazer Irving

And in time for Hallowe’en, the Scream & Misty Presents The Thirteenth Floor arrives on 16th October with a 48-page £4.99 special filled with the best chills that British comics can deliver! Created by John Wagner, Alan Grant, and José Ortiz, “The Thirteenth Floor” is where the homicidal caretaker computer Max puts those he doesn’t like – a mysterious floor of the tower block he controls where he keeps their worst fears. Few, if any, survive if they get on Max’s wrong side!

Rebellion Holiday Specials Montage 2019 - Not Final Cover

Note: Not Final Cover

All the Rebellion specials will be available from good newsagents, as well as comic book stores via Diamond Distribution, and through 2000AD’s webshop and apps.

I’ve pre-ordered mine already!

Check out the pre-order discounted bundle here on the 2000AD web store

Check out the ComicsUK Holiday Special Gallery here

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