Coming Soon: Hancock’s Half Hundred – 50 Years of The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society

By John Freeman on 31 August 2026 • ( 0 )

The Tony Hancock Society is 50 years old this year, and they’re celebrating in style, with the release of a new book, Hancock’s Half Hundred – 50 Years of The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society, featuring a cover and illustrations by Beano artist and Hancock fan Nigel Parkinson.

Hancock's Half Hundred - 50 Years of The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society - cover by Nigel Parkinson

The book is now on sale on several retail sites, including Amazon (Affiliate Link), and comes in both hardback and paperback edition. The hardback includes some images in colour.

The 370-page book put together by Martin Gibbons, Jon Street and Tim Elms, offers articles, interviews, reviews and artwork spanning all 50 years of Society newsletters.

The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society was formed by a group of fans in 1976, mainly because they couldn’t see or hear many of the shows made by the iconic, much-loved comedian and they wanted to change that.

Since then, almost all of his surviving work has been commercially released and the society has grown from strength to strength as they continue keeping his name alive in the public consciousness. The society is now widely recognised as a leading authority on Tony Hancock’s life and work, continuing to attract new members every year.

This collection includes interviews with cast members of Hancock’s Half Hour, articles, analysis and reviews from the society’s newsletters, including Railway Cuttings and The Missing Page, over five decades. It gives readers an insight into how the society has progressed over the years, and how the torch held for Hancock has been passed down generations of fans.

Illustrated throughout with drawings by Beano artist Nigel Parkinson and many others, the book is dedicated to society members past and present who have made it all possible.

New members are always made very welcome: why not join the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society today

• Hancock’s Half Hundred – 50 Years of The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society is available here from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link) | ISBN: 979-8905350528

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as 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.