Philip Boyce, who runs the brilliant OiNK blog, devoted to one of Britain’s most anarchic comics of yesteryear, continues what we may make an annual celebration of British Christmas comics…
Merry Christmas, everyone! On my OiNK Blog, I’ve had fun rediscovering favourite classic comics in real time. I love the Christmas season and as a kid adored our festive issues, so downthetubes has invited me to count down my personal Top Five Classic Christmas Comics. Third place goes to… Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (!) No. 31, published by Marvel UK. Let me explain.
As a kid, I grew up in a small town with actual steam trains, the headquarters of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. Like most kids in the town at that age, I’d been collecting The Railway Series by the Rev. W Awdry since no age, and instantly fell in love with the intricately modelled Island of Sodor of the TV series when it began way back in 1984. It even led to my first ever Marvel comic.
Yes, I’m much too old to enjoy this now, but issue 31 of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends is on this list because of the very personal memories I have of it. Actually, I may have already been a year or so too old when the comic began but I was obsessed, and collected it fervently for two years. On 10th December 1988, after attending a jumble sale in the local community centre (funny the memories these bring back), and waiting patiently to get home to read my latest comics (this, and the Big Comic Fortnightly, already in this Christmas Countdown list), my parents got quite the shock when I started screaming from the next room and came running towards them, Thomas in hand.
A few months previously, the comic had asked its young readers to draw a festive image of their favourite characters, but by the time Christmas rolled around I’d forgotten all about it. Now on the day of its release, I’d turned the page – and seen my picture and my name! This was the very first time I’d ever seen myself in print in one of my comics or magazines. I can still remember that level of excitement as if it happened yesterday.
The Thomas TV show was always special at this time of year, the models covered in snow and ice and full of Christmas cheer for the youngsters watching, so at that age I was already looking forward to this issue. The first year of the fortnightly comic had adapted all of the episodes broadcast so far and since issue 27 had been treating us to brand new stories, new even to readers of the original book series.
Written by Andrew Brenner, some of these would even be adapted by the TV show (without crediting Andrew, much to his annoyance, although he worked on the show itself later) and they were all drawn by Tim Marwood, who illustrated the comic’s stories for a staggering 21 years before passing away in 2008. I have fond memories of Tim’s artwork, his engines’ proportions a little off (smaller wheels, bigger bodies) which gave everything a more comic-like feel, and his Sodor was an original creation rather than copying the series. It was all very bright and breezy, delightfully drawn and coloured, especially at Christmastime.
I remember the murals found in the middle pages every fortnight, which would link up issue after issue to form a huge panorama circling all the way around my bedroom walls. Seeing the snow slowly begin to fall in the previous issues was exciting, and that feeling is really why this is in my Top Five Christmas Comics. Today, Christmas is just as exciting a time for me, and as a kid this comic brought a huge amount of that excitement to the buildup.
The impact this comic had on me, from the Christmassy feel, the loveable characters taking part in the festivities (which is what this countdown is all about), the snow on nearly every page and then to find my drawing amongst it all and the reaction it elicited, was powerful. As I said, I was already a couple of years above the ideal target audience but that didn’t stop me from joining the comic’s Thomas Club too, and these characters were so beloved that the comic comfortably sat alongside OiNK, The Real Ghostbusters and even Transformers.
From books upon books, to video cassettes, clothes and those marvellous Hornby train sets, this was the first time I’d ever become obsessed with something, although it would be far from the last. For those memories alone and the cosy Christmassy feelings they bring, issue 31 of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends holds the 3rd place position in my Top Five. Next time, it’s on to one of those comics mentioned above.
Philip Boyce
During September 2021 Thomas’ publication hit its landmark 800th issue. On the OiNK Blog Philip decided to compare it with his original #1: https://oink.blog/2021/09/14/thomas-friends-800th-issue/
• Andrew Brenner is on LinkedIn, and you can read an interview with him here on the Island of Sodor fan site
• Brandler Galleries – Timothy Marwood / Thomas The Tank Engine
Art for sale
• The Island of Sodor fan site
One of many guest posts for downthetubes.
Categories: British Comics, Comics, downthetubes News, Features, Licensing, Magazines, Other Worlds, Reviews