Top British comics eBay auctioneer Phil Shrimpton recently prompted discussion of British comic / annual wraparound covers, where the front and back covers make up a single image, prompting plenty of suggestions from fans, including comic creator Lew Stringer.
“Shame the 1957 Beano Book we had here to hand was missing its spine, as that forms part of the image, too,” Phil Shrimpton says of this example of comic annual cover)
Several cartoon and comic character books employed this format down the years, most notably the Giles (some of those images reused as jigsaws, for example) and Rupert annuals. But during the decades when comic sales were much bigger than they are now, many over 120,000 a week (or they faced closure or merger at IPC), the back page of a comic was a premium advertising position. Apart from pocket library titles such as Commando, still published today, full covers were a rarity, although School Fun and MASK did make it a regular thing. Unless, of course a wraparound was deliberately planned as a promotion, or a celebration of some kind, such as a milestone issue, or marking a holiday season, particularly Christmas.
Here are some of the examples of those wraparound covers – perhaps older readers can think of more! Now advertising to children is more restrictive, such covers are less of a rarity, but equally enjoyable when they’re published!
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.
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All fantastic. The one cover I was expecting was 2000ad #236. You know the one!
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