Question about British Annuals...

[palitoy]

Thanks to our UK ties, British Annuals got sometimes very strong distribution here. I've run across 60s Who stuff, James Bond, Six Million Dollar Man, Action Man.

In 1983 or so Shoppers Drug Marts had huge displays of them, including Judge Dredd and other characters. A lot of UK shops (we had a bunch here growing up) would bring them in too, it's where I got my Who stuff in the 80s.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

The annuals are usually associated with a weekly; anthology comics printed on newsprint that come out every 7 days and feature several 10 page chapters from different series. A lot of 'em were reprints of American books. The annuals were normally a mix of reprints (sort of a "best of") and some new stuff.

We got tons of 'em here when I was a kid. None of the Marvel, Gold Key, or other American character ones; but tons of others. Especially the Fleetways. But we got some of the weeklies as well.

Don C.

[samurainoir]

I never saw any at all when I was a kid. They did have Canadian distribution though? I'll have to keep my eyes open at flea markets, etc. I've always wanted to pick up some Marvel UK annuals.

I tend to run across them often enough to assume that they did somehow. I've got a range of them from Harlem Globetrotters, Wacky Races, Doctor Who, Star Trek, DC superheroes, Marvel, Ghostbusters, Judge Dredd, and various TV show tie ins. I see Viz and Beano and Rupert(?) quite a bit, but never picked them up since I have no real interest in them.

[cjefferys]

I'm wondering if perhaps they are more easily found in Canada because the WH Smith bookstore chain was so common in this country back in the day? I'm not old enough to have a firm memory of seeing the Annuals on any bookstore shelves, but they seem fairly common enough around these parts for those that love to dig around old bookstores and flea markets.

I never saw any at all when I was a kid. They did have Canadian distribution though? I'll have to keep my eyes open at flea markets, etc. I've always wanted to pick up some Marvel UK annuals.

[samurainoir]

I love those British Annuals and have quite a few of them.

Alan Moore's first professional comics work was in a BJ and the Bear Annual.

I'm wondering if perhaps they are more easily found in Canada because the WH Smith bookstore chain was so common in this country back in the day? I'm not old enough to have a firm memory of seeing the Annuals on any bookstore shelves, but they seem fairly common enough around these parts for those that love to dig around old bookstores and flea markets.

[palitoy]

At one point I must have had at least 50 of these things, now I'm down to ten or so. It was rare not to find a "Merry Christmas Timmy" type message in them.

[clemso]

Yes that is correct, clipped means the price on the corner of the first page.

[Surfsup]

I think clipped means that it has the price cut out on the first inner page. I used to get a few annuals a year for birthdays and Christmas...those were the days! Some of the Marvel and DC ones had great covers, mainly illustrated by Marvel UK artists.

[Mikey]

I'm thinking maybe they have coupons in them and a lot of times people cut them out ?

Just guessing

[Blue Meanie]

Thanks for the info guys. My other question about the annuals is this...I notice in the listings that they keep saying that the annuals aren't "clipped". What does that mean?

BTW, check out the cover art:

[palitoy]

Two that I absolutely treasure from childhood are Countdown (with UFO and Pertwee Who strips) and Logan's Run.

I used to have a bunch of Beano/Bash Street Kids ones too but they are lost to time.

[Mikey]

Yep, I've been eyeing up Jon Pertwee ones for some time now but never pulled the trigger on one yet.

His first one seems to go for huge bucks.

[clemso]

I never owned a British annual, but I have seen them for sale before.

My question is, what exactly are they ?

I'm assuming "annual" means yearly.

Are they an indepth look at the show from the following year ?
Meaning a 1976 annual is about the past 1975 season ?

Also, who prints them ?
The shows themselves ? or are they a fan produced thing ?

I imagine like most things, the Annuals are licensed out. I think that you would like the Dr Who ones Mike, the covers are often painted art and stunning. Yes, traditionally they would ( and still do) come out in time for Christmas. I have fond memories of these. The TV related annuals tend to be written stories with the odd illustration here and there. I don't think they follow any kind of annual review. They are just called annuals because they come out once a year.

[Mikey]

I never owned a British annual, but I have seen them for sale before.

My question is, what exactly are they ?

I'm assuming "annual" means yearly.

Are they an indepth look at the show from the following year ?
Meaning a 1976 annual is about the past 1975 season ?

Also, who prints them ?
The shows themselves ? or are they a fan produced thing ?

[clemso]

Yes all annuals are Hard back, the interiors, depending on what they it is are often a mixture of two tone, b&W and the odd full color page.

Clem