Pikitia Press Blog: Comic Life #656

Comic-Life The Amusing Picture-Paper for The People was an eight page tabloid companion to Lot-o'-Fun and published by James Henderson and Son's for 1,465 issues from 1898 to 1928. This edition is labeled a 'colonial edition' with the back cover indicia stating it was printed by the London Colour Printing Co. Ltd in North Kensington. Presumably a print run of 'colonial editions' were produced and shipped out to the colonies. present day distributors of comics to Australasia, Gordon and Gotch, are listed as distribution agents for Australia and New Zealand. This issue is undated but the reference on the mast head to it being a 'supplement to 'Lot-o'-Fun No. 254 would indicate it was published around 1910.

Combining cartoons and prose, Comic-Life featured new material and reprints from another Henderson title Young Folks' Weekly Budget.

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Page two click to enlarge

Detail from page two

Page three click to enlarge

For a comic paper that is over a hundred years of age this one is in delicate condition although still intact. Despite circulations in the hundreds of thousands, comics papers from this era are now very scarce. Early twentieth century collector and scholar of bloods and penny journals, Frank Jay, wrote a few months after Henderson's publications had been purchased by Almalgamated Press for the London Journal in 1920, 'It is remarkable that considering the enormous number sold and put into circulation so very few of these old books are now seen. They were very popular and commanded a huge sale.'

Lew Stringer's Blimey! blog has more information about Comic-Life here.

The center spread pages contain cartoons over pages four and five.