History of the Collection British Library
British Library Newspapers has been receiving British comics via legal deposit since the 1870s, when Funny Folks (1874-1894) became the first publication to meet what would probably be the generally accepted definition of a comic. Originally designed as a pull-out supplement to the Weekly Budget, its publisher, James Henderson, soon realised he was on to a good thing and launched it as a weekly paper in its own right. Its success inspired the engraver and publisher, Gilbert Dalziel, to bring out what became the most famous and most popular of all Victorian comics, Ally Sloper's Half-Holiday (1884-1916).Select List of British ComicsIntroduction for searh
The following titles are held in the British Library Newspapers, for the given dates. Some runs are imperfect, with issues wanting. All are consulted on the Security Tables in the Newspapers Main Reading Room in Colindale, north west London:
