TV COMIC ANNUAL COVER GALLERY...

1956.  Characters copyright relevant and respective owners

TV Comic was published for an impressive 33 years, from 1951 to 1984, but it wasn't always the same sort of periodical during its lengthy lifespan.  For its first ten years it looked more like a nursery comic with strips for infants, before eventually evolving into a publication aimed at a wider age-group of children.  The comic was started by News Of The World ('51-'57), then sold to Beaverbrook Newspapers ('57-'60), who sold it to TV Publications, which became Polystyle Publications in 1968 ('60-'84) .

The first Annual was issued in 1953 for '54, and the last in 1984 for '85, though none were published for the years '81-'83 - 29 Annuals in all.  I have a mere ten, so not a complete set, but I thought you might appreciate a cover gallery of the ones I currently own.  The earliest is for 1956 (on sale towards the end of '55), but although the contents are nice to see for glimpses of a bygone age, I probably won't buy any more (though never say never) as it's really the Annuals from the '60s onwards that are the most interesting.

Anyway, enjoy the covers, and feel welcome to comment.

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Och, I am awful.  I suddenly decided it would be nice to have the first ever Annual as well as the last, so I've just this second bought one on eBay.  I'll add it to the gallery when it arrives.

1963

1964

1967

1968

1972

1977

1978

1984

1985

Posted in: Cartoons