Today in Comics History, February 4: Happy birthday, Norman Wisdom!

Born on this day in 1915, prolific English actor, comedian, musician and singer Norman Wisdom (On the Beat, A Stitch in Time, What's Good for the Goose, Coronation Street and many, many more)! He was a major star in, of all places, Albania, where his Mr Pitkin films wre phenonally popular and he was made an honorary citizen of Tirana, Albania's capital.


masthead from Radio Fun #1039 (Amalgamated UK, 6 September 1958)
Also: British comic book star of his own strip feature!


from Radio Fun #1039; creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, September 19: Happy birthday, Felix Mendelssohn!

No, no, not the classical music Felix Mendelssohn who composed the "Wedding March" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"...but instead Bartholdy Felix Mendelssohn, born on this day in 1911, who founded Felix Mendelssohn's Hawaiian Serenaders, the British Hawaiian band who popularized island music in Britain in the 1930s and '40s. And yes, he had a comic strip. (Doesn't everybody?) Look, see!:


"The White Queen of the Islands" in Radio Fun Annual 1948 (Amalgamated Press UK, 1948), creators uncredited and unknown
Hauʻoli Lā Hānau, Felix!

Today in Comics History, August 14: Happy birthday, Cardew Robinson!

Born on this day in 1917: British music hall comedian and movie/TV actor Cardew Robinson! And yes, he had his own comic strip in the UK's Radio Fun (after all, that's why he gets a birthday post)!


"The Cad of St. Fanny's" in Radio Fun #1039 (Amalgamated UK, 6 September 1958), creators uncredited and unknown
Happy birthday, Cardew!

Today in Comics History, July 13: Happy birthday, Big Bill Campbell!

Born on this day in 1891: Clarence "Big Bill" Campbell, Canadian bandleader and broadcaster who appeared on the UK's BBC, hosting the show The Rocky Mountaineers. I've not heard of him before now, but let me ask you: do you think honestly I'd skip the birthday of a man named Big Bill Campbell?

Big Bill also starred in (altho' likely didn't write) a short series of rip-snorting high adventure Western tales in British celebrity comic Radio Fun (1938-1961), which also featured comic strips about Benny Hill, Petula Clark, The Falcon, and even SUperman. Here's the first page of a couple of those stories.



both from Radio Fun Annual 1948 (Amalgamated UK, 1948), creators uncredited and unknown
Happy birthday, Big Bill Campbell! I'm toastin' ya with this here sarsaparilla. In a dirty glass.

Today in Comics History, July 8: Happy birthday, Vic Oliver!

Born on this day in 1898: British music hall entertainer, musician, stage and film actor and comedian Vic Oliver (Hi, Gang!, Workers' Playtime, and other BBC radio programmes).


from Radio Fun Annual 1948 (Amalgamated UK, 1948), creators uncredited and unknown
Happy birthday, Vic!

Today in Comics History, March 24: Happy birthday, Tommy Trinder!

from Radio Fun Annual 1948 (Amalgamated Press (UK), 1948), creators unknown
Born today in 1909, which means nobody probably remembers him except if you're quite old (if so, keep that up!) or an aficionado (like me!) of wartime British radio comedy: Tommy Trinder, star of stage (The Load of Nonsense, Tune In, In Town Tonight, Happy and Glorious), screen (Sailors Three, Champagne Charlie), and wireless and TV (Band Waggo (repeats of which on recent BBC Radio made me a fan), Sunday Night at the London Palladium). And yes, comic books...well, at least this one:



from Radio Fun Annual 1948
Happy birthday, Tommy, you lucky person, you!

Today in Comics History, January 21: Happy birthday, Benny Hill!

Born on this day in 1924: English funnyman Benny Hill, star of radio (Benny Hill Time), movies (The Italian Job, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines), records ("Ernie, The Fastest Milkman in the West"), and of course, television (The Benny Hill Show).

And comics! Coinciding with his radio success, Benny had a long-running feature page in the UK's Radio Fun and Film Fun, including cover appearances:


covers of Radio Fun Annual 1958 and 1960 (Amalgamated Press), artists unknown
And interior comedy strips!



from Radio Fun #1034 and 1039 (Amalgamated, 2 August and 6 September 1958), illustrated by Reg Parlett

Later, when Benny's show ran (constantly) on Britain's ITV channel, he was featured on both covers and via comic strips in the company's weekly magazine Look-In:




strips from Look-In #10/1977 and 38/198 (ITV, 5 March 1977 and 13 September 1980), script by Angus P. Allan, pencils and inks by Bill Titcombe
And even the occasional feature page or two!


"Trans-Atlantic Scuttle" from Look-In #38/198, by Terry Tanell
(Then again, Benny was always keen on putting the foot in the groin getting paid advertisement placement):


advert from Film Fun #1931 (19 January 1957)
Happy birthday, Benny Hill! Slap a little bald man on the head today for me!


from "The Mad Nasty File" in MAD #260 (January 1986), script by Tom Koch, pencils and inks by Gerry Gersten