Hatch, Match & Dispatch – August 2026 – Rusty Staples
Welcome to Rusty Staples’ regular look at British comics that are celebrating (or commiserating) a notable anniversary in the coming month!
Blog News:
- Comics on TV returns, thanks to an appearance of a copy Jackie Annual in the first episode of The Hairdresser Mysteries.
- My inexplicably suspended Facebook account was disabled at the end of May, so I’ve had to set up a new account. Hopefully this one won’t fall foul of whatever it was that got the other one terminated.
I’ve now lost hundreds of posts, photos and messages, so please be careful and NEVER trust important data to Facebook or Messenger without making sure that the people with whom you interact have an alternate way to contact you!
Standard disclaimer: unless I decide otherwise, these are only the “big” anniversaries (25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 75, 80, 90 & 100+ years); dates are cover-dates where known; monthly comics with no confirmed day of launch default to the start of the month; and this list is accurate only to the best of my knowledge, so do please let me know of any important errors or omissions!
Previous episodes of Hatch, Match & Dispatch:
2019: Oct, Nov, Dec
2020: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2021: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2022: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2023: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2024: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2025: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2026: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul
25 years ago (2001):
29 August – Planet of the Apes Official Movie Adaptation launched.
Publisher: Titan
From: 29 Aug 2001
To: 01 Feb 2002
Duration: 6 months
Issues: 5
Reprints the Dark Horse adaptation of the Tim Burton movie.
30 years ago (1996):
16 August – Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (magazine) final issue.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: 10 May 1996
To: 16 Aug 1996
Duration: 3 months
Issues: 8
A magazine with a small amount of comic-strip content.
35 years ago (1991):
August – Acne launched.
Publisher: Acne Publishing Co.
From: Aug 1991
To: Sep 1993
Duration: 2 years, 1 month
Issues: 31
Monthly.
August – Meltdown launched.
Publisher: Marvel UK
From: Aug 1991
To: Jan 1992
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 6
August – The Dreamstone final issue.
Publisher: London Editions
From: Dec 1990
To: Aug 1991
Duration: 8 months
Issues: 6
Bi-monthly. Based on an animated show.
August – The Terminator launched.
Publisher: Trident Comics/Dark Horse International
From: Aug 1991
To: Feb 1993
Duration: 1 year, 6 months
Issues: 17
Monthly. Published by Trident Comics from #1 to #12 (Jul 1992), then Dark Horse International from #13 (Oct 1992).
August – Tom & Jerry (1991) launched.
Publisher: London Editions
From: Aug 1991
To: Oct 1992
Duration: 1 year, 2 months
Issues: 15
Monthly.
45 years ago (1981):
29 August – Mates final issue.
Publisher: IPC
From: 08 Feb 1975
To: 29 Aug 1981
Duration: 6 years, 6 months
Issues: 342
Absorbed into Oh Boy!.
60 years ago (1966):
29 August – The Duchess Novelette final issue.
Publisher: Shurey’s Publications/William Stevens
From: 17 Sep 1894
To: 29 Aug 1966
Duration: 71 years, 11 months
Issues: 3748
Absorbed into Christian Novels.
Rebranded as Smart Novels from #417 (22 Sep 1902)
65 years ago (1961):
02 August – Famous Romance Library final issue.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 01 Jun 1956
To: 02 Aug 1961
Duration: 5 years, 2 months
Issues: 171
Some sources list this as debuting in 1958, but the British Library disagrees, citing 1956.
20 August – The Boys’ Magazine final issue.
Publisher: The Scripture Union Ltd.
From: 20 Aug 1886
To: 20 Aug 1961
Duration: 75 years
Issues: 901
Monthly. See below for launch info.
75 years ago (1951):
August – Gunflash Western launched.
Publisher: Scion
From: Aug 1951
To: Oct 1951
Duration: 2 months
Issues: 2
90 years ago (1936):
22 August – Football Weekly launched.
Publisher: Amalgamated Press
From: 22 Aug 1936
To: 23 Jan 1937
Duration: 5 months
Issues: 23
120 years ago (1906):
August – Scholar’s Own (1893) final issue.
Publisher: Educational Newspaper Company
From: Sep 1893
To: Aug 1906
Duration: 12 years, 11 months
Issues: 156
Relaunched as Scholar’s Own (1906).
125 years ago (1901):
03 August – The Gleam launched.
Publisher: Frank Shaw/Bedford Publishing Press
From: 03 Aug 1901
To: 21 May 1904
Duration: 2 years, 9 months
Issues: 147
130 years ago (1896):
01 August – The Garland launched.
Publisher: James Henderson
From: 01 Aug 1896
To: 29 Jul 1900
Duration: 3 years, 11 months
Issues: 209
140 years ago (1886):
August – Our Boys’ Magazine launched.
Publisher: Children’s Special Service Mission
From: Aug 1886
To: Dec 1926
Duration: 40 years, 4 months
Issues: 725
Monthly.
20 August – The Boys’ Magazine launched.
Publisher: The Scripture Union Ltd.
From: 20 Aug 1886
To: 20 Aug 1961
Duration: 75 years
Issues: 901
Monthly. Not to be confused with Boys’ Magazine (published by Hulton / Allied Newspapers) or the U.S. publication The Boys’ Magazine published by Scott F. Redfield Co. from 1910 to c. 1925.
