The Magic Comic

The third issue of the original run, dated 5 August 1939

A typical mid-run example of the relaunched 1970s incarnation, dated 4 March 1978

The Magic Comic was a British comics magazine. It was the ill-fated third comics magazine from DC Thomson (after The Beano and The Dandy). It was aimed at a younger audience, with more emphasis on picture stories. The first issue was published on 22 July 1939. The comic ran for only 80 issues until 25 January 1941.^[1] Paper rationing resulting from the outbreak of the Second World War caused its demise. Its Editor promised that 'the Magic' would return; however, he was killed in action in 1942.

Two annuals, named , were also published in 1941 and 1942. From 1943 to 1949, The Magic Comic would share its annual with The Beano, under the title, The Magic-Beano Book. The cover star was who would later team up with Big Eggo in the Magic-Beano Books between 1943 and 1950 in the story named .

A first issue of The Magic comic was sold on eBay in February 2006 for £1,250 to a collector, and it was one of only 6 copies known to exist. A 'Very Fine' copy was also sold in 1997 for £2,975.^{[citation needed]} On 20 January 2015 the first 24 issues of The Magic Comic were sold for £13,000 (+20% commission; 15,600); it came to £650 per comic.

On 31 January 1976 DC Thomson revived the Magic Comic.^[1] This incarnation would go on to last until 1979.^[2] The new version was aimed at younger audience than The Beano and Dandy and was more of a pre-school comic than the original Magic comic. The comic was loosely concerned with magic of all kinds. Even though this new comic was considered a revival it contained none of the characters that appeared in the earlier Magic. However it did contain characters from The Beano with a spinoff of Biffo the Bear involving his niece and nephew, Cuddly and Dudley, appearing in the new comic.

Comic strips featured in the first comic[]

• Koko the Pup
• Dolly Dimple
• Peter Piper
• Boy Biffo the Brave
• Uncle Dan The Magic man
• The Boy With The Golden Goose
• Cheeky Mary – The Lord Mayors Daughter
• Tell-Tale Tilly
• Sam Swell
• Little Squirty
• The Adventures of Grandfather Clock
• The Tickler Twins in Wonderland
• Pa, Ma and Squeaker
• Oompah Pete
• Ugly Muggins
• Wee Hi Lo
• Poor Blind Billy
• The Seven-Foot Cowboy
• Val In The Magic Forest
• The Magic Joke Page
• Inky, Binky and Bluff
• Sooty Snowball
• Leave It to Lop Ears
• Crusty Crosspatch
• The Wolf Boy of Badenoch
• Old Pop Pelican
• Tootsy McTurk
• Sammy's Magic Stone
• Herr Paul Fry – The Nasty Spy
• Ding-Dong Dally
• Little Orphan Andy
• Old Father Time
• Kipper Feet
• Beric the Caveboy
• Dizzy Duck
• Dick Turpentine
• Dirty Dick – The Chimney Sweep
• Stone-Age Steve
• Young Buffalo Bill
• Two Wanderers of the War
• Softie Sam
• Gulliver
• Keeper Of The Flock
• Hiram Scaram – The Stagecoach Driver
• Robin Hood
• Pete of the Spitfires
• Bandy Legs

Comic strips featured in the revived comic[]

• Elfey
• (about children in neighbouring houses with each door painted a different colour of the rainbow)
• (a serial about a girl who owned a bracelet with lucky charms enchanted by a friendly witch)
• (a flying rabbit)
• Spaceship Lollipop
• Aladdin and his Magic Lamp
• The Magic Club (including "Magic Pictures", "Magic Mirror" and "Magic Riddles")
• (this was a spin-off from The Beano's Biffo the Bear)
• (a boy who could "fly through time and space" into the worlds within his popup book)
• The Magic of... (on the back cover, a factual article about the wonders of the world).

References[]