Xmas in June

I lost my favourite mp3 player six months ago. I’ve just found it (full of xmas tunes) down the back of the sofa so here are some musical xmas crackers either 6 months early or 6 months late……………………………

The Magic Robot Xmas Podcast is here.

The picture above is from a postcard that is 100 years old. It dates from the time when xmas cards were just that – postcards with a picture on one side and an address and greeting on the other. Then no one had thought of folding a piece of card and putting it in an envelope !! I discovered the card inside a book that was given to me by a relative many years ago.

PS: Interestingly the picture appears to have been drawn by W.G.Baxter (1856 – 1888). He was a pioneer of UK comics and best known as an artist on the Victorian satirical publication/comic  ”Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday” before dying of consumption at the early age 0f 32. 

PPS: Here is an unedited version of the picture.

Ally Sloper

Most likely the UK’s earliest recurring comic character (He first appeared in 1867 !!) Ally Sloper appeared regularly in various publications until the early C20th and once again in 1976 for 4 issues devised by the late comicbook historian Denis Gifford and published by Alan Class.

The contents of these magazines were a not altogether successful mix of the antique (in appearance) and the modern.

Here’s something you don’t see every day. Issue 4 contains Jack Kirby’s rendition of Ally Sloper as Sloperman !!