5000

Congratulations to D.C Thompson for soldiering on (get it?) with “Commando” and reaching the mind-boggling issue number 5000. With eight issues published each month it’s hard to keep up (although I’m unsure how many issues contain new content and how many are reprints each month). “Commando” began in 1961 and must be one of the last (comic strip) pocket-books still standing. In the 1950s to 1970s there were hundreds of titles and thousands of issues of these 7″ x 5″ booklets produced by Fleetway and numerous smaller companies such as Top Sellers as well as D.C Thompson.

Air Ace, Battle Picture Library, Batman, Beano, Bunty, Buster, Chiller, Combat, Cowboy, Dandy, Eagle, Judy, Lion, School Friend, Secret Service, Starblazer, Superman, Super Detective, Thriller, Top Secret, Valiant, War, War at Sea, Whizzer and Chips to name but a few.

PS: Circa 1964-1965 Fleetway experimented with these weirdly shaped 14″ x 5″ Picture Libraries.