This Day in Comic Book History: July 29
This Day in Comic Book History: July 29
July 29 marks the anniversary of milestones in British comics history and brings us one day before the anniversary of Joe Shuster's passing — an occasion to reflect on Superman's co-creator and the profound injustice at the heart of comics' greatest creation story.
July 29, 1892: First Issue of The Wonder, Pioneer British Comics Magazine
The Wonder Debuts — July 29
British comic magazine by Alfred Harmsworth · Early UK comics publishing · Part of the Victorian comics tradition that preceded American superhero comics by half a century
On July 29, 1892, Alfred Harmsworth published the first issue of The Wonder, one of the early British comic magazines that established the tradition of illustrated, sequentially-told humor stories in the United Kingdom. Britain's comic tradition — running from the Victorian era through The Beano, The Dandy, and eventually 2000 AD and the generation of creators who transformed American comics in the 1980s — is one of the richest and most independent in the world, and it begins here.
Joe Shuster and the Superman Creation Story
Joe Shuster — Superman's Artist
Co-created Superman with Jerry Siegel · Sold all rights for $130 in 1938 · Fought DC for decades · Died July 30, 1992
Joe Shuster (1914–1992), who passed away on July 30, 1992, spent his final decades as a reminder of the ethical obligations owed by large corporations to the creators who built their most valuable properties. He and Jerry Siegel created Superman in the early 1930s as teenagers in Cleveland, Ohio, sold all rights to National Allied Publications for $130 in 1938, and watched helplessly as their creation became the most valuable character in entertainment history while they received nothing. A 1978 settlement — won partly through the advocacy of Neal Adams and other creators — granted them a modest annual stipend and creator credit that finally appeared on the copyright page of Superman materials. It was too little, too late, but it was a beginning.
British Comics and the American Revolution
The British Invasion of American Comics
Alan Moore · Dave Gibbons · Neil Gaiman · Grant Morrison · Brian Bolland · The generation who came from 2000 AD
The British comic tradition that began with publications like The Wonder (1892) ultimately produced the most transformative creative generation in American comics history. Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Brian Bolland, Dave McKean, Peter Milligan, Garth Ennis, and Warren Ellis all came from Britain's comics culture — particularly the anarchic, satirical, politically engaged culture of 2000 AD — and brought to American superhero comics a sophistication, literary ambition, and willingness to deconstruct genre conventions that permanently changed what superhero comics could be.
🏆 Top 10 Essential British Comics and British-Created American Comics
- Watchmen #1 (September 1986) — Alan Moore (British) and Dave Gibbons (British) deconstructed the superhero genre so thoroughly that no superhero comic published since has been unaffected.
- V for Vendetta #1 (March 1988) — Alan Moore's dystopian political thriller; originated in Warrior magazine and became one of the most politically resonant graphic novels in history.
- 2000 AD #1 (February 1977) — The British anthology that incubated Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, and the creators who would transform American comics in the 1980s.
- Sandman #1 (January 1989) — Neil Gaiman (British) transformed the Sandman into one of the most celebrated comics series ever published; a landmark of the British invasion.
- Preacher #1 (April 1995) — Garth Ennis (Northern Irish) and Steve Dillon's dark theological road trip; one of the most important Vertigo series of the 1990s.
- The Beano #1 (July 1938) — Britain's longest-running comic, still publishing today; the tradition from which the British invasion creators grew.
- Transmetropolitan #1 (September 1997) — Warren Ellis (British) and Darick Robertson's gonzo science fiction; a product of the British comics tradition applied to American DC/Vertigo publishing.
- Batman: Arkham Asylum (DC, 1989) — Grant Morrison (Scottish) and Dave McKean (British); one of the darkest, most psychologically intense Batman stories ever told.
- Action Comics #1 (June 1938) — Joe Shuster's Superman; published 46 years after The Wonder debuted on this date, and the most consequential superhero comic ever printed.
- Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol. 1 (Rebellion) — The definitive introduction to 2000 AD's flagship character; the breeding ground for British creators who conquered American comics.
Find British comics, Vertigo classics, and Superman history at Epic Panels Comics!