For decades before the first comic books appeared, children's magazines entertained generations of young readers. The undisputed favourites were two British publications, The Gem and The Magnet, which reached their peak of popularity during the interwar decades.
These British magazines dominated the Australian children's market, but local publishers tried to grab their share of the audience by launching similar titles. |
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Australian children's periodicals of the 1920s and 1930s, such as The Boys Weekly, emulated the British format of fiction serials, feature stories and puzzles. They also pioneered the publication of Australian comic strips in magazine format, but they weren't 'comic books' as we know them today. |
The Australian comic-book boom of the 1940s should have signalled the end of these 'old-fashioned' children's magazines. But thanks to the unexpected success of such Australian titles as The Silver Jacket, the format enjoyed a revival in the 1950s.
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One of these new postwar publications, Chucklers Weekly, not only outlasted its local rivals into the early 1960s, but it also anticipated future trends in Australian kids' magazines, with its focus on movies, television stars and popular singers. For the next 40 years, comic books remained in the ascendancy, until the beginning of the 21st century witnessed an explosive revival in children's periodicals, led by such titles as K-Zone, krash, Mania and DMag. |
Ironically, this new generation of kids' magazines brings the evolution of Australian comics full circle. As was the case in the 1920s, today's children's magazines are one of the few outlets where kids can read and enjoy Australian comics.
Illustrations
Top Leanne TUFREY (writer, born 1972), Jamie TUFREY (artist, born 1972), Krash No 30, Sydney, BlueSky Publishing, 2006
Right Leanne TUFREY (writer, born 1972), Jamie TUFREY (artist, born 1972), Krash No 30, Page 69, Sydney, BlueSky Publishing, 2006 (detail)
