Halfpenny Marvel facts for kids
The Halfpenny Marvel was a very popular magazine from the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was known for its exciting stories. This magazine was created in the United Kingdom. It is not related to the American company Marvel Comics that makes superhero comics today.
| Categories | story paper |
|---|---|
| First issue | 1893 |
| Final issue | 1922 |
| Company | Amalgamated Press |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Contents
What Was The Halfpenny Marvel?
The Halfpenny Marvel was started in 1893 by Alfred Harmsworth. His goal was to offer exciting stories at a very low price. He wanted to compete with "penny dreadfuls," which were cheap, often scary story papers. Harmsworth wanted to provide "pure, healthy literature" that was also affordable.
How It Started
When it first began, the magazine was called The Halfpenny Marvel Library. But after only three issues, its name was changed to The Halfpenny Marvel. It quickly became popular because it was so cheap.
What Was Inside?
Early issues of The Halfpenny Marvel usually had one long, complete story. They also included a few shorter stories. Later, these short stories were replaced by parts of longer stories that continued over several issues.
Most issues also had an editorial page. This page would talk about upcoming stories. It also shared interesting facts with readers. In the late 1890s, a funny character named "Pimple the orfis boy" wrote this page. He made readers laugh with his badly written tales.
Stories and Characters
The stories in The Halfpenny Marvel were similar to those found in the Boys Own Paper. They often featured exciting adventures in faraway lands. Many stories took place in the British Empire. Sometimes, the stories were very patriotic, even a bit too proud of their own country.
Detective Tales
Occasionally, the magazine featured detective stories. In December 1893, Volume 1, Issue 6 introduced a famous detective named Sexton Blake. His first story was called 'The Missing Millionaire'. However, Sexton Blake soon moved to another magazine called Union Jack. That's where his character really grew and became well-known.
Most stories in The Halfpenny Marvel were complete in one issue. But sometimes, a character would appear in several different issues. Each story, however, would be a complete adventure on its own.
Changes Over Time
The early covers of The Halfpenny Marvel used two colors, often orange and black. But soon, they started using only one color for the cover. This was usually a dark blue.
In 1898, the magazine changed its name again to The Marvel. It still cost a halfpenny. Then, in 1904, the magazine was relaunched by Amalgamated Press. It started over with a new Issue 1 and became a one-penny paper. It kept the name The Marvel. The magazine finally stopped being published in 1922.
A Famous Mention
The Halfpenny Marvel is mentioned in a short story called "An Encounter" by the famous writer James Joyce. This story is part of his book Dubliners. Joyce wrote that The Halfpenny Marvel, along with Union Jack and Pluck, were very popular with schoolboys in Dublin at that time. The boys especially loved the Wild West stories published in these magazines. In one part of the story, a teacher gets very upset when he catches a student reading The Halfpenny Marvel during class. The story the student was reading was called "The Apache Chief."
