First, a definition for the benefit of those unfamiliar with the anthology comics; the anthology format of comic contains a variety of stories (like 2000AD or ONI PRESS COLOR SPECIAL, for example) instead of one linear narrative (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, for instance). From the earliest recognisable examples of modern 'comics' through to the most recent of today's issues, there have always been anthology comics in the UK. Furthermore, there is evidence that these comics were interlinked, and many developed from their direct predecessors, giving the UK comics industry a very familial feel.

The first recognised occidental 'comic', FUNNY FOLKS, was published in Britain in 1874. It was the first of a number of 'comic journals' of the period, providing satiric caricature and comment, much in the style of its better-known contemporary, PUNCH. It bore little resemblance to the comics of today, as it was more a collection of humorous articles and reviews with a few comic strips thrown in for good measure.

From this beginning, the format flourished, and was soon adopted as the medium of choice for children's serialised books and stories. "Boy's Own" adventure stories had long been published in anthology form, so it wasn't such a great leap to employ sequential art in the same manner.

In the early part of the Twentieth Century, there was something of a craze in Britain for comics (or 'picture-papers' as they were sometimes known) aimed at children. For instance, in 1908 (30 years before the debut of Superman in ACTION COMICS #1 kick-started the 'Golden Age'), a comic called MAGNET made the adventures of Billy Bunter and his peers at Greyfriars school known to and loved by children everywhere, and by the 1920s an anthology called THE RAINBOW had introduced the concept of free cover gifts.

This boom in children's comics peaked with the creation in the late 1930s of two of the most famous and longest-lived weekly comics ever, the DANDY and the BEANO. Both of these titles were weekly anthology comics, and featured some of the most significant and memorable characters that the British comics industry has ever produced, such as Korky the cat, Desperate Dan and (in 1951) the British Dennis the Menace.

Coupled with the creation of BUNTY in 1958, and the influence of British anthology comics on a generation was considerable. BUNTY opened up a world of stories aimed specifically at girls, such as the adventures of the Four Marys. Although the appeal of the BEANO and suchlike was broad enough to cover both genders, the idea of gender-specific comics was a fresh one.

British comics of the 1950s didn't develop in glorious isolation, however. The most famous weekly boys' anthology of the period, EAGLE, was created in direct response to the growing popularity of US horror comics. Its creator, Reverend Marcus Morris, thought that publishing an exciting comic promoting decent Christian morality would prevent children being 'harmed' by the popular American horror publications.

EAGLE, which ran originally from April 1950 to April 1969 (it was revived in 1982 and folded again in 1994), also had a 'flagship' character that quickly became so popular that the EAGLE appeared little more than a vehicle for his story.

The character was Dan Dare, the Pilot of the Future. His adventures were sublime flights of fantasy with more than a hint of the grandiose science fiction heroes of the 1920s and 30s, such as FLASH GORDON. As well as an unrelenting inventiveness, the strip also boasted some of the finest artistic talents in comics at the time. A studio led by Dare's creator, Frank Hampson, took the quality of comic-book art to meticulous new heights.

The constant inventiveness of EAGLE, as well as its futuristic theme, must have had an influence on the next generation of British comics creators, as, in 1977, a new weekly science fiction anthology was launched. It was called 2000AD, and featured stories about such crazy futuristic ideas as dinosaur-herding cowboys in 'Flesh' and a third world war in 'Invasion!', among others. Clearly, this new magazine represented a progression from the sanitised, child-friendly humour and action of the inter- and post-war periods, favouring a tougher and more cynical view of the world.

It is possible to link this cynicism to the BEANO, strangely enough, as two of the founders of 2000AD, John Wagner and Pat Mills, had been editorial staff members at DC Thomson, the Scottish publishers responsible for the BEANO and its sister publications. Mills had also been a key figure in another weekly anthology comic called BATTLE, which featured his long-running story 'Charley's War', about the exploits of a soldier in the World Wars and the period between. Garth Ennis is one current creator who was profoundly affected by BATTLE, using it as inspiration for his recent WAR STORY series, among others.

Some of 2000AD's most illustrious creators also found work in the 1980s with Marvel UK, the British offshoot of Marvel, run by Dez Skinn. Marvel UK produced such anthologies as THE INCREDIBLE HULK WEEKLY, which ran reprints of US stories backed-up by freshly created strips for the British market.

When Skinn decided to set up his own comic, many of the creators he had worked with at Marvel UK joined him on this new anthology. It was called WARRIOR, a comic that had the likes of Alan Moore, David Lloyd and a young Steve Dillon working for it, creating such notable stories as 'V for Vendetta' and 'Miracleman'. WARRIOR was a more 'upmarket' and serious take on the science-fiction anthology format.

The development of the anthology comic into something more serious was continued by such titles as CRISIS and REVOLVER, both of which were sister publications to 2000AD. Anthology comics as a medium had reached a level where the range of titles available covered a massive demographic range. This range was also about to grow considerably during the early 1990s, thanks to two anthology comics in particular: DEADLINE and VIZ.

DEADLINE, a monthly anthology that started in 1988, became most famous for being the original home of Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett's 'Tank Girl'. Rarely has a strip hit the zeitgeist so dead-on; an anarchic, punky and spunky 'grrl' who appealed to boys as well as girls, with a particular mix of cool vehicles, humour and kangaroos, it meant that Hewlett's idiosyncratic art style was soon recognised worldwide. Besides 'Tank Girl', DEADLINE featured a mishmash of reviews, articles and other comic strips. It folded after issue 69 due to lack of funds.

VIZ was another British anthology taking its inspiration from the established archetype of the BEANO. Paradoxically, this comic managed to be utterly puerile and yet represented British comics' most successful assault on the mature mainstream. Phenomenally popular throughout the 1980s and 90s, this comic contains parodic and extremely rude BEANO-style characters like Buster Gonad and Johnny Fartpants. VIZ swiftly gained cult popularity, and many people who wouldn't have ever considered buying a comic otherwise were to be found chuckling over the hard-cover collections.

The anthology format has been a fundamental part of the British comics industry from its very inception, and the ongoing contribution of such titles as the BEANO and 2000AD to the medium as a whole is immense. British anthologies have served as the home to many of comics' greatest innovations, concepts and creators, and continue to do so.

An anthology represents perhaps the ultimate expression of collaborative endeavour in the comics industry, so it is pleasing to note that many creators making their first steps along the route toward professional comics creation today are involved with independent self-funded and self-published anthologies. Anthology comics are also an ideal way to showcase creators' skills and ideas, as even some high-profile US publishers have shown in the past, with offerings like the ONI PRESS COLOR SPECIAL, DARK HORSE PRESENTS, and Vertigo series such as WEIRD WESTERN TALES and FLINCH.

Anthology comics are a key part of comics' past; they also seem set to be the proving ground for much of comics' future.

Lindsay Duff is a literature graduate and researcher.

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