In its 21 July, 1956 edition, the Manchester Evening News (England) began to include KEVIN THE BOLD on its “Saturday Comet” kids page. These syndicated versions appeared five-plus months after their original NEA publication dates, and ran in a black and white tabloid format. The NEA likely pitched the News because of a new face being added to KEVIN’s roster—King Henry VIII.

For six years, Henry VIII became a recurring KEVIN THE BOLD character; his swan song was September 16, 1962. (And no surprise, once ”Old Coppernose” was gone, the News dropped KEVIN). As part of the “Saturday Comet,” KEVIN appeared with a few other comic strips—likely Saturday dailies. The News occasionally labelled this section the “Evening News International Cartoon Page,” and KEVIN’s neighbors included THE SAINT, by Leslie Charteris, Francis Durbridge’s PAUL TEMPLE, plus THE PILGRIM BROTHERS and FUDGE THE ELF.

The following story arc ran for a couple of months in early 1961. It’s a parable about wealth and honor involving two unalike brothers, other interesting characters, swordplay, and more.

When possible, the News’ version will be accompanied by third-page versions from the Detroit News.

To be continued…

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For more information on the career of Kreigh Collins, visit his page on Facebook.