Denis Gifford
Encyclopedia
Denis Gifford was a British writer. He specialized in the history of popular entertainments such as comic book
s and horror film
s. In his lengthy career, he wrote and drew for British comics; wrote more than fifty books on various topics; devised, compiled and contributed to popular programmes for radio
and television
; and other, related work, including film.
In addition to being a regular at comics conventions, Gifford helped established the genre in Britain with Comics 101 in 1976, attended by dealers and comic artists. In 1978 he established the Association of Comics Enthusiasts (ACE), which ran for 14 years proper and, in reprint form in the British Comics Journal, until his death.
As a 14-year-old at Dulwich College
, Gifford began drawing for Dandy
, after sending a comic strip to its publisher D. C. Thomson
of Dundee
. His efforts caught the imagination of Bob Monkhouse
, in the school year below, and they became friends and collaborators. They toured in the South East, giving charity performances with Monkhouse as the “straight man”.
, Empire State News and Sunday Dispatch
. He was a writer as well, not only completing the first TV series by Morecambe and Wise
(for which the initial scripts had been criticised), but also providing material for the opening night of ITV
and the first comedy show to be screened by BBC2, in 1955 and 1964 respectively. He wrote for Junior Showtime
and contributed to The Generation Game
by conceptualizing stuns.
Despite hints that he might bequeath this vast collection “to the country”, via the Victoria and Albert Museum
or similar, this was broken up and sold off after his death, having been rescued from the black bags of a non-specialist house clearance company.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s and horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
s. In his lengthy career, he wrote and drew for British comics; wrote more than fifty books on various topics; devised, compiled and contributed to popular programmes for radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
; and other, related work, including film.
In addition to being a regular at comics conventions, Gifford helped established the genre in Britain with Comics 101 in 1976, attended by dealers and comic artists. In 1978 he established the Association of Comics Enthusiasts (ACE), which ran for 14 years proper and, in reprint form in the British Comics Journal, until his death.
As a 14-year-old at Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
, Gifford began drawing for Dandy
Dandy
A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of Self...
, after sending a comic strip to its publisher D. C. Thomson
D. C. Thomson
D. C. Thomson can refer to:* D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, a publishing company* David Coupar Thomson, founder of the publishing company...
of Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
. His efforts caught the imagination of Bob Monkhouse
Bob Monkhouse
Robert Alan "Bob" Monkhouse, OBE was an English entertainer. He was a successful comedy writer, comedian and actor and was also well known on British television as a presenter and game show host...
, in the school year below, and they became friends and collaborators. They toured in the South East, giving charity performances with Monkhouse as the “straight man”.
Career highlights
After RAF service during WWII, Gifford drew cartoons for the London Evening NewsLondon Evening News
The London Evening News was a newspaper that was first published on 14 August 1855.Usually when people mention the London Evening News they are actually referring to The Evening News, that was published in London from 1881 to 1980 when it was incorporated into the Evening Standard.A newspaper under...
, Empire State News and Sunday Dispatch
Sunday Dispatch
The Sunday Dispatch was a British newspaper, published between 27 September 1801 and 1961. Until 1928, it was called the Weekly Dispatch.-History:...
. He was a writer as well, not only completing the first TV series by Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
(for which the initial scripts had been criticised), but also providing material for the opening night of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and the first comedy show to be screened by BBC2, in 1955 and 1964 respectively. He wrote for Junior Showtime
Junior Showtime
Junior Showtime was a British variety show for children made by Yorkshire Television and shown on ITV between 1969 and 1974.Presented by Bobby Bennett from the Leeds City Varieties theatre, the show consisted of song and dance routines and was produced by Jess Yates...
and contributed to The Generation Game
The Generation Game
The Generation Game was a British gameshow produced by the BBC in which four teams of two competed to win prizes...
by conceptualizing stuns.
Reference authorship
Gifford also compiled a comprehensive list of British-made films, along with primary cast: The British Film Catalogue. It was a labor of many years, as Gifford tracked down retired industry professionals and pored through back issues of trade publications.Personal life
Denis Gifford was briefly married during the 1970s to Angela Kalagias, from whom he was divorced. They had a daughter, Pandora Jane, also called Pandy.Research collection
His collection of more than 20,000 comics and other paper ephemera (including books, popular magazines and sheet music) dominated his lifestyle and his habitat, once described in one of the colour supplements as the den of “a boy who had run away from home” and never returned. His walls were lined with bookshelves, with other bookshelves installed at right-angles to these. As well as being unable to use the oven, he could reach neither his radiators, nor a broken curtain rail. At least once he fell, due to boxes of ephemera narrowing his way upstairs to bed.Despite hints that he might bequeath this vast collection “to the country”, via the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
or similar, this was broken up and sold off after his death, having been rescued from the black bags of a non-specialist house clearance company.
See also
- Obituary The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
30 May 2000 - Obituary London Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
25 May 2000
Selected bibliography
- The British Film Catalogue 1895 - 1970The British Film CatalogueThe British Film Catalogue 1895-1970 is a single-volume reference book compiled by Denis Gifford over a period of 20 years. It lists every film made in Britain for public entertainment...
(1973); David & Charles ISBN 0-7153-5572-4 - A Pictorial History of Horror Movies (1973)
- The Armchair Odeon (1974); Fountain Press ISBN 0-085242-387-x
- Encyclopedia of Comic Characters (1987)
- American Animated Films: The Silent Era, 1897-1929; McFarland & Company; ISBN 0-89950-460-4 (library binding, 1990)
- Entertainers in British Films: A Century of Showbiz in the Cinema; Greenwood Press; ISBN 0-313-30720-2 (1998)