Funday Times
Encyclopedia
The Funday Times was a section of the UK Sunday Times
. It was intended mainly for children, and included several comics, including Dennis and Gnasher
, Rex and Tex, Beryl the Peril
, Fans Utd., Scooby Doo, Space Raoul, The Powerpuff Girls
, Creature Feature
, Newton's Law, Jarvis
, Squirt
, The Flintstones
, Robot Crusoe, Goosebumps
and The Simpsons
. Launched in 1989 it originally featured adult cartoons like Modesty Blaise
but quickly dropped them in favour of more child friendly fare such as Asterix
.
It also included reviews of various toys and songs, interviews with celebrities, including Will Smith
, Gail Emms
and Matt Groening
, and interesting events coming up during the week.
The last printed edition of the Funday Times was published on Sunday 12 March 2006. After that date, it was only available online. The print edition of the Funday Times ran for nearly 20 years before it was discontinued.
The website mostly concentrated on features and games, although there were comic strips on the website that were originally in the printed version.
The Funday Times website closed down on 5 January 2007.
The Funday Times returned for a one-off special on 1 April 2011 to promote the 'Rio' movie.
Margot Wilson of TV's Hartbeat
was a former editor.
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
. It was intended mainly for children, and included several comics, including Dennis and Gnasher
Dennis the Menace (UK)
Dennis the Menace, later called Dennis the Menace and Gnasher and now Dennis and Gnasher, is a long-running comic strip in the British children's comic The Beano, published by D. C...
, Rex and Tex, Beryl the Peril
Beryl the Peril
Beryl the Peril is a fictional character created by David Law, the creator of Dennis the Menace, for Issue 1 of The Topper comic published by DC Thomson & Co. Limited. Like Dennis, she had black and red apparel, and devilishly tormented her parents and other members of her community...
, Fans Utd., Scooby Doo, Space Raoul, The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network...
, Creature Feature
Creature Feature
The Creature Feature is an animal gag cartoon strip which appeared weekly in the Sunday Times supplement, Funday Times, for over 15 years, and is currently syndicated throughout the world, including Germany and the Middle East...
, Newton's Law, Jarvis
Jarvis
Jarvis is a surname and, less frequently, a male given name.* Ann Jarvis , social activist, founder of Mother's day holiday.* Anna Jarvis , daughter of Ann Jarvis.* Jarvis Cocker Jarvis is a surname and, less frequently, a male given name.* Ann Jarvis (1832 - 1905), social activist, founder of...
, Squirt
Squirt
Squirt is a caffeine-free, citrus-flavored, carbonated soft drink, created in 1938 in Phoenix, Arizona.- History :Squirt was created by Herb Bishop in 1938, after experimenting with a similar citrus drink, Citrus Club. He created a new, carbonated drink which required both less fruit juice and less...
, The Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
, Robot Crusoe, Goosebumps
Goosebumps
Goosebumps is a series of children's horror fiction novels written by American author R. L. Stine and first published by Scholastic Publishing. It is a collection of stories that feature semi-homogenous plot structures, with fictional children being involved in scary situations...
and The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. Launched in 1989 it originally featured adult cartoons like Modesty Blaise
Modesty Blaise
Modesty Blaise is a British comic strip featuring a fictional character of the same name, created by Peter O'Donnell and Jim Holdaway in 1963. The strip follows the adventures of Modesty Blaise, an exceptional young woman with many talents and a criminal past, and her trusty sidekick Willie Garvin...
but quickly dropped them in favour of more child friendly fare such as Asterix
Asterix
Asterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959...
.
It also included reviews of various toys and songs, interviews with celebrities, including Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
, Gail Emms
Gail Emms
Gail Elizabeth Emms MBE is a retired English badminton player who has achieved international success in doubles tournaments....
and Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
, and interesting events coming up during the week.
The last printed edition of the Funday Times was published on Sunday 12 March 2006. After that date, it was only available online. The print edition of the Funday Times ran for nearly 20 years before it was discontinued.
The website mostly concentrated on features and games, although there were comic strips on the website that were originally in the printed version.
The Funday Times website closed down on 5 January 2007.
The Funday Times returned for a one-off special on 1 April 2011 to promote the 'Rio' movie.
The Funday Editorial Team
The final editorial team responsible for The Funday Times consisted of:- Dave Coombs - EditorEditingEditing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
. - Paul Wray - Deputy Editor.
- Claire Sheldon - Funday Picture Editor.
- Vaun RichardsThe HighlinersThe Highliners is a British rock and roll / psychobilly band formed in London in 1984 by Luke Morgan, lead singer and Chris Finch on saxophone having met at The Central School of Art and Kev Feeney aka Stretch on bass...
- Funday Graphic Designer.
Margot Wilson of TV's Hartbeat
Hartbeat
Hartbeat was a Children's BBC television arts programme presented by the late Tony Hart. It was broadcast between 1984 and 1993. The series was a follow on from Take Hart and taught children how to design art features and use everyday items to make objects.-History:Like its predecessor Take Hart,...
was a former editor.