Last awarded ca. 1982? | First awarded 1976 | |
Awarded for Veteran British comic creators | ||
The Ally Sloper Awards were a series of annual, now defunct awards designed to recognise veteran British comic creators, initiated by the comics historian Denis Gifford in 1976. From 1978 they were awarded under the auspices of the Association of Comic Enthusiasts, also founded by Gifford.
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The awards were named after Ally Sloper, the nineteenth century British comic character championed by Gifford as the world's first comic character. Gifford also launched and edited an Ally Sloper 'comic magazine' in 1976. The award itself was a figurine of Ally Sloper, based on brass doorstops which were produced as merchandising in the nineteenth century.
Prizegiving of the first Ally Sloper Awards for comic creators also took place at Gifford's Comics 101 comics convention (1976), with TV comedian Bob Monkhouse presenting.
History
Joke awards, known as the Sloper Award of Merit, had been issued while Ally Sloper was at the peak of his popularity, to topical figures such as Scott of the Antarctic, and others who made the news for unusual achievement.
1976
1980
Hugh McNeill was to receive the award but died the day before the announcement was made.