The Okay Annual of Adventure Stories (1958)

One of the independent British comics publishers of years ago was T.V. Boardman (Thomas Volney Boardman) who set up his company Boardman Books in the 1930s. In the post-war years he was publishing several comics and annuals, one of which was The Okay Annual of Adventure Stories. Although undated, research leads me to believe this edition was published in 1958. 

Boardman's main artist was Denis McLoughlin, whose dark and detailed style would later be seen in various comics from DC Thomson and IPC. McLoughlin's most popular works for Boardman were the Buffalo Bill annuals which he illustrated in the 1950s. For the Okay Annual shown here, McCloughlin painted the front covers. Perhaps the back cover too, but I'm not sure...

McCloughin also provided some excellent interior illustrations...

T.V. Boardman was a pioneer of reprinting American comics for the UK market, and this annual features several U.S. strips. Here's a selection of opening pages...

It's interesting that Boardman reprinted the American Dennis the Menace strip in the book, even though the UK version in The Beano had been established for several years by 1958. Presumably no litigation took place, although a few years later in 1964 the American Dennis was renamed 'The Pickle' when he appeared in a British toy. (See here.)  

There was British material in the annual as well, in the form of several illustrated prose stories...

The Okay Annual was an interesting mixture of golden age American comic book reprints and 'ripping yarn' type British text stories. A curious item from nearly 60 years ago.