Tuesday, March 11, 2008

'TARGET' magazine for boys





The weekly 'Target' magazine began in the early 1970's and was aimed at boys with a varied range of interests. Published by New English Library, the issues would cover what you probally would expect of a boys magazine such as: Sport, the natural world, stories of war and bravery, cars etc. Other subjects included Pop music, boys fashion, profiles of film stars and films etc. Two regular comic strips were 'Bovver Boy' basically a boy skinhead, and Carrington- Crimebuster.

Dave Lee Travis hosted a regular colemn about pop music and would you belive the actor Christopher Lee also had a regular colemn called World of Cinema and TV, which was basically a platform to talk about his current activities in the film and TV world. Target would also do features on horror films and effects in horror films as well as profiles on their stars. An average issue would run to about 32 pages, a lot of which were in colour, sometimes a double spread poster was also included. I am not sure how many issues were published, certainly into the 50s.

As you can see above are 2 issues that have a horror themed cover and the Christopher lee colemn from those issues.

24 comments:

Mr. Karswell said...

TROG!!

Anonymous said...

I don't remember this at all. Wish I had bought it. Looks cool!

Mart said...

Ohhh maan! Been lookin' for this for ages. I remember getting free posters including, 'Easy Rider', 'Yer Actual Bovver Boy' and 'The Gorgon'. Also, free gifts such as Sea Monkeys (eggs one week, food the next - 'bit of a let down I seem to remember') Articles included, 'The Gauntlet', a glove with supernatural qualities that got picked up by a different person each week and a First World War German pilot with a huge vampire bat (or bats)!!?? the title escapes me. Would love to see more...serious nostalgia trip.

Paul said...

There were quite a lot of issues published during the early 1970's, I think it went to either 50+ or 70+ issues. If I come across anymore I'll add them to the Cobwebbed Room, not sure how many horror themed covers there are or how long the Christopher lee column lasted for.

Anonymous said...

I'm looking for the issue of Target which included a feature on 'Diamonds Are Forever'. The feature was, I believe, entitled, 'Million Dollar Bond', and it included a page colour portrait of Bond in his tuxedo aiming his bolt gun in Blofeld's suite. If anyone has an issue for sale, please contact me at cspringham@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I recall the boys fashion pages with tank-tops, penny round-collared shirts & oxford bags. These must have been the first of their kind in "boys comic" history. Bovver-Boy and L's Angels, the two comic strips were a diverting larf. There was a music column by Dave Lee Travis too - I seem to remember Silverhead being feature fairly early-on.....a bit obscure for the pubescent kid surely ? Hmmmm, it's all coming back now.....what about the poster of Robert Heinlein's "Stranger In A Strange Land" - the title alone had me in a youthful existential reverie for months !
All in all, a quality item (sadly given away to the bin-men by me Mother when I went of to Poly, dammit !)

Anonymous said...

I have issues 5-32 for sale if anyone is interested. They don't have the free gifts or the posters but are in good condition. harryr58@hotmail.com

Paul said...

Did you receive my email about the Target Mags you have for sale?

Anonymous said...

I remember this magazine and have been looking for pieces of it all over the web! I used to get it every week and it was ace! I remember that sometimes the posters were really good, such as the "Medusa Head" that used to glow in the dark! and the "Headless horseman". The magazine was full of interesting articles for teenage boys. Don't think there is anything like it now? It was like the x-files for the 70's EXCELLENT!

Anonymous said...

Hey I remember this comic from the late 60s or early 70s I can remember an article called "Yer Actual Bovver Boy " does anyone remember that? and I think there was a pull out poster or something, this was promoting skinhead culture or something. I must say I was influenced by this and now I am in my 50s and am a skinhead again though not by choice!

Dave jay said...

Hello!! I have just stumbled across this page/site...(i8th March, 2013).I still have almost every issue of Target, in very good condition ( some old age, and a few pages/cuttings missing, but most are in great shape...) No posters included, or gifts alas. If anyone reads this, and is interested in purchasing them, I can be contacted at:- dave.jay1@ntlworld.com

Anonymous said...

I remember this magazine early 70s. Great stuff. I particularly remember a double page spread article on Lon Chaney. First time seeing it I jumped a mile as it had a large pic of him in his Quasimodo role. I think the First Edition had the free 'Space Monkeys'

Anonymous said...

hi
I have nearly a full set with most posters
the issues I have are
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28
29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51
all in great condition looking sell lot
email me if interested
dozer57@ntlworld.com

Unknown said...

I've still got my copies

Wiggyflat said...

Anyone with copies for sale contact me on kevin.johansen@btinternet.com

Unknown said...

Interested in your target mags.
What sort of money are you asking.
I am after the bobber boy poster really.but could be interested in buying the lot
From you

Unknown said...

How much for all

Unknown said...

I am interested in your target mags.
How much are you wanting.

Unknown said...

Does anybody have the poster of bobber boy from the target comic for sale even a copy.willing to pay.a sensible price.

David Strover said...

Does anyone remember an issue that had a poster of a painting of WW1 two-seater biplane that had been attacked, the rear gunner was looking back at the pilot who was dead and the attacking fighter was flying past. This is from memory so I might be bit out but I'm sure it was definitely from Target magazine and I had it pinned on my bedroom wall for years.

I've been searching for an image of it for years - I wondered if it was a book cover or even a reasonably well-known painting?

Chris said...

I have quite a lot of Target magazines in good condition for sale if anyone is interested. I am in Perth, Australia. You can contact me on fab333@hotmail.com. Cheers

Tom Orr said...

Years too late but I do remember that poster. It was a Bristol Fighter and the horror was that the pilot was dead and the engine was on fire. The observer was trying desperately to avoid the flames. I would love to find a copy.

David Strover said...

Me too Tom, I'm glad I'm not going senile.

Funny how it stuck with me all those years. There must be someone who knows where it came from and have some copy of it I bet?

Otherwise I'm going to have to paint it from memory myself, just to exercise the ghost!

Anonymous said...

A bit late to the party here, I remember Target, always a great read, I was around 16 at the time, now 67, time flies.. The thing I remember was it always had a centre poster with some fantastic artwork, they always went up on my bedroom wall, I also seem to remember a large scale Apollo poster, I was just getting into motorbikes at the time so followed the hells angels stories with fascination. Those sea monkeys never worked for me, don't think I gave them much time.. They did however guide me on to the NEL books, which I read many. The Leather Boys book shocked me the time, it wasn't the motorcycle gang book I was expecting. Anyone know of any available PDFs to download?