Early years Fun was founded in 1861 by a London businessman, Charles Maclean, who believed there was scope for a rival to the established comic weekly magazine
Punch. He established its premises at 80
Fleet Street, London, and installed the writer
H. J. Byron as its titular editor, although in the early days the editing seems to have been a collective effort by Byron,
Tom Hood and others. Each issue of
Punch featured a drawing of
Mr Punch and his dog, Toby:
Fun parodied them with its own jester, Mr Fun, and his cat. According to the introduction to the
Gale Fun archive, the new magazine became
Punchs most successful rival and surpassed the older publication in its commentary on literature, fine arts, and theatre. The Gale site adds: ,
Tom Hood,
W.S.Gilbert, and
F.C.Burnand|alt=portraits, head and shoulders, of four white, Victorian men, all with moustaches and two also with beards
Fun was aimed at a well-educated readership interested in politics, literature and theatre. Encouraged by the success of
Fun and looking to make more money, Byron founded and became editor of another humorous paper,
Comic News, in July 1863. He was succeeded at
Fun by Hood in May 1865, when Edward Wylam, a prosperous manufacturer of dog biscuits, bought the business.
Peak years: 1865–1874 Hood assembled a vivacious and progressive team, who liked to think of themselves as
bohemian, albeit in a generally respectable way. The historian Jane Stedman describes them: Notable contributors included
Tom Robertson,
Ambrose Bierce,
G. R. Sims and, most importantly for the magazine's fortunes, W. S. Gilbert, who was an unknown novice when
Fun began, but who rapidly became its most valuable asset. Hood, the son of
a famous poet, was exacting in his standards.
Clement Scott recalled, "In the matter of verse Tom Hood was a purist. A Cockney rhyme was to him an abomination. A false rhythm sent him crazy. It was an education, indeed, to be brought up under such a strict master". Even though
Fun was seen as liberal in comparison with the increasingly conservative
Punch, it could cast satirical scorn or praise on either side of the political spectrum. For instance,
Disraeli, whose unorthodox character and Jewish lineage made him a frequent target of attack, was praised in the magazine, particularly for his
Reform Bill of 1867. Hood was succeeded as editor by
Henry Sampson until 1878, and then the editorship devolved to Charles Dalziel. In 1893 the Dalziel family withdrew from the journal, and Henry T. Johnson became editor.
Fun was bought by the publisher
George Newnes, who sold it to Charles Shurey, proprietor of a rival comic paper early in 1901. It ceased publication in the same year, when it was absorbed into Shurey's
Sketchy Bits. ==Gallery==