The Modern Boy.

The Modern Boy first appeared on 6th Feb 1928 and was described as the most up to date boys paper in the world. Eric Fayne wrote an article for the CD annual in 1954, you can read it here. Apologies for some of the words at the edge being clipped, the binding of this annual won't take any flexing without falling to pieces!

Most of the Modern Boy scans feature Hamilton material only but complete scans of Modern Boy issues 040 and 041 are available for download by clicking the links below-

Modern Boy issue 040        Modern Boy issue 041

School for Slackers in the Modern Boy.

In 1934 Hamilton created yet another school - High Coombe - the school for Slackers. High Coombe was a slack school, the Head was slack, the Masters were slack and as a consequence the boys were slack. They had no interest in education or games, the most important thing for them was the cut of their bags!

When the Headmaster retired the Governors decide not to promote from within but to to bring in a new Head master, a young man by the name of McCann. It isn't an easy job, Masters and pupils are both against change but he does make some progress.

I enjoyed the series but have to agree with Eric Fayne that in keeping the series open for further yarns the Headmaster is seen as rather ineffective. It would have been better to close the series with the Headmaster finally succeeding in his task but of course this would have made it impossible to write any more stories!

The stories were reprinted in the Schoolboys Own Library issues SOL 290 and SOL 299.

Original High Coombe stories were later published in Tom Merry's Own and Billy Bunter's Own.

Series one appeared in 1934 in issues 371-380. You can read or download the complete series here or you can access the issues individually from the table at the bottom of this page.

Rio Kid in the Modern Boy.

In 1928 the Rio Kid made his first appearance in the Popular in an attempt to boost flagging sales and he stayed there for almost 3 years. When the Modern Boy began to struggle some seven years later Hamilton (Ralph Redway) once again came to the rescue and the Rio Kid made his first appearance in the Modern Boy on 25th September 1937. (note:- strictly speaking this was not the Rio Kid's first appearance in the Modern Boy, he had actually appeared four years earlier in comic strip format.)

To quote Eric Fayne "Nothing better ever appeared in the Popular or any other paper for that matter. The Rio Kid stories were grand. Completely convincing, geographically correct to the last detail, original in plot and full of thrills these wild west tales had unforgettable charm". For the 1952 Collectors Digest annual Eric Fayne wrote an article on the roamings of the Rio Kid. Charles Hamilton wrote to the CD to say it was the best article he had ever read. The article was reprinted in the CD annual some 35 years later and you can read it here.

The first story spans issues 503-514 from 1937 tells how the Kid becomes the foreman of the Lazy S ranch and the excitement prevailed before once again he was on the run from Mule Kick Hall of the Rangers. You can download the story in full here or you can access the issues individually from the table at the bottom of this page.

The second and final story spans issues 515-523 and tells of the Rio Kid's visit to Hollywood. You can download the story in full here or you can access the issues individually from the table at the bottom of this page.

Original tales of the Rio Kid also featured in the Popular, Ranger, Billy Bunter's Own, and the Tom Merry's Own. Rio Kid stories from the Popular and Modern Boy were reprinted in the  Boys Friend Library.

Rio Kid Cartoon Strips in the Modern Boy.

The Rio Kid appeared in the Modern Boy in cartoon format in 1933 and in this story he is accused of stealing money from Old Man Dawney. The story spanned 17 issues 285 - 301. you can read them here or you can access the issues individually from the table at the bottom of this page. The stories are not by Hamilton but by a Sub writer.

Ken King in the Modern Boy.

Ken King made his debut in issue 1 in a story said to be written by the famous aviation pioneer Sir Alan Cobham and Charles Hamilton. Probably the only contribution by Cobham was the use of his name which was liberally used over the first twenty issues.

Ken King and his mate Kit Hudson sailed the unchartered waters of the south seas in his ketch the Dawn. Beachcombers, pearlers, cannibals and sea-lawyers featured heavily in the stories but there was always a twist that kept the stories interesting.

A total of 209 Ken King stories appeared in the Modern Boy. A number of stories were reprinted the Boys Friend Library. New stories also featured in  Billy Bunter's Own, and Tom Merry's Own. 

You can read or download a number of stories from the table at the bottom of this page.

Bunny Hare in the Modern Boy.

In 1930 Hamilton wrote 12 short stories about the adventures of Bunny Hare. Eric Fayne says of them "These yarns make for interesting reading. Though the Bunny stories contained little of the character work for which the writer is famed, they were interesting and amusing"

The stories were reprinted in the Boys Friend Library issue 360 (first series).

You can read or download some of the stories from the following table.

Len Lex in the Modern Boy

Len Lex is a schoolboy detective who is sent to Oakshott School by his Uncle Detective Nixon of Scotland Yard. Eric Fayne described the stories as typical Hamilton Mystery yarns - pleasant enough reading but with plots familiar to any reader of the Magnet or Gem.

In the first series (issues 452-465) Len solves the mystery of the Moat House. This story was reprinted in the Schoolboys Own Library issue SOL 353.

In the second series (issues 479-488) Len investigates why Tunstall of the Fifth form wants to be expelled. This story was reprinted in the Schoolboys Own Library issue SOL 371.