Punch (magazine)

Punch was a funny magazine.

It used funny drawings to tell jokes. These drawings are called cartoons.

The magazine used a puppet named Mr. Punch. He was their mascot. Many people in Britain read it. It was even read by a queen.

The magazine lasted for many years. It was a very famous name.

Punch was a famous British magazine. It was made for fun. Two men started it in 1841. Their names were Henry Mayhew and Ebenezer Landells.

The magazine used funny drawings. These drawings are called cartoons. In fact, Punch helped make that word popular.

Before this, a cartoon was a large sketch for a wall.

The magazine had a mascot named Mr. Punch. He was a puppet from a show called Punch and Judy.

Many people in Britain loved to read it. It was found in many homes. Even Queen Victoria read it. The magazine was very successful. By 1910, over 100,000 people bought it each week.

Many artists worked for Punch. One famous artist was John Tenniel. He drew for the magazine for many years.

Other people also made art for it. One of the first women to draw for it was Helen Hoppner Coode. Punch inspired other funny magazines around the world. Some were even made in Japan and China.

Punch was a famous British magazine made for humor and satire. Satire is a way of using jokes to comment on politics and society.

The magazine was very popular in Victorian Britain. It became a household name because its jokes were clever. It was also known for being polite and not too offensive. This helped it become a staple in many British drawing rooms. Even famous people like Queen Victoria and Prince Albert read it.

Creating the magazine involved many talented people. It used funny drawings to tell its stories. In 1843, the magazine helped make the word "cartoon" popular. Before this, a cartoon was just a large sketch for a wall.

Punch used the word to describe its funny political drawings instead. Many artists worked together in a group called "The Punch Brotherhood." This group included famous writers like Charles Dickens. They used new printing technology to reach many readers.

Two men started the magazine on 17 July 1841. Their names were Henry Mayhew and Ebenezer Landells. They used an initial investment of only £25 to begin. The magazine also used the name of a puppet named Mr. Punch. This character came from the Punch and Judy shows. The editors chose this name to show they were funny. Later, printers named Bradbury and Evans bought the magazine in 1842. They helped the magazine grow much larger.

Punch had many impressive numbers over its long life. In 1850, it sold 40,000 copies every single week. By 1910, that number rose above 100,000 copies. Its popularity peaked between 1947 and 1948 with 184,000 readers.

One famous artist, John Tenniel, worked there from 1850 to 1901. Helen Hoppner Coode was also important as the first woman contributor. The magazine lasted for 161 years before closing in 2002. It even had a short revival in 1996.

The magazine's influence spread far across the whole world. Many people in the British Empire loved to read it. It inspired other funny magazines in places like India and Canada.

There were even versions in Japan and China. In Japan, the magazine helped inspire modern manga. It even gave new phrases to the English language. One example is the term "Curate's egg." This shows how much the magazine changed how people spoke.

Punch, also known as The London Charivari, was a highly influential British weekly magazine. It focused on humor and satire, which is using jokes to comment on society and politics.

Established in 1841, it became a cornerstone of Victorian culture. The magazine was famous for its sophisticated wit and its polite tone. Unlike other satirical papers, it avoided being overly offensive. This helped it become a staple in British drawing rooms. It eventually reached a level of respectability that allowed it to be mentioned in major newspapers like The Times.

The magazine's identity was built on specific artistic and literary traditions. The editors chose the name from Mr. Punch, the anarchic glove puppet from Punch and Judy shows. This character often appeared on magazine covers as a mascot.

One of the most important contributions was the popularization of the word "cartoon." In 1843, the term originally referred to large, finished sketches used as preliminary works for murals. Punch humorously applied this term to its own political drawings. This use was so successful that the word became the standard name for comic illustrations. The magazine also utilized new mass printing technologies to reach a wide audience.

Many distinct groups and individuals shaped the magazine's character. During the 1840s and 1850s, a group of artists and writers became known as "The Punch Brotherhood." This group included the famous author Charles Dickens. The magazine also featured a variety of talented artists. John Leech, Richard Doyle, and Charles Keene were key members. John Tenniel joined in 1850 and served as the chief cartoonist from 1864 to 1901.

Additionally, Helen Hoppner Coode holds the distinction of being the first woman contributor to the publication.

The history of Punch is marked by both struggle and massive success. It was founded on 17 July 1841 by Henry Mayhew and Ebenezer Landells. They began with a very small initial investment of only £25. The magazine faced early financial difficulties and was sold to the publishers Bradbury and Evans in December 1842. Under new leadership, the magazine's popularity grew rapidly. While it initially struggled, an 1842 Almanack issue sold a surprising 90,000 copies. This helped prove there was a massive market for their style of humor.

Throughout its long history, the magazine's circulation numbers were quite remarkable. By 1850, it was selling 40,000 copies per week. By 1910, the weekly sales had risen to over 100,000 copies. The magazine reached its absolute peak in circulation between 1947 and 1948. During this time, it sold between 175,000 and 184,000 copies. However, sales began a steady decline after the 1940s. The original publication closed in 1992. A brief revival in 1996 was not profitable and closed again in 2002.

Punch left a lasting mark on language and global media. It introduced several phrases into the English language, such as "The Crystal Palace." It also gave us the term "Curate's egg," which appeared in an 1895 cartoon by George du Maurier. The magazine's influence was truly global, spreading throughout the British Empire.

It inspired versions in Canada, India, and Australia. In Japan, the magazine inspired elements of what would become modern manga. Even in China, the first humor magazine in the region was established following this model.

Beyond its printed pages, Punch left behind physical and cultural connections. A famous long oval Victorian table used by the staff was eventually acquired by the British Library. The wooden surface is covered in carved initials from famous editors and writers. These carvings include names like William Makepeace Thackeray and even the future Charles III. The magazine's legacy is also seen in how it shaped political discourse. By caricaturing major events, such as the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, it provided a specific lens through which the British public viewed the world.