Old Bill & Bert strip cartoon, 1933-38

On 7 October 1933 Bruce Bairnsfather's new strip cartoon Old Bill and Bert, made its debut in the weekly Passing Show magazine. Until this point Bairnsfather had only contributed ad-hoc  illustrated articles to the magazine. The new strip featured proved very popular, eventually running for five years, with a six month break from April to October 1935 (when it was replaced by Old Bill's Boy, a boxing-themed Bairnsfather strip). In the mid 1930's a number of Old Bill and Bert strips were reproduced as postcards by Raphael Tuck.

After five years and more than two hundred strips, Old Bill and Bert bowed out of the Passing Show on 8 October 1938. In its place Bruce Bairnsfather began a series of weekly single panel cartoons (none of them featuring Old Bill) which would continue for the next six months. 

A selection of Old Bill and Bert strips are reproduced below.