The Collectors
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Friday 16 November 2007
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Created in 1921 by James Bancks, Ginger Meggs is the longest running comic strip character in history, and Ginger can still be found in over 120 newspapers around the world. On Collectors we meet one of his biggest fans.
Barry from Melbourne, can’t remember a time when he wasn’t interested in Ginger Meggs. One of his fondest memories while growing up is his father reading the Ginger Meggs annuals to him. Barry heard the stories so many times he knew straight away when his father was leaving words.
Around the time Barry turned 13 his parents felt he was getting too old for the comics so they stopped buying them for him. He began buying them for himself.
One of the things that appeals to Barry about the much-loved comic book character is that over the years Meggs has continued to reflect the thoughts of modern youth, yet there’s also a sense of maturity about him. Like many children, Barry wanted to do the same things Ginger Meggs did. He even formed a gang with friends based on the gang in the comics.
Barry’s collection began with the Ginger Meggs annuals he received each Christmas from his parents. In the mid sixties he decided to look for the missing issues. He managed successfully to collect all except for the very first issue. It wasn’t until Barry discovered that there never was an issue referred to as #1 as nobody thought there would be a second issue. Eventually Barry found someone who owned had the very first issue and it took 6 months before that person finally agreed to sell it to him.
Barry has other Ginger Meggs memorabilia in his collection including figurines, mugs and plates. The figurines of Ginger Meggs featuring Adelaide football jerseys were also popular in Melbourne as they shared the same team colours. The most significant piece in Barry’s collection over the past 40 years is the original musical recording on vinyl of Just a Little Ginger Headed Feller.
Barry is happy that, even today, new Ginger Meggs products are being released, which he says means he’ll never stop doing what he loves most, collecting.
