The Vanguard was a short-lived boys’ story paper published by DC Thomson from 1924 to 1926, remembered today for its football photo cards and its place in the evolution of British comics.

Launched in 1924 by Dundee-based publishing house DC Thomson, The Vanguard was part of a wave of boys’ adventure papers that sought to combine thrilling fiction with collectible extras. It followed the success of Adventure (1921) and joined a growing stable of titles that would later include The Rover, The Wizard, The Skipper, and The Hotspur. Though The Vanguard lasted only two years, folding in 1926, it played a formative role in DC Thomson’s development of youth-targeted publications and helped establish the company’s reputation for combining storytelling with visual appeal.

The comic’s content was typical of the era: serialized adventure tales, schoolboy escapades, and sporting drama, all delivered in text-heavy layouts with occasional illustrations. What set The Vanguard apart, however, was its inclusion of photographic football cards — real photo prints of players issued weekly in 1925 across both Adventure and Vanguard. These cards became a highlight for readers and collectors, with five different cards released each week, though only one was included per comic. This meant that even dedicated buyers could only obtain two of the five cards weekly, adding an element of chance and collectability to the reading experience.