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Mob1138 Great Old One Joined: 02 Aug 2001 Total posts: 268 Location: Bristol Age: 46 Gender: Male |
 Posted: 14-10-2012 17:42 Post subject: |
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| gncxx wrote: | | Girls comics of that time were notoriously grim, I think Mandy was supposed to be the grimmest. All of which helped sales hugely - the more cruel they were the better for the target audience. I bet even Twinkle had its wicked stepmother victimising a ballerina or two. |
The grimmer the girls comic, the more it sold. The worst and more brutal it was, the more readers it picked up mainly because IPC did some surveys and realised the nice girls comics of DC Thompson peaked in sales when there was a nasty strip in it, and nasty by DC Thompson standards was bugger all.
So John Sanders at IPC was given the brief of attracting more girls to IPC's girls line of comics and he gave that job to Pat Mills and John Wagner in to sort the line out and it was hugely successful because they wrote the worst stuff they could get away with.
Sadly these comics suffered after the business with Action, and IPC didn't want anything too extreme in their titles, so they were toned down which was a pity.
By the 80's though weekly comics were in serious decline but that's another story. |
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| Mob1138 Great Old One Joined: 02 Aug 2001 Total posts: 268 Location: Bristol Age: 46 Gender: Male |
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| Kondoru Unfeathered Biped Joined: 05 Dec 2003 Total posts: 5788 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 14-10-2012 21:09 Post subject: |
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| Which just shows you what delightful, lovable people little girls are... |
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| bigphoot1 Great Old One Joined: 30 Jul 2005 Total posts: 880 Gender: Unknown |
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| gncxx King-Size Canary
Great Old One Joined: 25 Aug 2001 Total posts: 13561 Location: Eh? Gender: Male |
| Posted: 28-11-2012 19:24 Post subject: |
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| I recently finished the Batman story Hush, which is very well thought of, but I was a bit underwhelmed. Seemed more like an excuse to pack in as many Batman baddies as possible more than a proper story, it's a pity because I really liked The Long Halloween by the same author. I'd rather they'd concentrated on a few, or even one, instead of wheeling them on like guest stars in a 70s TV show. Artwork's quite nice, though. |
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| RAClements Grey Joined: 15 Nov 2012 Total posts: 11 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 29-11-2012 21:14 Post subject: |
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| gncxx wrote: | | I recently finished the Batman story Hush, which is very well thought of, but I was a bit underwhelmed. Seemed more like an excuse to pack in as many Batman baddies as possible more than a proper story, it's a pity because I really liked The Long Halloween by the same author. I'd rather they'd concentrated on a few, or even one, instead of wheeling them on like guest stars in a 70s TV show. Artwork's quite nice, though. |
I think you have hit the nail on the head - the whole purpose of Hush seems to be to allow Jim Lee to draw all the Batman villains. Which he does do very well indeed. |
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| RAClements Grey Joined: 15 Nov 2012 Total posts: 11 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 29-11-2012 21:15 Post subject: |
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Anybody reading 2000AD?
The Dredd story at the moment, The Cold Deck, is simply astounding. It's so good that I almost pity anyone who isn't reading it! |
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| rynner2 What a Cad!
Great Old One Joined: 13 Dec 2008 Total posts: 21365 Location: Under the moon Gender: Male |
| Posted: 04-12-2012 08:17 Post subject: |
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The Dandy: final edition goes on sale
The last-ever printed edition of one of the world's longest-running comics has gone on sale.
The Dandy, which features characters such as Desperate Dan and Korky the Kat, was first published 75 years ago.
But its circulation has plummeted to about 8,000 copies a week in recent years, from a peak of two million in the 1950s.
Publisher DC Thompson has now launched the comic online, and as a smartphone and tablet app.
The final print edition coincides with the title's 75th anniversary, and will include a pullout reprint of the very first edition of the comic from 4 December 1937.
DC Thompson confirmed at the weekend that Sir Paul McCartney would appear alongside Desperate Dan - fulfilling a lifetime ambition of the former Beatle, who said in 1963 it was his dream to appear in the comic.
The edition is expected to become a collector's item, with several newsagents saying they have been inundated with pre-orders from nostalgic fans.
Des Barr, who runs Sinclair Barr Newsagents in Paisley, believes the final Dandy will be the biggest single sale of any publication since he opened his shop more than 20 years ago.
He said: "I have never known a demand for a comic like it ever before and by the time Tuesday comes around I reckon I will have about 1,000 orders.
"People are buying the comic to send to relatives and friends all over the world and many people are saying they will use the historic last issue as a stocking filler at Christmas.
"I think there is a huge nostalgia thing going on here. Since it was first published in 1937, millions of people will have grown up reading The Dandy. It will have been part of their childhood."
Dundee-based DC Thompson announced in August that the weekly children's comic would make the transition into cyberspace following dwindling sales in recent years.
The website will feature old favourites Desperate Dan, Bananaman and Korky the Cat in new animated strips, with voice overs and sound effects.
Users will also be able to play interactive games, watch videos and create and care for their very own virtual pet, the Dandy Dollop.
David Bain, the comic's head of digital development said: "The Dandy is alive and well, and it's going to continue as usual it's just as of next week it's going to be available online on a regular basis, with all the famous characters and scripts and storylines and humour, as well as games, goodies and interactivity.
"It's all about fun, humour and a bit of mischief, a bit of pranking.
"We've been quite deliberate in making sure there's very little if any educational value, with the exception of reading." 
Ellis Watson, chief executive of DC Thompson said: "I appreciate it's almost a deliberately naive venture into the unknown for a publisher that's been cutting down trees for 75 years, squishing them flat and smearing ink all over them.
"We're not super slick, we're not Silicon Valley, but what we are is some pretty talented animators and story tellers that are really excited about seeing if we can introduce these wonderful characters to another couple of generations."
Mr Ellis said he hoped that the comic would continue to attract adults who read The Dandy throughout their childhood, saying: "I'm still quite happy to sit on the train with my Financial Times reading my comics inside."
Throughout its 75 years, The Dandy's artists and writers have always strived to keep the comic's characters and plotlines relevant.
During World War II, Desperate Dan used his peashooter to bring down German aircraft and sink U-boats.
A strip called Addie and Hermy - the Nasty Nazis was a satire on Hitler and Goering.
And there was an outcry from fans in 1997 when Desperate Dan was supposedly to be retired after heading off into the sunset with the Spice Girls - although DC Thompson later admitted the storyline had been a publicity stunt to generate attention for its 60th anniversary.
Dan caused more controversy when he gave up eating cow pies during the BSE outbreak, and a revamp two years ago saw some traditional characters replaced by celebrities including Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole.
A bronze statue of long-standing cover star Desperate Dan stands in Dundee city centre alongside Minnie the Minx, from The Dandy's sister title The Beano.
A book celebrating 75 years of The Dandy was launched at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August and the comic will also feature in exhibitions at the National Library of Scotland and the Cartoon Museum.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-20581867
A sad day, even if I haven't picked up a Dandy in many decades now. |
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| Kondoru Unfeathered Biped Joined: 05 Dec 2003 Total posts: 5788 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 04-12-2012 16:11 Post subject: |
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| Me too. Im a firm believer in `little or no educational value` |
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| gncxx King-Size Canary
Great Old One Joined: 25 Aug 2001 Total posts: 13561 Location: Eh? Gender: Male |
| Posted: 25-12-2012 13:18 Post subject: |
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I got a copy of the last ever Dandy for Christmas, just been reading it, ah the memories! A few characters I'd totally forgotten about in there, a few before my time and a few after, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a mix of reprints and updates, the latter being irreverent gags.
Nice to see Bertie Buncle and his Chemical Uncle, Korky the Cat complaining he wasn't in the comic anymore, and Peter's Pocket Grandpa was a welcome journey down memory lane. The Jocks and the Geordies make a last return (complete with ridiculous exclamations about Scotch eggs and Cheryl Cole) and Bully Beef and Chips reaching a stalemate (it really was a violent comic when I was a kid). One of the big recollections was Jack Silver, the sci-fi tale where he would battle against the evil Captain Zap, one of the trippiest comic strips ever without actually being Dr Strange. All that and Desperate Dan meeting Paul McCartney.
So if you can track down a copy, it's well worth it. Don'y pay silly money, though. |
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| jimv1 Great Old One Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Total posts: 2734 Gender: Male |
| Posted: 01-01-2013 03:55 Post subject: |
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They're also killing off Peter Parker...aka Spiderman.
As a FOOM (Friend of ol' Marvel) I've always asked myself the question, 'Just who is stronger. Spiderman or Desperate Dan?' |
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| gncxx King-Size Canary
Great Old One Joined: 25 Aug 2001 Total posts: 13561 Location: Eh? Gender: Male |
| Posted: 01-01-2013 19:23 Post subject: |
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| jimv1 wrote: | They're also killing off Peter Parker...aka Spiderman.
As a FOOM (Friend of ol' Marvel) I've always asked myself the question, 'Just who is stronger. Spiderman or Desperate Dan?' |
The Peter of Peter's Pocket Grandpa fame was called Peter Parker.
For Hogmanay there was a surprisingly decent documentary on The Dandy on BBC1 Scotland. It's probably on iPlayer should you care to look, lots of good interviewees and a nice overview of its 75 years. Had to laugh at Frank Skinner saying he read everything twice except Black Bob, which he never read at all. I did the same! |
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| RAClements Grey Joined: 15 Nov 2012 Total posts: 11 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 05-01-2013 11:18 Post subject: |
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| jimv1 wrote: | They're also killing off Peter Parker...aka Spiderman.
As a FOOM (Friend of ol' Marvel) I've always asked myself the question, 'Just who is stronger. Spiderman or Desperate Dan?' |
Marvel and DC kill of characters and bring them back with such monotonous regularity there is no impact from their death, because the reader knows they'll be back sooner rather than later.
Grant Morrison even address this in an issue of (I think) JLA, where it is mentioned that Superman was the only one who bothered to turn up to the funeral of another hero, as they knew he'd come back to life again soon enough... |
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| Pietro_Mercurios Heuristically Challenged
Gender: Unknown |
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| gncxx King-Size Canary
Great Old One Joined: 25 Aug 2001 Total posts: 13561 Location: Eh? Gender: Male |
| Posted: 23-04-2013 17:52 Post subject: |
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| Captain Britain not good enough? Tch. |
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