Anyone miss Fleetway titles....could it work today?

[Captain Storm]

The market is hardly at saturation,not even near it!I can see that Commando,Classics from the Comics,2000ad Extreme Edition et al are actually being given extra space on shelves compared to a few years ago.Retail go on sales alone and nothing else.These comics would not get the space unless they were selling in sufficient quantities!I know we are replete with experts here on the forum but I speak from experience in retail when I say that if it sells it will get priority...profit margin is all!Suffice to say,I believe a revolution is upon us,in that fans of a certain age are ready for comics again and are willing to shell out for such.So to all the doomsayers,I say with all respect,watch this space.Now for Gawds sake D.C. Thomson,a la Bill Gates and his virtual monopoly isn't it about time you got off your behinds and took a chance!?! Bill did in 1981 and now he is the richest man alive!!!!!Despite the fact that everybody and his cousin thought he was mad!

[Kashgar]

[quote:727ec3f7a6="steelclaw"]It would be nice if a new Fleetway comic or something similar started today, but there are literary thousands of comics to collect from the 60's 70's 80's still at reasonable prices, even if you paid £2 for an old comic it would still only be the price of what you would pay for a comic today.

I've been picking up old Lion comics from 1970's on wards, all for around 75p each or even less mostly from ebay and even with the p&p they still only cost about £1 each. There is so much out there to find and collect I can't believe everyone has every single comic, errr maybe Kashgar has.[/quote:727ec3f7a6]

I wish SC I wish!
If you miss your old comic chums then as SC points out go on ebay and buy some old comics at often very competitive prices. Invest in the real deal and don't sit and wait for a comic's revival that won't happen.
I'm still quite amazed that no one on this site has ever mentioned their ongoing plan to collect the full IPC/Fleetway comic ouevre, or at least to try to put together a full run of say Whizzer and Chips.
It sometimes makes me wonder whether the art of collecting comics, in an age when it has paradoxically never been easier to do so, has somehow been lost. As though, despite all the enthusiasm shown on forums like this, the actual desire to spend five years, ten years or even the best part of a lifetime putting a comic collection together is really too much bother.

[Lew Stringer]

[quote:882135be45="Kashgar"]
I'm still quite amazed that no one on this site has ever mentioned their ongoing plan to collect the full IPC/Fleetway comic ouevre, or at least to try to put together a full run of say Whizzer and Chips.
It sometimes makes me wonder whether the art of collecting comics, in an age when it has paradoxically never been easier to do so, has somehow been lost. As though, despite all the enthusiasm shown on forums like this, the actual desire to spend five years, ten years or even the best part of a lifetime putting a comic collection together is really too much bother.[/quote:882135be45]

I imagine most of us only have specific areas of interest. Mine are mainly sixties comics: Dandy from 1964 (which I have), the Odhams "Power Comics", TV21, and Countdown/TV Action, which I have more or less a complete set of. I have odds and sods of other titles and I'm interested in learning about comics from all over the world but I'm not fussed about chasing up back issues of Buster or Lion. I wouldn't mind a run of 1969 Sparky's with those great Les Barton I-Spy strips but if I don't see any in nice condition/nice price I'm not bothered.

There's also the space to store these things of course, plus, as one gets older, the knowledge that we won't live long enough to read them ALL again with the extra responsibilities one has as time goes on.

Lew

[Peter Gray]

I would like to get complete sets of Cheeky...Jackpot and Krazy...hence my blog of covers...

Wow comics I'm about to get...won lots of them...only one issue missing..
So Kashgar I'm now one of those collectors.....though space is an issue in a flat...

Also like to get all the Whoopees!!....
Buster and Whizzer and chips just seems too huge the same with Sparky
May concentrate on years I like.....Whizzer and chips early years don't interest me...prefer late 70's..80's same with Buster..

Also trying to get all the Beano of the 90's...love Tom Patersons work...
I recently got on ebay all of the Dandy of 1991 with the Laughing planet by Tom...
So ebay has made it possible...

collecting complete 60's is out.the price is beyond me...

[Lew Stringer]

[quote:5d8884ba39="Captain Storm"]The market is hardly at saturation,not even near it!I can see that Commando,Classics from the Comics,2000ad Extreme Edition et al are actually being given extra space on shelves compared to a few years ago.Retail go on sales alone and nothing else.These comics would not get the space unless they were selling in sufficient quantities![/quote:5d8884ba39]

[Muffy]

As nice as it would be to have some of the longer run comics, space is an issue for me [about 1,800 in total]. Also as they are not issues my Grandad or Dad bought me in late 70s / early 80s - they have little nostalgic value. I'm pleased to say I have all the 'Monster Funs' (though am missing some badtime/bedtimes) and specials and Annuals. All the 'Wow!s', lots of busters/whoopees/cheekies, all the Tornados and Starlords + some marvel titles

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

LEW.......you mentioned the run of LES BARTON 'I SPY' strips from 69-70: I got the whole lot in a 'oner' [it's definately as good as I remember it] and I have started putting in synopsis of every single episode in on my 'I SPY' thread here...I know it's not nearly as good as reading the actual comics, but I intend scanning some pages in ---however, I have found new links regarding uploading/downloading stuff.

I am relatively new to this computer lark--this time last year, I didn't even know how to switch a computer on...............glad that someone else has good memories of 'I SPY', though...........dunno if I will do the BRIAN WALKER ones, they were OK, but the original version was definately the best!


I'm just about to start the double-page synopsises this week.

[Kashgar]

[quote:148eaad1be="ISPYSHHHGUY"]LEW.......you mentioned the run of LES BARTON 'I SPY' strips from 69-70: I got the whole lot in a 'oner' [it's definately as good as I remember it] and I have started putting in synopsis of every single episode in on my 'I SPY' thread here...I know it's not nearly as good as reading the actual comics, but I intend scanning some pages in ---however, I have found new links regarding uploading/downloading stuff.

I am relatively new to this computer lark--this time last year, I didn't even know how to switch a computer on...............glad that someone else has good memories of 'I SPY', though...........dunno if I will do the BRIAN WALKER ones, they were OK, but the original version was definately the best!

And there were a whole load of episodes illustrated by John Fox too (an artist whose name came to my attention thanks to Shaqui on this forum).



I'm just about to start the double-page synopsises this week.[/quote:148eaad1be]

[Lew Stringer]

[quote:bb534203c4="ISPYSHHHGUY"]LEW.......you mentioned the run of LES BARTON 'I SPY' strips from 69-70: I got the whole lot in a 'oner' [it's definately as good as I remember it] and I have started putting in synopsis of every single episode in on my 'I SPY' thread here...[/quote:bb534203c4]

Do you have this one:

[IMG:567:680:bb534203c4]http://i27.tinypic.com/2hwif0g.jpg[/img:bb534203c4]

Not by Les Barton admittedly. (It was drawn by me.) But it's the last I-Spy story to date I believe. 25 page story done in the year 2000.

Lew

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

NO.......this is all news to me, LEW! WELL DONE for drawing my favourite all-time character.............shame I wasn't aware of your version.

---did you 'push' this assignment yourself, or was it a 'happy accident'?

'I SPY' officially made it to the 21st CENTURY!

[Lew Stringer]

[quote:a4186823b0="ISPYSHHHGUY"]
---did you 'push' this assignment yourself, or was it a 'happy accident'?
[/quote:a4186823b0]

They offered it to me and, being a fan of Barton's I-Spy, I was more than happy to accept of course. I contributed to about 10 Fun-Size comics in all, but this was the only I-Spy story.

Lew

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

LEW.........I have noted the number of your 'I SPY' contribution, and it will likely get a mention in my 'I SPY' essays-----but it is a lengthy undertaking, so your entry may take a while to 'register'.....[!]

[MikeC]

[quote:06c5a85758="felneymike"]I think IPC/Fleetway where notorious for being the exact opposite of DCT when it came to original artwork. One company carefully filed it away, the other used it to prop up wonky tables... so there wouldnt be an awful lot left for them to buy up. They'd have to create new stories of the characters, which would mean more expense and more of a risk if it failed (which is sadly likely... then again the Dangerous Book for Boys seems to have spurred on a "boy's own" market, a plunge ought to be taken somewhere i reckon, but launching an all-new title might be a bit much...)[/quote:06c5a85758]

But it's not really a new market, felneymike. It's the same market twenty or thirty years on, buying a book as a gift for someone else. No reason to think anyone would buy a magazine with this stuff in it, and frankly, every reason to think it would bomb.