The Beano Review website

[Raven]

Just discovered this website, thanks to a link on Bear Alley, with panel-by-panel critiques of the latest Beano strips, by someone who hadn't read it for years:

http://beanoreview.com/

Looks like it might be fun.


" ... Reading The Beano for the first time after an absence of years generates just this mixture of sensations: a deep feeling of being at home, where one belongs, with all the warmth and security that implies, coupled with a curious and yet overwhelming awareness that you are being forced through a bovine dicing machine ..."

" ... The Hitler Moustache, for instance — a style of facial hair that despite Richard Herring’s best efforts is still largely confined to one particular movie star and one particular genocidal maniac from the past 100 years — is still worn by three separate characters in this week’s Beano (Dennis’ dad, “Dad”, Minnie the Minx’s dad “Dad” and the Bash St Teacher “Teacher”). Nobody wears a Hitler moustache now. Nobody. Except for every male character over 40 in The Beano. Why does it persist here and nowhere else? Is the entire Beano universe a bizarro alterna-future in which Hitler won the second world war and immediately retired to run comics in Dundee? ... "

[Lew Stringer]

One of the good things about British humour comics is that, unlike American comics, the fans don't take them too seriously or subject them to drawn-out nit-picking critiques.

Until now, it seems.

Why would anyone seriously expect a children's comic to still appeal to them 15 years after they'd stopped reading it?

They sound like The Critics out of Viz.

[Raven]

They admit that they're taking a "ludicrously serious stare" at the comic, though, and much of it is very amusing, whether you agree with their views or not; it's written humorously, but makes some fair points, too: "this week’s cover ... raises more questions than it answers. Why does Dennis need to hide his instructions to Gnasher in pun-based code? Why did Walter sit down to play Dennis at chess in the first place, knowing his treacherous nature? Why is Dennis wearing cowboy boots? Why did the artist choose to put Gnasher — who forms the punchline here — on the left of the page, thus pre-empting the joke before Dennis even has time to make it? Who even thought that “Bite-mate!” was funny?"

And British comics shouldn't be immune from criticism.

And is it a good thing that the fans don't take British humour comics too seriously, if that's true? If they did, maybe the comic marts would be full of British comics and not mostly just superhero imports, and therefore be brilliant and unmissable, and maybe there'd be some decent level of respect for our creators and their creations like you get in other countries!

[Digifiend]

Not error free either. I've pointed out that Ball Boy is usually done to a better standard than the copy and paste job in this week's issue. They also apparently didn't spot the "Like comics? Read the Dandy" header on Postman Prat - another strip which they apparently didn't like (not sure why).

Roger the Dodger is thoughtful and funny. Postman Prat? Not so much.

Can't fault the Beano editor for something from another comic!

[Lew Stringer]

And British comics shouldn't be immune from criticism.

I didn't say they shouldn't, but where children's comics are concerned it's the opinion of kids that's most important. Some anonymous twenty/thirty something making snooty comments about strips that aren't even aimed at his age group isn't big or clever.

Anyway, I've given it more attention than it deserves I think. I'd rather try and improve comics by working on them than taking the easy option of being an armchair critic making sarky comments.

Is it a good thing that the fans don't take British humour comics too seriously, if that's true, though? If they did, maybe the comic marts would be full of British comics and not mostly just superhero imports, and therefore be brilliant and unmissable, and maybe there'd be some decent level of respect for our creators and their creations like you get in other countries!

Or maybe they'd go the same way as American comics and become ridiculously over-serious grim and gritty fantasies for adults?

[Raven]

I didn't say they shouldn't, but where children's comics are concerned it's the opinion of kids that's most important.

But children probably wouldn't have the necessary perspective or wide experience to write reviews of this nature, which are intended to be read by adults anyway.

I can understand creators not liking this site, but I think older readers, fans and lapsed fans who aren't too precious about the comic may enjoy it.

Or maybe they'd go the same way as American comics and become ridiculously over-serious grim and gritty fantasies for adults?

Well, I doubt that would happen with the Beano and Dandy by their nature of being all-comedy humour comics for kids. As for adventure comics - it's already happened.

[Jay]

I can't tell just how tongue-in-cheek the blog is. Either way, I enjoyed his overall review of the latest issue but the deconstruction of Freddie Fear made me die a little inside. Couldn't agree with him more however about Robbie Rebel. I can't stand that strip.

I've bookmarked it for future reading any roads.

[Lew Stringer]

I didn't say they shouldn't, but where children's comics are concerned it's the opinion of kids that's most important.

But children probably wouldn't have the necessary perspective or wide experience to write reviews of this nature, which are intended to be read by adults anyway.

Perhaps it's just me but I find something a bit odd about the notion of adults sneering at something intended for children. The point of reviewing a children's product is not to judge it from an adult perspective but to imagine how one would feel about it as a child. That's the fundamental thing the site is missing. Sadly it's a common occurrence when adults look at modern comics. Expecting humour intended for young children to amuse them as adults is just bizarre.

[Raven]

Perhaps it's just me but I find something a bit odd about the notion of adults sneering at something intended for children.

But they're not just sneering - they say positive things, too. "On the other hand there is still lots to love about The Beano. It’s funny, endearing, and most of all it has a kind heart. It’s beautiful to realise that The Beano is still a port in the storm, neither saturated with ads or product placement, and still resistant to the nastiness that infects other kids comics." They're just criticising the things they think deserve criticising, and they do make some valid points entertainingly.

The point of reviewing a children's product is not to judge it from an adult perspective but to imagine how one would feel about it as a child.

Adults can still judge the quality of things aimed at kids from their broader, more mature perspective. Kids might think production line, product-orientated US sitcoms like Hannah Montana that flood the schedules are absolutely brilliant, and they may not have the experience to know better, but an adult wouldn't be wrong in thinking their TV schedules could be filled with better, higher quality stuff.

Expecting humour intended for young children to amuse them as adults is just bizarre.

Some of the best stuff aimed at children - like CBBC's Horrible Histories programme, for example, or some of the best cartoons and animated features, can still be amusing to adults. There isn't an unfathomable distance between adults and kids.

Jay, I thought the Freddie Fear critique rang true. It did seem a wasted opportunity for imaginative stuff, just to lead to that weak pun. What do you reckon about the 'son of a witch' tag?

And what is going on with those Hitler moustaches?!

[Lew Stringer]

And what is going on with those Hitler moustaches?!

What's more remarkable is that they've only just noticed something that's been used in The Beano for nearly 60 years.

What will be their next big revelation? That Dennis and The Bash Street Kids are still wearing short trousers? That Teacher wears a mortar board?

I'm not sure they really "get" The Beano.

[Raven]

And what is going on with those Hitler moustaches?!

What's more remarkable is that they've only just noticed something that's been used in The Beano for nearly 60 years.

Surely their comments about them: "All of the familiar elements are there ... " and "Even some of The Beano’s weirder idiosyncrasies have survived the trial of years ... " shows that they haven't only just noticed them?

I thought the end of that sentence: " ... and remain printed on its glossy (but, arguably, not yet too glossy — and we will monitor this) paper pages" was quite amusing.

[AndyB]

I think they're very unfair about Dave Eastbury and the scripts he was working from.

[Classic Comics]

I think they're very unfair about Dave Eastbury and the scripts he was working from.

To be honest, I thought that one might get a mixed reaction when I wrote it. It was a bit of an experiment on my part, just playing with the continental style a bit. Some people have liked it, some haven't - but if people don't like it, blame me not Dave.

[Jonny Whizz]

Couldn't agree with him more however about Robbie Rebel. I can't stand that strip.

I agree too, I've never liked it, even though Ken Harrison is undoubtedly a great artist. Perhaps when I started reading the Beano I found it was trying too hard to be 'cool', when I preferred (and still do prefer) the more old-fashioned classic strips. Oddly, most of the strips I've disliked in the Beano have usually been short-lived and never went on to be very successful - Joe Jitsu, Nicky Nutjob etc., but he's always been fairly popular.

I thought the Ball Boy strip (I assume that's the one you're talking about, as If I remember rightly you normally write his scripts) worked absolutely fine. I think it was a good idea, as it was a little different from the norm.

[Lew Stringer]

And what is going on with those Hitler moustaches?!

What's more remarkable is that they've only just noticed something that's been used in The Beano for nearly 60 years.

Surely their comments about them: "All of the familiar elements are there ... " and "Even some of The Beano’s weirder idiosyncrasies have survived the trial of years ... " shows that they haven't only just noticed them?

I thought the end of that sentence: " ... and remain printed on its glossy (but, arguably, not yet too glossy — and we will monitor this) paper pages" was quite amusing.

Well, each to his own. Some of their comments were fair, many were not. I just found it incredibly nit-picky and over analytical. Perhaps that's the joke, but the writer's no Charlie Brooker is he?

I get the feeling the anonymous authors are in their late twenties and are going through a phase that most of us do at that age, of believing comics were better when we were kids. The very same Beanos that those critics grew up on and adored were probably the same ones some of us as older readers thought were below par compared to the Beano of our childhoods.

When they're a bit older perhaps they'll understand that children's comics appeal to the generation they're aimed at. For an adult to complain that today's Beano isn't funny is like complaining that a kids T-shirt doesn't fit or that Lego doesn't thrill them like it did when they were seven.