Laura Howell deserves more pages

[AndyB]

I had a conversation with someone a few years ago on this very subject, not that I can remember whom! The short version is that it is very difficult to run a serial in a weekly newsstand comic because the readership is volatile - the likelihood of a reader coming into the serial late is high, never mind them not reading it the next week, and the amount of recapitulation required each week to hook a new reader without boring the regular reader is therefore correspondingly high.

The obvious answer to that comment is not even 2000AD, which is marketed as an anthology of serials and the odd one-off story, but the Phoenix, but it goes a long way to explain why the Beano and the Dandy have so few ongoing serials and concentrate so much on self-contained one-off stories. I think it's a loss, but it's reality.

[Lew Stringer]

I had a conversation with someone a few years ago on this very subject, not that I can remember whom! The short version is that it is very difficult to run a serial in a weekly newsstand comic because the readership is volatile - the likelihood of a reader coming into the serial late is high, never mind them not reading it the next week, and the amount of recapitulation required each week to hook a new reader without boring the regular reader is therefore correspondingly high.

There are ways to do it though. Even though I always preferred the IPC cliffhanger approach I still admired the way that D.C. Thomson's adventure serials would often feature self-contained episodes whilst gradually moving the plot forward a little. (Eg: hero on a quest edges closer to his destination week by week, or sportsman endures more hardships until winning the day in the last chapter.) It was a very clever technique that meant new readers could easily jump on board and it didn't matter a great deal if they missed an episode (as long as it wasn't the last one).

Also, from time to time, there'd be serials for Desperate Dan, but again each episode would be self contained and the new reader could be brought up to speed by a simple caption or piece of dialogue.

It looks like this is the technique The Beano is employing for some stories at present, with Bash Street making references to last week's story and Dennis being self contained but still leading into next week's episode. I'm actually intrigued myself to see what happens next Wednesday!

[Peter Gray]

Nice seeing Laura's work back...it did remind me of her strip in Toxic on Robin Hoody..

[Digifiend]

Billy Whizz firmly established himself as being in Dennis's school this week - headmaster Mr De Testa appeared. I wonder if they'll address what happened to the Bash Street School staff (since the BSK now go to Dennis's school)? Have we seen the last of the Bash Street Headmaster?

[AndyB]

He wasn't exactly the most competent headmaster, and hadn't been portrayed as such for decades, but perhaps he will be the new Deputy Head. Janitor I'm sure will be propping up the boiler in the new school, and Winston will be around.

[WizzKid97]

Have we seen the last of the Bash Street Headmaster?

*Gasps!* You're right! And Olive, surely? In fact, I think it's bye-bye to all of the other staff from Bash Street School! I hope not as I really like the Bash Street Staff, especially Janitor and Winston!

Also, as this subject is about Laura Howell: I think Tricky Dicky has finished already. What a waste of such potential.

[Digifiend]

Harry, Andy's right about Winston, he was clinging to Teacher's leg during the evacuation of the old school. He would've been absent if they were getting rid of him, that episode didn't even include Cuthbert (who did appear in Dennis last week).

Sadly, Tricky Dicky just didn't fit with the Beano's newfound usage of continuity between stories. His school had a different Headmaster, not Bash Street's or De Testa, despite supposedly being Bash Street School (meaning that Terminator should've been said to be the deputy head, or a different school name should've been used) and also used a different mayor instead of Scrimp - an impossibility of course, as no town has two mayors at the same time. The strip appears to have been a victim of a change of writing policy (staff writers seem to be used a lot less now).

[AndyB]

I'm only guessing about Winston, to be fair - I'm two weeks behind on my Beanos due to being on holiday!

[TwoHeadedBoy]

an impossibility of course, as no town has two mayors at the same time.

Well, you can have an elected mayor and a Lord Mayor...

[Peter Gray]

Loved her doggy film spoofs this week...

especially my favourite film Bark to the future..