Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Discuss or comment on anything relating to Britain's longest running comic. The home of Korky the Cat and Desperate Dan. Has been running since 1937.

Moderator: AndyB

Lew Stringer
Posts: 7041
Joined: 01 Mar 2006, 00:59
Contact:

Re: Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Post by Lew Stringer »

philcom55 wrote:The thing I like about Lew's version of the Smasher is the way it emphasizes the character's talent for wholesale destruction, thereby differentiating him from the more generally anarchic Dennis in a way that the original series didn't always do.
Thanks Phil. The brief I had was to avoid the Brian Walker accident-prone Smasher and to go back to the more mischievous version.

Swirly, Hugh Morren's version was an influence but I hope I've managed to put my own stamp on the character.
The blog of British comics: http://lewstringer.blogspot.com
My website: http://www.lewstringer.com
Blog about my own work: http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com/

User avatar
dwitefry
Posts: 27
Joined: 09 Jul 2012, 17:17

Re: Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Post by dwitefry »

As a child and teenager I mostly ignored the Dandy, finding it to be the 'safe' option for mothers rather than the more anarchic Beano (similar to how I felt about Buster - this was the early '90s) and then once the X-Treme revamp hit, something that was just trying to hard. But the recent focus on it thanks to the 75th anniversary and the cancellation (possible cancellation?) has lead me to re-examine it a bit more and I've found that I really like some of the Dandy strips I'd previously not bothered with (Korky the Cat, Brassneck) however for this thread (two 'classic', two 'modern'):

1 - Winker Watson. I've never taken to him and I still can't, this kind of upper-class Roger the Dodger, there are parts of the strip that I really like (it's connections to Greyfriar's, it's multi part nature) but I just don't like the main character. I understand that this makes me horrible.

2 - Smasher. It's just Dennis the Menace. I know that the focus of the strip is completely different but every time i see the Smasher i feel my intelligence is being insulted by being asked to not notice Smash' is just a fatter Dennis, the strips themselves can be fine (it involves wholesale destruction, what's not to like?). Incidentally does Smasher have a real name?

3 - The Bogies. I don't like gross out humour and snot humour is my least favourite of the lot - the Bogies makes me gag.

4 - Harry Hill. I loathe Harry Hill, I don't find him remotely funny and he always sounds rehearsed especially when trying to sound spontaneous on something like TV Burp. The very sight of him makes me angry.

Furthermore, and perhaps worse, there are just a selection of characters I'm completely indifferent to - Desperate Dawg, Mr Meecher, The Jocks & The Geordies, Molly, Dirty Dick and Blinky.

But, to balance things out some characters i really like - Desprate Dan (though I don't like his current 'square' art style), Bananaman (another character whose modern art style needs to go), Beryl the Peril, Barney's Bear, Big Head & Thick Head, Brassneck, Korky the Cat (one of the few post-Xtreme versions I liked, he's so cute!), Corporal Clott (always funny), Greedy Pigg, Freddy the Fearless Fly, Little Angel Face, Keyhole Kate (though I would never want to meet her in real life, she would drive me mad), Black Bob, Strange Hill, Dinah Mo, Cuddles & Dimples (though I do prefer Cuddles on his own in Nutty etc) and Jack Silver.
Gone for 14 days...

User avatar
Digifiend
Posts: 7315
Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 11:43
Location: Hull, UK

Re: Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Post by Digifiend »

In Bananaman's case, you'll likely get your wish, as he's already in reprints in the Beano, and I see no reason why those wouldn't continue (after all, one of the reasons they put him in there is so that his merchandise can go on the Beano Shop) even after Dandy's print edition ends (we don't know what they have planned for the website yet). He is, in effect, the only Dandy character confirmed to be continuing in print after December, although we don't yet know if any others will transfer over.

User avatar
WizzKid97
Posts: 435
Joined: 01 May 2011, 14:57
Location: Middleton-on-Sea, UK
Contact:

Re: Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Post by WizzKid97 »

dwitefry wrote:3 - The Bogies. I don't like gross out humour and snot humour is my least favourite of the lot - the Bogies makes me gag.
In this case, you have never read The Bogies as the appearances and title are the only links to gross humour - all of the stories completely bypass any meanings of gross humour.
Image
Please check out the following links!
http://wizzkid97.wordpress.com/ - My blog
http://wizzkid97.deviantart.com/ My DA Page

AndyB
Throgmorton
Posts: 2322
Joined: 01 Mar 2006, 20:00
Contact:

Re: Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Post by AndyB »

I'd have to agree. The bogies only plays a little on them being snot - each story is a well-judged satire on a piece of pop culture.

User avatar
Digifiend
Posts: 7315
Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 11:43
Location: Hull, UK

Re: Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Post by Digifiend »

I would've linked to the Bogies website which had comic strips on it - but they seem to have closed it down :? , as it now redirects to a shopping page on the owner's corporate website (which needs updating, the about us page still refers to Dandy Xtreme).

Wayback Machine is no help. All the images and the CSS are broken.

Nigel Auchterlounie
Posts: 74
Joined: 05 Aug 2009, 17:04

Re: Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Post by Nigel Auchterlounie »

dwitefry wrote: 3 - The Bogies. I don't like gross out humour and snot humour is my least favourite of the lot - the Bogies makes me gag.
I do fall back on Snot and boogers from time to time. Usually when I have to get around shooting and bombs then I'll have the tank firing a big splat or something. It's possible there maybe a joke about the green stuff maybe every 5th issue but probably less.

I too can't stand gross out humour. I think it's lazy and unimaginative if it isn't at least balanced with some structure and intelligence.
Because I'm not a very good artist I feel I have to put a bit more into writing to make up for it. It's often the case that I have to chop up and re-arrange a page. Half the time the start is written last to create a "Callback". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callback_(comedy)

I tend to base my jokes on anti-climax, failed plans, misunderstanding, and realistic reaction to unrealistic situation... and snot.

I can't defend the art though.

User avatar
dwitefry
Posts: 27
Joined: 09 Jul 2012, 17:17

Re: Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Post by dwitefry »

WizzKid97 wrote:
dwitefry wrote:3 - The Bogies. I don't like gross out humour and snot humour is my least favourite of the lot - the Bogies makes me gag.
In this case, you have never read The Bogies as the appearances and title are the only links to gross humour - all of the stories completely bypass any meanings of gross humour.
Yeah I wasn't clear, apologies.
It's because they are bogies, not because they do Bad Taste style humour (which they don't) it's just that they're blobs of snot moving and doing things, it makes me feel sick. I guess it makes me a bit prudish which I don't like about myself.

Also I have no problem with the art of the Bogies, it's a fairly nice style in my opinion.
Gone for 14 days...

User avatar
TwoHeadedBoy
Posts: 636
Joined: 16 Feb 2012, 00:41
Location: Liverpool

Re: Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Post by TwoHeadedBoy »

Been mulling it over and reading through back issues, and've settled on Auntie Clockwise (late 1990s-ish) as my least favourite ever Dandy strip. Clocks in general don't amuse me, and the whole thing was drawn like one of those adverts that disguised itself as a comic strip.

Nah, didn't like that one at all.
http://twoheadedthingies.blogspot.co.uk/ - My comics blog, mostly lesser-known UK stuff from the 1980s and 1990s

User avatar
Digifiend
Posts: 7315
Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 11:43
Location: Hull, UK

Re: Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Post by Digifiend »

Huh? You do realise that it was supposed to be a Doctor Who parody, right? Of course, it was printed at a time when the time lord wasn't very well known with kids as it wasn't airing at the time...

User avatar
TwoHeadedBoy
Posts: 636
Joined: 16 Feb 2012, 00:41
Location: Liverpool

Re: Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Post by TwoHeadedBoy »

I do realise that, but it just seemed cheap and nasty when compared to the rest of the comic at the time. Really, have a look at it again and see what you think.

Really thick outlines, flat colours... And not amusing in the slightest.
http://twoheadedthingies.blogspot.co.uk/ - My comics blog, mostly lesser-known UK stuff from the 1980s and 1990s

alanultron5
Posts: 1746
Joined: 29 Dec 2008, 15:58
Location: Wolverhampton
Contact:

Re: Any Dandy Characters you DON'T like?

Post by alanultron5 »

Yes! my full apologies to Jimmy Glenn- I must aim better! I suppose As I was bullied at school I couldn't identify with `Chips` Things never worked out like that in real life!
A Face unclouded by thought.

Post Reply