New UK adventure comic

[chrissmillie]

I don't think it's just the 'childhood' issue. For me, comics are basically films on paper, rather than replacement for books (which often gets touted). When adventure comics died, it was a bit like stopping all transmission (including repeats) of any British adventure serials/films on tv/cinema.

[Lew Stringer]

When adventure comics died, it was a bit like stopping all transmission (including repeats) of any British adventure serials/films on tv/cinema.

But UK adventure comics haven't died. What about 2000AD, Judge Dredd Megazine, Commando, Spectacular Spider-Man and (until recent years) Warhammer, Action Man, Rampage, Striker?

Admittedly there are far less UK adventure comics than there used to be but, to use your analogy, "all transmission" hasn't ceased.

Lew

[Garen]

But UK adventure comics haven't died. What about 2000AD, Judge Dredd Megazine, Commando, Spectacular Spider-Man and (until recent years) Warhammer, Action Man, Rampage, Striker?

For some reason I read those last two as one - 'Rampage Striker!' - now there's a comic to read!

[Lew Stringer]

PS - I'd be interested in your views, Lew. You appear to have a healthy love of the comics of your youth, but also seem genuinely interested in new stuff too.

Basically I think publishers took a wrong turn with UK adventure comics in the 1980s but it couldn't be helped. After public fear and pananoia got Action banned publishers were naturally cautious not to have a repeat performance and their comics became too tame. At a time when society was becoming more cynical and hardened we saw comics like Speed and new Eagle which IMHO were totally out of step with what most kids wanted.

2000AD was the exception, and it has survived to this day by pitching at an older reader than it was originally aimed at.

It'd be an unenviable task coming up with a children's adventure comic today. Society has totally changed from 40 years ago. Kids appear to be less literate and attentive, so could the average 8 year old deal with strips such as those we saw in Valiant or Victor? The reason those comics eventually folded was because kids stopped buying them, so a totally new approach is needed, if indeed enough kids are that interested at all.

Personally I'd like to see a comic reflecting the same energy and action that today's video games do, accompanied with storylines with character development. (As today's kids love soaps I'm sure they'd appreciate a more human element to their comic heroes.) Make the covers scream for attention with images that are in yer face not static poses with no cover text. Hype it up on MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, anywhere possible.

I'd like to see a return to the principle that if a comic is aimed at 8 to 11 year olds, you pitch the tone for the 11 year olds, not the 8 year olds. The reason being that if a kid thinks something is "babyish" he'll drop it like a stone, but if an 8 year old thinks he's gotten hold of something for older kids he'll think it's "cool". That's the way comics used to work.

Of course this is probably totally unrealistic due to numerous reasons. The DFC may turn out to have the right idea; continuing humour / light adventure strips (very European).

Anyway, that's 10 minutes gone. Ink's drying. Back to the drawing board.

Lew

[Garen]

I'd like to see a return to the principle that if a comic is aimed at 8 to 11 year olds, you pitch the tone for the 11 year olds, not the 8 year olds. The reason being that if a kid thinks something is "babyish" he'll drop it like a stone, but if an 8 year old thinks he's gotten hold of something for older kids he'll think it's "cool". That's the way comics used to work.

Absolutely agree with this - and is one reason the proposed 'age ranging' on books worries me.

[kevf]

This was always my approach with The Beano. I wrote for me and for the literate smart kids I meet every day doing my Comic Art Masterclasses. It's the approach that works for The Simpsons, and indeed it's the approach that seems to have existed in The Beano 40 and 50 years ago (especially strips like Jonah, Desperate Dan and The Bash St Kids, which were once full of grown up 'attitude').

So my strips, to use a phrase I've said a few times before now, tried not to "insult the intelligence of 8 year olds" and as a result I would usually come second to Dennis in the online voting (The Beano's audience appreciation rating, which Euan regularly used to email me).

Hopefully this will continue. Certainly Gary Northfield's strips make no concession to the lowest common denominator of thinking kids won't get things. (Though I could tell you stories of how some of my strips have been dumbed down over the years).

[chrissmillie]

Admittedly there are far less UK adventure comics than there used to be but, to use your analogy, "all transmission" hasn't ceased.

Lew

Yeah, I know. I did expand the comment then removed it to make a better impact. Something to do with Tennant's Dr Who and 1970s Dr Who (and the two Battlestar Galacticas). Not necessarily replacing like with like. There may be economical reasons but it doesn't stop me liking the style of 1960s/70s comics.

It'd be an unenviable task coming up with a children's adventure comic today. Society has totally changed from 40 years ago. Kids appear to be less literate and attentive, so could the average 8 year old deal with strips such as those we saw in Valiant or Victor? The reason those comics eventually folded was because kids stopped buying them,
Lew

I was interested in the Steve Holland interview where he mentioned about the 3 million unemployed being a factor, as well as inflation. Certainly must have been an issue. I'd never really considered that before.

Chris

[Lew Stringer]

I was interested in the Steve Holland interview where he mentioned about the 3 million unemployed being a factor, as well as inflation. Certainly must have been an issue. I'd never really considered that before.

Chris

You may be right. Agreed that a forced economy drive would mean that the children might have less pocket money, and cover prices did start to rise in leaps and bounds, but I think the comics of the 70s/80s folded because that's what happens to all comics; they eventually fold. Just as the comics of the Thirties had gone by the time we were kids. If a comic isn't very strong to begin with, (eg Jet), or it starts to look old fashioned, (eg Tiger), it loses sales. Kids are a very tough market to please.

Lew

[AndyB]

Sigh. I'm guessing we're all quite old here?

Speak for yourself, I'm only 35

[felneymike]

The very last of the "traditional" British adventure comics where already on thier last legs as i was just starting to read comics... but i still think they're the best XD. I just should have been born in the late 50's... i could have had an Escort Mexico then, too!

I've been thinking lately that the type of new comic i'd like to see basically is 2000AD or Commando, just more of the same, so there's no real point. Though more sci-fi aimed the the Commando audience wouldnt be bad.

One thing i would like to see that's not going any more is a revival of the turn-of-the-(20th)-century detective/adventure story papers, but that's so "out there" i may as well wish for gold bars to flap through my window on little wings. Besides i have far too many actual issues from that time to catch up on as it is

[Garen]

One thing i would like to see that's not going any more is a revival of the turn-of-the-(20th)-century detective/adventure story papers, but that's so "out there" i may as well wish for gold bars to flap through my window on little wings. Besides i have far too many actual issues from that time to catch up on as it is

What kind of stories are you talking about, felneymike? The words "turn-of-the-(20th)-century detective/adventure story" certainly tingle my bells!

[felneymike]

Sexton Blake, mainly (just immerse yourself in http://www.sextonblake.co.uk/ XD).
Also the old boarding school stories, they always grew with the times (the richer snob kids started to have motorbikes, which people of any age could drive back then, also the villanous jews began to be replaced by German spies etc) but the "times" where still virtually a different planet to where we are today. A revival of those stories, rigidly set in about 1910 with lots of funny pranks being played on the teachers, along with real emotional development too (just read some Charles Hamilton!), would i think go down very well.
With the slow rise of "steampunk", that is cyberpunk (like Blade runner) but in a victorian-looking setting, stories of gentlemen adventurers going off to far-away uncharted islands full of dinosaurs and spear-throwing natives (though with the specific racial references removed XD) might not be too "out there". But like i say, it'll never happen.


...Anyway, what i actually came to the discussion to add (heh). Has anybody read the long letter in the back of 2000AD prog 1584. It's about a dad who had collected every issue and started reading the older ones to his 8 year old son. Who "decided by Sunday it was better than spider man, doctor who and the playstation, and within a week had decided it was better than anything"
Early 2000AD was of course "sci fi but aimed at the Commando audience (well, age range)" like i suggested above XD. Perhaps a big book of Starlord could be published soon?

[Garen]

Ah yes, well, Sexton Blake - I don't know him well, but certainly enough to know the kind of thing you mean and I'm right with you. Well - maybe less on the 'boarding school pranks' stuff!

A nice classic British adventure, exploration, mystery, intrigue, decent characters? I dunno, maybe someone, somewhere, one day, will create a comic like that - all we need is a creator who also likes that kind of stuff - and who knows, it may even get published!

Going back to what I think is the essence of Lew's question - say something like that did turn up, new today - would it be acceptable? Or would nostalgia for the original be too potent a force and hardly give it a chance against a 'golden ideal' that existed a century ago?

Would it be preferable to find an undiscovered stash of adventure comics from 1910 rather than hoping for something in that vein today?

[kevf]

Hoy, shouldn't you lot all be in Bristol by now? Who will I see in the bar tonight?

Kev F

[felneymike]

I gave Bristol a miss as i never enjoy myself there, if you arent staying in the official hotel you seemingly miss half of it, most of the comics i buy there can be had in any Borders or Forbidden Planet, and the travel costs £120 in all (but that's probably because both times i've been i only decided to go the day before). So i decided to see some 'evvy metal instead, with a beautiful girl who might potentially become my girlfriend ^-^

Anyway, most readers of the old Union Jack, Halfpenny Marvel, Boys' Friend papers of yesteryear are probably dead by now, so they wouldnt sell on the "nostalgia" market. Kids, if modern entertainment is to be beleived, wouldnt read a storypaper full of columns of tiny writing even if you paid them. Also, reading the old stories in the modern age gives a fascinating window into the everyday lives, expectations and routines of the era. So yes i'd say collecting old storypapers would be better than hoping for a new one to appear, it's a fascinating and rewarding hobby anyway, especially as some of the older ones are potentially down to only a few copies left in the whole world. I have a year's worth of the Boys' Friend which includes an advertising leaflet for the re-launch of the Union Jack in 1903... how many of those are left in the world?