Talk here about just about anything associated with British comics or story papers and the industry that does not fit in any other forum.
There are separate fora open to registered members for discussing specific comics, artists, websites etc.
Lew Stringer wrote:Thankfully a moderated forum such as Comics UK rarely has such problems.
Moderated? Where?
Well, no, we don't moderate very much beyond getting rid of spam posts (although from time to time I do shift topics where they belong). However, I would suggest to everyone that if you don't want us to do more work than that, you do need to lighten up. Remember that very few people set out to offend - although we'll surely do something if someone does.
Old Freddy wrote:Anyone you know who's not very well educated in the world of Comics?
I can remember somebody saying that he enjoyed reading Beryl the Peril "From the Buster..."
Once on a programme on the Radio, someone once said "You know the Numskulls, from the Dandy comics..."
The only thing that bugs me about people who are not into comics is the atual perception they have of the medium itself. It matters not a jot to me if someone is confused about what character stars in what comic who truly cares if Spider-Man is a Marvel or DC character or Dennis the menace is a Beano or Dandy character. What gets my goat is when people assume that comic means very young childrens entertainment.
The amount of people who think that a person who reads a comic must be mentally retarded is legion. I find myself explaining to people (and it normally falls on deaf ears) that comics are a medium like TV or books. The content is just as varied and range from hard hitting crime noir through to pre school stuff.
Well said. I bet the staff at the shops I buy The Beano and Classics from the Comics from think it's for a young relative or something, rather than for myself, and I'm sure they wouldn't make movies based on superheroes if adults didn't enjoy the genre. Also, I hardly think the recent nostalgia books/mags (such as coffee table books about the histories of The Beano, DC Comics and Marvel Comics, also the Eagle, Dandy, etc annual reprints, and the current Egmont Classics mags) were aimed at children, they were aimed at those who remember the titles first time round (as Classics is).
I definitely agree with that. Those coffee table books are not meant for kids, they're for adults who read the comics. However, at times it seems unclear which market 'Classics from the Comics' is aimed at, normally they keep the strips unchanged (as they should be!) but other times they change them (eg editing out corporal punishment).
Anyway, if comics were purely for young children, then who would buy Viz...
'Michael Owen isn't the tallest of players, but his height more than makes up for it' - Mark Lawrenson
Jonny Whizz wrote:However, at times it seems unclear which market 'Classics from the Comics' is aimed at, normally they keep the strips unchanged (as they should be!) but other times they change them (eg editing out corporal punishment).
I think in order to sell to as many potential readers as possible it has to be aimed at a broad audience; kids and nostalgic fans.
Jonny Whizz wrote:Anyway, if comics were purely for young children, then who would buy Viz...
Kids always buy things they shouldn't. I'm sure Viz is being read in school playgrounds up and down the country without any long term harm. One of my local newsagents even used to display it alongside The Beano.
I think it would be a pretty normal reaction for a shop assistant to think that at 25years old plus that buying the Beano would be for a young relative / child - the Beano is after all a childs publication - why should they think you have a deeper interest in a kids comic ?? if the shop assistant isn't interested in comics (as most aren't) then that's they're perseption - ditto if I saw a 25 year old man buying tickets for the "Singing keetle" show, I would think it was for his kids etc - this has always been a "problem" for UK comics fans when they buy the Beano etc. Coffee table books or whatever just enjoy them - Superhero films are different they are multi million dollar spectacular media events meant as a fun night out - most folk that watch these flicks probably haven't read a Spiderman/Xman comic in 10 -40 years and are just watching a film based on a well know character. Just enjoy your interest /hobby its less stressful than worrying about it!
Lew Stringer wrote:Kids always buy things they shouldn't. I'm sure Viz is being read in school playgrounds up and down the country without any long term harm. One of my local newsagents even used to display it alongside The Beano.
Lew
Now that was stupid of them. Clearly that shopkeeper thought all comics were for kids, when Viz most definitely isn't.
Jonny, unfortunately Classics often changes the strips, for a different reason, as a lot of them would've had red, blue or full colour originally, and this is stripped out. If you see computer made titles or sound effects, they were originally in colour, therefore that strip is not as originally published. I wouldn't mind paying an extra pound for Classics to be in colour.
I don't mind it when strips get changed in replacing computer added titles and sound effects, but I don't like it when they take away the authenticity of the strips by changing them, for example, as I said, editing out corporal punishment. These stories look wrong and often destroy the whole point of the original strip.
'Michael Owen isn't the tallest of players, but his height more than makes up for it' - Mark Lawrenson
CLASSICS is a lot better than no vintage strips, and they normally keep the old-fashioned [pre-1971] coinage intact, which adds a brilliant period charm to the comics.......there's definately been tinkering [regarding corporal punishment, at least] as Jonny points out...
However, I revisited ----for the first time in decades-----66-67 BEEZERS and TOPPERS recently, and discounting the naturally-yellowing pages, the 'real Mc Coy' is far superior to the CLASSICS format, with striking large-scale visuals, half the comic in full colour, and much sterling artwork.
