Are weekly comics doomed?

[Kid Robson]

Did the parents buy a different magazine for their kids instead? If so, what, and why?

No idea, Andy, whether they bought anything or not. However, it may be that they were merely passing the comic section to get to the nearby magazine section when I 'accosted' them. Who knows? I didn't hang around. Although, if they thought £2 was expensive, as there are no cheaper options, I'd think it unlikely.

[Kid Robson]

But he knew what he liked.

Which seemed to be anything colourful stuck in front of his nose, Lew. Hardly what one would describe as a 'discerning' audience.

[Little Squelchy Thing]

But he knew what he liked.

Which seemed to be anything colourful stuck in front of his nose, Lew. Hardly what one would describe as a 'discerning' audience.

I think the notion that children immediately love anything shoved in front of their faces is terribly incorrect and dismissive. My girlfriend has a 5 year-old son, who gets Doctor Who Adventures bought for him regularly (he LOVES that Doctor Who!) Inside, there are two comics - one of which is by Jamie Smart. Without any prompting from us, the lad has latched onto Jamie's page in particular, to the extent that he asked if we could remove the pages and put them up on his wall, where they still remain. The other comic he likes well enough, but he LOVES Jamie's work. If, as you say, he doesn't know any better, then surely all the comic pages would be up on his wall?

Besides, weren't you saying, Kid, that you still use the same critical processes you used as a child to decide which comics to buy (good artwork, good stories etc)? Either you were a one-of-a-kind special child who could see things the other children could not, or maybe - just maybe - children aren't as stupid as you like to make out.

[Kid Robson]

I think the notion that children immediately love anything shoved in front of their faces is terribly incorrect and dismissive. My girlfriend has a 5 year-old son, who gets Doctor Who Adventures bought for him regularly (he LOVES that Doctor Who!) Inside, there are two comics - one of which is by Jamie Smart. Without any prompting from us, the lad has latched onto Jamie's page in particular, to the extent that he asked if we could remove the pages and put them up on his wall, where they still remain. The other comic he likes well enough, but he LOVES Jamie's work. If, as you say, he doesn't know any better, then surely all the comic pages would be up on his wall?

Actually, it was his mother who said he didn't know any better. And I was talking about one child, not all children. His brother didn't respond in the exact same manner.

Besides, weren't you saying, Kid, that you still use the same critical processes you used as a child to decide which comics to buy (good artwork, good stories etc)? Either you were a one-of-a-kind special child who could see things the other children could not, or maybe - just maybe - children aren't as stupid as you like to make out.

Nobody said 'stupid' - the word I used was 'discerning'. And as the child of which I spoke apparently didn't have comics bought for him, it's hardly surprising that he would react in the way he did. And when I talk about buying comics as a child, I'm really talking about my school days from the age of around 10 or 11, up to 16. Which is in no way an admission that I wasn't a "one-of-a-kind special child". "Solus inter plurimos" as they say. (Especially on this forum, it seems.)

[Lew Stringer]

But he knew what he liked.

Which seemed to be anything colourful stuck in front of his nose, Lew. Hardly what one would describe as a 'discerning' audience.

The point is that he liked what he saw and his parents wouldn't buy it for him. Six years old is an ideal age to start reading The Beano. As I said, I was five when I started. (As an aside, reading comics rapidly advanced my reading abilities until I was top of the class at infant school. Perhaps they benefited you in the same way?)

However, it may be that they were merely passing the comic section to get to the nearby magazine section when I 'accosted' them. Who knows?

Hardly any point to your research then, if they had no intention of buying comics anyway.

As for the price thing, there have always been (and always will be) some parents who think modern comics are too expensive. For some crazy reason, some parents think comics should remain static, in price and appearance, as they were back when they read them, even though everything else in the world has changed.

Thankfully some parents and grandparents are more realistic. My grandad thought comics of the 1960s were expensive, compared to the ha'penny Illustrated Chips he read as a boy, but I'm grateful that, of his own choice, he decided to treat me to a 7d copy of Jag in 1968 which began my life-long interest in Fleetway/IPC adventure comics.

[Little Squelchy Thing]

His mother may have said it in that instance, but you've also said the same thing throughout this thread, that kids (in general, it seems) will enjoy anything put in front of them, which in my experience (as illustrated) is not the case.

The little boy in your example falls right into the Beano's target audience (5-11) so find his reaction more interesting than that of his older sibling or his parents. You can ignore it (like his oddly dismissive mother who seems intent on aligning his tastes to her own) or maybe we could all listen to children such as these and maybe we'd find out why weekly comics are on the wane.

[Kid Robson]

The point is that he liked what he saw and his parents wouldn't buy it for him. Six years old is an ideal age to start reading The Beano. As I said, I was five when I started. (As an aside, reading comics rapidly advanced my reading abilities until I was top of the class at infant school. Perhaps they benefited you in the same way?)

I hardly think that parents are obliged to buy everything that 6 year old junior likes at first glance, Lew. And yes, I had 'advanced reading abilities' when I was younger, purely down to comics. Whether I was regarded as top of the class 'though, I dunno.

However, it may be that they were merely passing the comic section to get to the nearby magazine section when I 'accosted' them. Who knows?

Hardly any point to your research then, if they had no intention of buying comics anyway.

I merely seized the opportunity (on a whim) as it presented itself to me, but I'd disagree with your assessment that there's no point to it. It illustrates exactly the kind of situation that DCT (and other publishers) have to contend with in trying to sell their wares, as the rest of your comment illustrates.

[Kid Robson]

His mother may have said it in that instance, but you've also said the same thing throughout this thread, that kids (in general, it seems) will enjoy anything put in front of them, which in my experience (as illustrated) is not the case.

I don't recall saying that anywhere on this particular thread, so perhaps you'd remind me as to where. However, I have said before on other occasions that children have the capacity to like anything that is put in front of them, which is not precisely the same thing that you attribute to me. There's a subtle but distinct difference.

The little boy in your example falls right into the Beano's target audience (5-11) so find his reaction more interesting than that of his older sibling or his parents. You can ignore it (like his oddly dismissive mother who seems intent on aligning his tastes to her own) or maybe we could all listen to children such as these and maybe we'd find out why weekly comics are on the wane.

Perhaps we should start asking kids what they'd like to learn at school, when it suits them to attend, what they'd prefer to have for meals, etc. Young kids are not the best judges when it comes to making decisions for themselves. That's why, sadly, popping that brightly coloured pill or liquid which they like the look of so much into their mouths can have such devastating consequences. Parents (or at least adults) are usually the ones who make the decisions as to what comics junior first gets bought for him, so I'd focus on them as to what they base their decisions on.

[Kid Robson]

His mother may have said it in that instance, but you've also said the same thing throughout this thread, that kids (in general, it seems) will enjoy anything put in front of them, which in my experience (as illustrated) is not the case.

I don't recall saying that anywhere on this particular thread, so perhaps you'd remind me as to where. However, I have said before on other occasions that children have the capacity to like anything that is put in front of them, which is not precisely the same thing that you attribute to me. There's a subtle but distinct difference.

The little boy in your example falls right into the Beano's target audience (5-11) so find his reaction more interesting than that of his older sibling or his parents. You can ignore it (like his oddly dismissive mother who seems intent on aligning his tastes to her own) or maybe we could all listen to children such as these and maybe we'd find out why weekly comics are on the wane.

Perhaps we should start asking kids what they'd like to learn at school, when it suits them to attend, what they'd prefer to have for meals, etc. Young kids are not the best judges when it comes to making decisions for themselves. That's why, sadly, swallowing that brightly coloured pill or liquid which they like the look of so much can have such devastating consequences. Parents (or at least adults) are usually the ones who make the decisions as to what comics junior first gets bought for him, so I'd focus on them as to what they base their decisions on.

[Kid Robson]

H'mm. Confirms my suspicions then.

[Little Squelchy Thing]

H'mm. Confirms my suspicions then.

Confirms what suspicions?

Also, yes, I do think we should allow kids to choose their own entertainment from time to time. I remember we had a travelling book shop that visited our school when I was about 6, possibly 7. My mum and dad gave me my pocket money to buy whatever book I liked. Far from causing the collapse of society, all I did was buy a copy of The BFG that caught my eye, which proved to be an excellent choice and ushered in a love of books (and Dahl's work) that continues to this day. It's amazing what children can do, you know.

[Lew Stringer]

Young kids are not the best judges when it comes to making decisions for themselves. That's why, sadly, popping that brightly coloured pill or liquid which they like the look of so much into their mouths can have such devastating consequences. Parents (or at least adults) are usually the ones who make the decisions as to what comics junior first gets bought for him, so I'd focus on them as to what they base their decisions on.

A six year old deciding he likes a comic isn't the same as trying dangerous liquids though is it? Nothing like it whatsover. It's such a disconnection that your analogy has no merit.

Fact is, from your own research, a child within The Beano's target audience liked what he saw. That's the result that matters. Now you're trying to dismiss it! Hilarious.

[Kid Robson]

H'mm. Confirms my suspicions then.

Confirms what suspicions?

The option for editing my responses has vanished. I have my suspicions as to why. Anyone else noticed the same thing?

Also, yes, I do think we should allow kids to choose their own entertainment from time to time. I remember we had a travelling book shop that visited our school when I was about 6, possibly 7. My mum and dad gave me my pocket money to buy whatever book I liked. Far from causing the collapse of society, all I did was buy a copy of The BFG that caught my eye, which proved to be an excellent choice and ushered in a love of books (and Dahl's work) that continues to this day. It's amazing what children can do, you know.

I'm not saying that children shouldn't be allowed to choose their own entertainment, I'm saying that they aren't necessarily the best informed as to what form the choices should be. For example, if enough children surveyed all thought that Roger the Dodger was the best drawn strip (perish forbid) in The Beano, and DCT then geared the rest of The Beano in that direction, I think that would be a mistake. But what if the comic's sales suddenly shot through the roof as a result? C'mon, lads, let's keep it real.

[Kid Robson]

A six year old deciding he likes a comic isn't the same as trying dangerous liquids though is it? Nothing like it whatsover. It's such a disconnection that your analogy has no merit.

The principle is the same, even if enormity of the potential consequences aren't, so, yes, the analogy has some merit.

Fact is, from your own research, a child within The Beano's target audience liked what he saw. That's the result that matters. Now you're trying to dismiss it! Hilarious.

What's hilarious, Lew, is that you take the example of one child whose mother (it is reasonable to presume) knows best (certainly better than you) and try to suggest that he's representative of all 6 year olds. (Not even I did that.) And remember, the child only glanced at 4 pages in the comic, he didn't read any of it. The result that surely matters is that 3 out of 4 people didn't like 2 particular pages, and as two of them are the ones who have obviously made the decisions not to buy their kids the comic in question, that's something that is worth taking into consideration - not dismissing out of hand merely because it doesn't fit in with your view as to what's relevant. That, in fact, is the fact.

[Bigwords]

For example, if enough children surveyed all thought that Roger the Dodger was the best drawn strip (perish forbid) in The Beano, and DCT then geared the rest of The Beano in that direction, I think that would be a mistake. But what if the comic's sales suddenly shot through the roof as a result? C'mon, lads, let's keep it real.

It worked for DC Comics and their abysmal Green Lantern fixation bleeding into the rest of the line. Atrocious plotting, absurd and ugly artwork, and they sold buckets of the damn things.

Of course, they rebooted everything not long after, and amazingly made things worse, so...