Comics UK

I'm just a wee bit late on this one, by a few decades, however, reading some Hotspurs from 1959, what do I find but a reprint of the classic - and I mean classic - Dutch comic by Willy Vandersteen, De Rode Ridder. Direct translation for Hotspur, The Red Knight. The story I stumbled on starts in #493 and I think it is a reprint of De Rode Ridder #19
http://www.roderidder.net/nl/uitgaves/a ... ing-arthur
If anyone knows if there were any more reprints, please let me know. I have small selection of the Dutch originals and the series is still popular and still being published today. Unfortunately, I don't have this one

paw broon wrote:I'm just a wee bit late on this one, by a few decades, however, reading some Hotspurs from 1959, what do I find but a reprint of the classic - and I mean classic - Dutch comic by Willy Vandersteen, De Rode Ridder. Direct translation for Hotspur, The Red Knight. The story I stumbled on starts in #493 and I think it is a reprint of De Rode Ridder #19

You are actually 'a wee bit late' by a further decade, Paw, because although The Red Knight did start in issue 493 of The Hotspur, that issue was published in 1969.

Thanks for that, Phoenix. At least you replied, if only to point out my bad typing. Much more importantly, any chance of anyone helping out with my question?
I was really surprised to find a foreign strip, especially one so important in other countries, and it would be a great opportunity to read more Red Knight stories in English - I don't have more than about 30 words of Dutch, although I can read a bit more.
It also raises the question as to whether there were other foreign reprints in DCT comics of that period.

I saw 1959 and Hotspur and went for issue 1 and then ended up lost in one of my favourite stories The Soap-Box Special. I will have another look for the Red Knight when I finish the story as I am up to part 5 now!

colcool007 wrote:I will have another look for the Red Knight when I finish the story

Is there any need, Col, given that we've already found it? See my 12.04 a.m. post.

I've never seen a reprint Paw but it looks great. I've been reading up on it and spoke to a Belgian mate who says it's Belgian/Flemish in origin. Apparently there have been over 250 albums!

I found this as a wicki listing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Rode_Ridder

My friend says that he's never seen an English translation of the stories before but will ask around in case any of his friends know of one.

Phoenix wrote:

colcool007 wrote:I will have another look for the Red Knight when I finish the story

Is there any need, Col, given that we've already found it? See my 12.04 a.m. post.

Derek, if you look at Paw's original question, you will see that he also asked if there were any more reprints. Paw did not specify whether he meant in publications by other publishers or other reprints in D C Thomson's wide and varied range of publications. So I was going to have a look at my meagre collection to see if I could find any more examples for him.

Willy Vandersteen's style is certainly an unusual one and I cannot recall ever seeing another example of his work in British comics. So if the story was printed again, I would hazard a guess that it would have been redrawn by another artist.

Phoenix wrote:I saw 1959 and Hotspur and went for issue 1 and then ended up lost in one of my favourite stories The Soap-Box Special. I will have another look for the Red Knight when I finish the story as I am up to part 5 now!

Well, OK, Col. But if you have another look at the second sentence in your comment above, and in the light of my earlier comment, you should be able to see how important it is to express your comments in such a way that your readers will not be in any doubt about the point you are making. In this specific instance your comment I will have another look for the Red Knight can suggest that you have not realised that I had already found him.

With any luck I can put my query more clearly, so as not to give Phoenix any further problems. Finding The Red Knight in an issue of Hotspur, I quickly recognised it as a reprint of the successful and long running Flemish strip, De Rode Ridder, produced by Studio Vandersteen and published by Standard Uitgeverij, Antwerp. Surprised to find a reprint of a foreign strip in a DCT comic, I was curious to know if there were other Red Knight reprints in Hotspur or other DCT comics and, whether there were other foreign reprints in DCT comics of the period? Was this a tryout for other Rode Ridder stories? Was it a tryout for other foreign strips? Seems odd as it would involve licensing and translation costs.
Simples. Sort of.
Thanks to Adam and Col for replying, and Phoenix for the entertainment. Hopefully, those fine fellows, or some of the other experts on here will come up with the necessaries
If any of you are interested, the official page has a section with all the covers. Have a look here:-
http://www.roderidder.net/nl/bibliothee ... jen/covers

paw broon wrote:With any luck I can put my query more clearly, so as not to give Phoenix any further problems.

paw broon wrote:Thanks to Adam and Col for replying, and Phoenix for the entertainment.

A propos of the unjust and quite dismissive 'entertainment' accusation, I appear to need to point out to Paw that my comments should not have been interpreted as such in the first place given that that was in no way my intention, and furthermore I am sure that he is, and was, fully aware of that. Surely it is incumbent on us all to use words accurately to the best of our ability, as I always try to do. If we fail to do so, obviously communication suffers. 'Luck' is never a factor, accurate expression is all that is needed. It is of course possible that I am somewhere on the autistic spectrum. My ex-wife believes that I am, and blames my late father who she believes was also on it, but I was educated in what at the time was a Headmasters' Conference grammar school in which you soon learned what sloppy writing was, and how it failed in some degree to deliver cogently exactly what you intended to say, because until you did, you would find yourself staying behind after school to do the piece of work again.

Abject apologies for in any way upsetting you, Phoenix. I try to be decent in my correspondence on this site and the others to which I contribute. However, I did think you were being humourous. Your comments suggested to me that you were attempting a funny, not very good but better that some of my feeble attempts.
I'm more concerned that I may have unwittingly insulted someone who, by their admission could be, "somewhere on the autistic spectrum."
I suffered from severe depression a good many years ago and although I have improved considerably since, it does occasionally rear it's ugly head and bite me on the bum, as it were. So I am aware of the need to tread carefully both with myself and others, 'cos you never know.
Also, we can't see each other to judge facial expressions, hand movements, eye movements and all the other, sometimes almost subliminal tells that aid face to face communication, so written communication is very important - careful use of language etc. With that in mind, and as I am not exactly daft and am very good at intuiting from however feeble the clues, my mistaking your words could, perhaps, constitute a flaw in your post and subsequent comments.
More importantly, and I'm sure much more important for the folk on this site, research into the contents of a Thomson title is a tad more interesting than our bruised feelings.
Life can be good at times and this post has given me an appetite for tagliatelle bolognese, crusty bread and a bottle of rather good Italian collapso. Then an espresso, a couple of comics and an evening in front of the t.v. with my wife to watch Vera.
Back to The Red Knight and I borrowed some issues from around that time from a friend and I'll try to put the story together for a complete read so if anyone can come up with more info on possible further reprints, I'll try to chase them down. Great fun.

paw broon wrote:Abject apologies for in any way upsetting you, Phoenix.

Apologies accepted, Paw, with genuine good grace. Thank you.

I mentioned to an ex colleague I am still in touch with that I have lately suspected I might have some form of Aspergers due to my logical mind and dislike of social situations and small talk. He said years ago another colleague said "Oh Steve? He's got Aspergers."

Re. The Red Knight. I think I've worked out the issues concerned. The first story starts in Hotspur # 493 and ends in #502.
2nd. story starts in #503, ends #508
3rd. story starts #509, ends #514.
As the original albums had 34 pages of story, I think DCT have used 3 successive albums but might, actually must have have edited out some panels. I don't have the Dutch albums of these stories and I've cobbled this together by trying to follow the descriptions of each issue on the Dutch site. I could be very wrong.
All 3 stories/episodes? feature Lancelot and The Knights.
I've got this far, can anyone now let me know if there were any other reprints of The Red Knight? Or other reprints of foreign strips in DCT titles of the period?

paw broon wrote:Re. The Red Knight. I think I've worked out the issues concerned. The first story starts in Hotspur # 493 and ends in #502.
2nd. story starts in #503, ends #508
3rd. story starts #509, ends #514.
As the original albums had 34 pages of story, I think DCT have used 3 successive albums but might, actually must have have edited out some panels. I don't have the Dutch albums of these stories and I've cobbled this together by trying to follow the descriptions of each issue on the Dutch site. I could be very wrong.
All 3 stories/episodes? feature Lancelot and The Knights.
I've got this far, can anyone now let me know if there were any other reprints of The Red Knight? Or other reprints of foreign strips in DCT titles of the period?

The only other foreign strip that I am aware of being reprinted by D C Thomson in the comics was the newspaper strip Nancy by Ernie Bushmiller which was printed for some years in The Topper in the early 1970s.

However in the late 1970s / early 1980s, the Dundee Courier and Advertiser also printed a foreign newspaper strip in the form of Peanuts and that was superceded by Garfield for many years.