*ADVERTS SPOILER ALERT* #3617 - 7th Jan 2012

[Gilly]

Just seen the cover of tomorrows Beano on the Website. Very good helps celebrate the big arrival of Bananaman. Still feels strange but it will be good to read the John Geering strips again.

[Tin Can Tommy]

I wonder if such a big character's addition to the Beano roster will mean that they finally update the character roster on the Beano website.

[Digifiend]

The website hasn't had any updates this year, apart from the previews for issues 3617 and 3618 and the removal of the Christmas decorations.

[WizzKid97]

I spoke to Mike Stirling about the website being updated about a month ago - he said it probably will be updated however he has not cancelled any of the stories that appear on it - he claims "I've given them a rest for a while". Not too sure whether you define "a while", could be anything from a few months - a few years!

If they do update it - I wonder who'll they'll have on it?
Dennis the Menace, Gnasher (in his own category perhaps?), Minnie the Minx, Roger the Dodger, The Bash Street Kids, The Numskulls, Bananaman, Billy Whizz, Ball Boy, Dangerous Dan, "Totally Gross" (The) Germs, Number 13 "Beano Street", Super School, Pup Parade, Ratz, Fred's Bed, Meebo and Zuky... Plus another story I know which is returning soon... But I'll say no more than that! Just rest assured, it won't be a reprint!

Also would you add Wenlock and Mandeville which (if you haven't already noticed) actually runs fortnightly in the Beano... sadly...

EDIT: Sadly because it sucks so bad! - Thanks Tin Can!

[Tin Can Tommy]

Wizzkid97 im unsure whether you mean it's sad that Wenlock and Mendeville is only fortnightly or whether you are sad because it is in the Beano at all.

Another story returning I wonder what it could be? Hopefully Little Plum or the Three Bears or Baby Face Finlayson. Those three strips are always being brought back and then cancelled again and coincidentally they are all spinoffs of Little Plum (apart from Little Plum itself obviously).

[WizzKid97]

Wizzkid97 im unsure whether you mean it's sad that Wenlock and Mendeville is only fortnightly or whether you are sad because it is in the Beano at all.

Ah whoops! I meant it sad because it sucks so badly!

Another story returning I wonder what it could be? Hopefully Little Plum or the Three Bears or Baby Face Finlayson. Those three strips are always being brought back and then cancelled again and coincidentally they are all spinoffs of Little Plum (apart from Little Plum itself obviously).

None of them I'm afraid! (Although I'd love to see Hunt's Little Plum back or Mike's 3 Bears in new strips!)

[Gilly]

Would love to see Calamity James return drawn by Tom Paterson, although I doubt that would happen.

[Jonny Whizz]

I agree, I'd love to see Calamity James return, particularly as we've seen so little of Tom Paterson's work in the Beano recently. However, so far there's been little evidence to suggest which side of the divide Mike Stirling is on regarding James - if he's not a fan of the strip I can't see him returning in new stories.

One point I hadn't previously considered was that reprinting Number 13 will also serve to legitimatise the Bananaman reprints, as John Geering drew both strips. This isn't the first time the Beano has done this, for example the original Fred's Bed strips were for the most part drawn by David Parkins, while his Billy Whizz stories were also being reprinted.

I'm intrigued by your mention of a character returning to the comic, WizzKid97. We can rule out the Western-themed strips, and I suspect it won't be Ivy the Terrible either. I'm guessing it might be one of these strips:
- Johnny Bean
- Beano Manga
- Les Pretend
- Bea
- Freddie Fear

In all these cases, their last artists are still drawing for the Beano. I'm also assuming that the strip only made its last appearance a couple of years ago, but I could well be proven wrong.

[Peter Gray]

I hope Tom Paterson is back drawing or Steve Bright drawing something for The Beano..
Of course Calamity James is top of my list for a comeback..

[Digifiend]

Bea's strip last appeared last month, in BeanoMAX.

[Gilly]

I think I read somewhere that Bea is a character Mike is looking to develop further and that Ivy was dropped because she was too similar to Bea.

Could this mean Bea is the returning strip?

[Digifiend]

Ivy was created by Alan Digby, and was based on his daughter. Ditching her was really a way for Mike to put his own stamp on things.

[Gilly]

That is true Digi but I also read somewhere on another forum that he also thinks Ivy is too similar to Bea which is a character he is looking to develop further.

[Classic Comics]

Ivy was created by Alan Digby, and was based on his daughter. Ditching her was really a way for Mike to put his own stamp on things.

That's not accurate at all. When Mike took over, we had a meeting to discuss things and as an office we all agreed that when we took all the factors into account - particularly audience reaction - Ivy wasn't an option that we should pursue at that time. It's not about us putting our stamp on things or about who created a story - it's about tailoring the Beano for our readers.

[Gilly]

Thanks for clearing that up.

Personally I agree that the popularity of the strip with the target age group over what the Editor thinks of it is the main consideration of its place in The Beano.

After all its the kids its aimed at.