Comics UK

Remember, 'You're only as old as the comic you read!'
Oh hang on, that won't work.

Alex Matthews wrote:Apparently my iteration wasn't going down well with the readers. Bah!

For some reason I feel like that's just an excuse. I must admit I didn't really get into the latest story-arc of Ball Boy, but overall I really enjoyed it.

What I really dislike is how they circled completely. They get you, Wayne and Jamie to redesign the characters and I quite honestly loved all three redesigns, then they go back to the old styles again because "apparently" it wasn't going down well with the readers.

I'm quite honestly getting sick of the Beano. It just gets rid of everything good for the sake of being traditional. Now seemingly, Wayne isn't even allowed to draw Bananaman in his own style any more.

Really considering just giving the Beano up as much as it pains me to say.

Lew Stringer wrote:I've just been informed by someone posting on my blog that the Scottish newspaper The Courier will be giving away the same free Beano with this Thursday's edition.

The Courier also runs a few strips. On Saturday, it was The Nibblers (looked like Hunt's work), Pansy Potter and another strip who's name currently escapes me.

colcool007 wrote:

Lew Stringer wrote:I've just been informed by someone posting on my blog that the Scottish newspaper The Courier will be giving away the same free Beano with this Thursday's edition.

The Courier also runs a few strips. On Saturday, it was The Nibblers (looked like Hunt's work), Pansy Potter and another strip who's name currently escapes me.

That's good. I don't think The Courier is available down here. I've never seen it anyway, but the Sunday Post is widely available.

WizzKid97 wrote:I'm quite honestly getting sick of the Beano. It just gets rid of everything good for the sake of being traditional. Now seemingly, Wayne isn't even allowed to draw Bananaman in his own style any more.

Really considering just giving the Beano up as much as it pains me to say.

It's not so much traditional art styles (my style is seen as too retro) but the kind of rendering that appeals to the age group that buy the Beano. The feedback from the kids confirms that bold, bright, clean art and traditional puns and slapstick are popular.

I wish there was a market for a funny comic with actual comic strips aimed at older kids, but as discussed ad nauseam on this board and elsewhere, there isn't. I know - it's a bloody shame when you consider what the likes of Lew, Alex, Jamie and Wilbur could contribute, but there you go...

-MikeD- wrote:
I wish there was a market for a funny comic with actual comic strips aimed at older kids, but as discussed ad nauseam on this board and elsewhere, there isn't. I know - it's a bloody shame when you consider what the likes of Lew, Alex, Jamie and Wilbur could contribute, but there you go...

Sadly there never has been much interest for humour comics for older kids in this country, although apparently a lot of young teens were reading Viz and their imitators at one stage. Even I stopped reading Dandy, Whoopee, etc when I was 16 and I was comic mad. If I hadn't been pursuing a career in comics four years later I doubt I'd have started buying them again. Most older kids who like comics move on to superhero comics and then on to more sophisticated comics aimed at adults. Most kids stop completely of course. (Their loss.)

On a professional level it doesn't particularly bother me that there aren't mainstream humour comics around for older kids in the UK. I've written/drawn for all ages, from nursery to adult, so I just adapt to suit, as most of us would. I'd just like to see more comics published for whatever the target audience is because at the moment there are more cartoonists in the industry than there are pages available to draw! And the end result of that is that inevitably good artists will drift away from comics as a necessity to survive in other areas of illustration. Or pack it in completely.

Lew Stringer wrote:

colcool007 wrote:

Lew Stringer wrote:I've just been informed by someone posting on my blog that the Scottish newspaper The Courier will be giving away the same free Beano with this Thursday's edition.

The Courier also runs a few strips. On Saturday, it was The Nibblers (looked like Hunt's work), Pansy Potter and another strip who's name currently escapes me.

That's good. I don't think The Courier is available down here. I've never seen it anyway, but the Sunday Post is widely available.

Yeah, it's a local paper only sold in East Central Scotland, whereas Sunday Post is national. http://www.dcthomson.co.uk/brands/the-courier

Col, are those strips reprints, from recent Beanos?

DCT owns my local Scottish newspaper, and they sometimes rerun one-panel Beano strips...this Thursday, the same special edition is to be given free with the paper.

WizzKid97 wrote:

Alex Matthews wrote:Apparently my iteration wasn't going down well with the readers. Bah!

For some reason I feel like that's just an excuse. I must admit I didn't really get into the latest story-arc of Ball Boy, but overall I really enjoyed it.

What I really dislike is how they circled completely. They get you, Wayne and Jamie to redesign the characters and I quite honestly loved all three redesigns, then they go back to the old styles again because "apparently" it wasn't going down well with the readers.

I'm quite honestly getting sick of the Beano. It just gets rid of everything good for the sake of being traditional. Now seemingly, Wayne isn't even allowed to draw Bananaman in his own style any more.

Really considering just giving the Beano up as much as it pains me to say.

I liked Wayne's Bananaman but I never liked Alex's Ball Boy or Jamie's Roger

If you have an Android or iPhone, you don't need to pay - you can download it free on the Beano app.

Currently downloading it on my iPad and no need to get ripped off buying it on feebay or having to buy a far right paper

There is no daily mail on the front cover of the free Beano probably be the same on the Courier freebie too and what's with the moaning and groaning about certain strips it's not that bad what do you expect for free?

Digifiend wrote:

Lew Stringer wrote:

colcool007 wrote: The Courier also runs a few strips. On Saturday, it was The Nibblers (looked like Hunt's work), Pansy Potter and another strip who's name currently escapes me.

That's good. I don't think The Courier is available down here. I've never seen it anyway, but the Sunday Post is widely available.

Yeah, it's a local paper only sold in East Central Scotland, whereas Sunday Post is national. http://www.dcthomson.co.uk/brands/the-courier

Col, are those strips reprints, from recent Beanos?

I couldn't honestly say as my comic buying is limited to what I get at the shows for now. It's possible that they are reprints, but I think you may need an expert opinion to confirm/deny.

TBH, I would be more surprised if they were commissioned just for the Courier as that does not fit with my knowledge of the thrifty nature of DCT!

dandy mad wrote:There is no daily mail on the front cover of the free Beano probably be the same on the Courier freebie too and what's with the moaning and groaning about certain strips it's not that bad what do you expect for free?

We're not moaning and groaning, we are discussing our own personal opinions.

Feel free to agree or disagree.

Opinions are like arseholes everybody has one including me....