Can The Dandy Survive another 10 Years?

[BeanoKev70]

I know we have discussed similar topics before, but The Dandy has just about survived the Noughties and what is left now moves into the Teenies. Will the old girl still be with us come 2020....if so how...?

[wardrobe86]

i'd like to say yes but its unlikely isn't it. A merger with beano max perhaps?

[Digifiend]

Pessimism rears its ugly head again! I thought it was selling better now than it was before the 2007 relaunch?

[chrissmillie]

I suppose a cartoon or two of certain characters could boost circulation. Maybe development of a new character as successful as someone like Bananaman? Maybe a popular licence, such as Harry Potter in comic form might work?

It depends on whether DC Thomson will continue with comics that make a profit but not a huge profit. If you look at a lot of the comics that folded a few years ago, they were selling pretty healthily by today's standards.

Wouldn't it be nice if DCT or Fleetway Egmont said, "look these comics aren't of interest to us - would someone from the indy press like to take them over?"

Unlikely I know...

[Lew Stringer]

Wouldn't it be nice if DCT or Fleetway Egmont said, "look these comics aren't of interest to us - would someone from the indy press like to take them over?"

Unlikely I know...

It's one thing to have a desire to take over a title and its characters but quite another to pay the creators the same rates, pay the retailers, distribution, promotion etc. Surely if someone in the indy press had the funds to finance and distribute their own High Street comic they'd already be producing their own?

Lew

[chrissmillie]

Just getting high street distribution is very difficult. I've tried it. Basically, they want a name (e.g. Dan Dare or DC Thomson) and aren't too interested in comics. Nothing to do with the quality of the product. When I was turned down, they hadn't even seen the product samples, the budget or anything like that. A comic with no name attached? No thanks. Whereas Diamond, the comic shop distributor, was quite happy after seeing the product.

Anyway, I wasn't necessarily talking about a high street comic. Really it was just a bit of dreaming. Talking seriously though, letting an indypress comic take the name/characters of Hotspur or Battle Action or whatever and releasing it through the net or indy distro/Diamond routes would probably make more than most small press comics.

As for paying the creators the same etc, it needn't be like that. There's obviously the whole DownTheTubes discussion about getting creators on board with part page rates, part shares, backend deals, closer involvement etc.. It's not for everyone but it is for some.

I did try to get a Valiant Annual off the ground but, whereas IPC were ok to talk to, now that DC Comics are in control, communication is impossible.

[Digifiend]

Maybe a popular licence, such as Harry Potter in comic form might work?

They'd need permission from JK Rowling and Warner Brothers for that. Not going to happen, unless WB do it themselves (and JKR would still have to approve it, as she still owns the publishing rights).

[Steve Henderson]

(Going out on a limb here but...) Its funny that 'Bananaman' seems to stick in the majority of peoples minds as an anaimation rather than a comic. Obviously one or two of you on here would dissagree with that but I'm talking about people who are not quite as involved in comics as most of you are.

Perhaps if Dandy is to survive another 10 years it should venture its characters into the realm of animation and discover a new fanbase who would rather sit in front of the telly than go down the newsagents and buy a comic with their pocket money.

A new revamped series of Bananaman or a Dan cartoon would be excellent! Marvo the wonder chicken is making his way to the small screen soon perhaps more will follow?

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I never thought that the BANANAMAN animation was all that well-executed, Steve.....it lacked the dynamism of John Geering's original strip, and was obviously tailored to low budgets.

I share your enthusiasm for cartoon animation, the 'golden period' of the stuff done in the US in the 30s/40s especially being on par [and possibly beyond, even if it did embrace the dreaded 'production-line' methods] with the cream of comics graphics.

[Lew Stringer]

As for paying the creators the same etc, it needn't be like that. There's obviously the whole DownTheTubes discussion about getting creators on board with part page rates, part shares, backend deals, closer involvement etc.. It's not for everyone but it is for some.

I backed out of those discussions because some of the ideas put forward were totally unrealistic. If a comic is to have professional creators involved it has to pay on acceptance. Most publishers pay on 30 days or earlier. (Much earlier in some cases.) It's simply not feasible to expect someone to work for several months for nothing until (or if) the comic makes enough money to pay them. No one would ask that of any other occupation so why would anyone expect it of professional comic creators? A "share" is worthless if the comic doesn't make profit. Optimism doesn't pay the mortgage.

Maybe a popular licence, such as Harry Potter in comic form might work?

They'd need permission from JK Rowling and Warner Brothers for that. Not going to happen, unless WB do it themselves (and JKR would still have to approve it, as she still owns the publishing rights).

I understand that JK Rowling has absolutely no interest in Harry Potter being turned into a comic. Like you said, it's not going to happen.

Lew

[chrissmillie]

Don't get too wrapped up in the Harry Potter suggestion. I meant a popular licensed character. It could have been Ben 10, Tracy Beaker, Bart Simpson or whoever, i.e. someone already popular from outside the comic world (and I know these examples aren't possible but there's another 10 years to go).

For that DownTheTubes discussion, there seemed to be two ideas that were never panned out. Tim was of the "success over content" camp, whereas John R was more of a "something great that we'll try to make a success". Two different ideas with two different ways of paying IMHO as one allows a lot more creative freedom - and that is the appeal to a lot of people that might put money on hold. The other is just to have any old comic on the market with finance at the core (which surely would be best as a Beano copycat but why support something that does nothing worthwhile?).

Really, that was the problem with that whole discussion. What was the comic about? Instead, it was asking for marketing strategies, when that could have been primary school tuckshops to putting adverts in tattoo magazines. With some of the people involved there, it could be a success but it was so fuzzy. Either they didn't want to give their idea away (although, I see nothing wrong in saying an adventure mag aimed at the 7-14 market, or an alternative humour mag aimed at late teens and above) or they didn't know themselves. There could have been so much more help with just that little bit more info.

[Digifiend]

Never heard of The Simpsons Comics? It's not only possible, it already exists, the only reason DCT can't do is because another company owns the rights. Same goes for Ben10 come to think of it.

[chrissmillie]

Yes, I've heard of them but that's why I said DCT couldn't use them. In the next 10 years, the Dandy could survive by using licensed characters. Look at the principle more than the illustrative characters.

[BeanoKev70]

My view is back to basics really, we live in a world of political correctness. I would rip up the rule book and bring a real bit of anarchy back to the pages of The Dandy...make it funny a little bit crude and have Dan smoking his big bin pipe full of rubbish again. The kids of today would love it Jocks and the Georgies bashing each other over the head etc....thats the way to survive another 20 years..come on DCT have the balls to do what you want on your product & not worry about the views of some nobody in a suit.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

the Dandy needs an anarchic new star who has the potential to become a household name. Drastically altering the graphic look of established characters in itself is not enough, in my view..........