Dandy Relaunch - losing momentum?

[Spencer]

I've been worrying recently that the re-launch has lost a bit of momentum - highlighted yesterday when I went to Asda (nearest place to me that stocks Dandy) and they only had one copy as opposed to the 20 they had had in previous weeks.

I am far from an expert in these things and would never profess to know better, but I still can't quite get my head around the fact that there has been NO cross-product advertising in either The Beano or The Weekly News.

Surely, there are some Beano readers out there that may not know of the relaunch - they are obviously interested in comic strips as The Beano is predominantly thus so do they not think they could pick up some more sales there? For The Weekly News, this is an older readership but, similarly, a parent or grandparent may see news of the re-launch and buy a copy for their son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter?

If any DCT people are reading this I would be interested to know their views on this (just to stop my puzzler from puzzling!)

With regards to the website:

1- It isn't being updated so often at present - the latest issues was published yesterday but today still has the 18 Dec issue news on the front page

2- I know it has been mentioned on this forum before but the voting page really needs looking at if the editorial team are going to take it seriously when deciding upon strip changes etc.

3- I have signed up to the newsletter about 6 times since relaunch and have never received anything.


This post isn't meant in any way to be negative - I'm still buying two copies of every issue as both my sons love it (even the 12 year old who had recently stated that he didnt want The Beano any more as Dennis and Gnasher were 'too baby-ish' since they were updated).

I WANT it to work - that's the basis of this post!

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

the 'Law of Diminishing Returns' applies to comics most definately, Spencer, and early sales of DANDY seemed healthy in my region, with most copies selling out. I attribute the wide, glowing publicity the comic recieved to early period success of the relaunch.[The recent Christmas Special never sold out around here [possibly due to the significant price increase].

The comic has obviously been radicalized and I applaud it's brave new direction; it deserves to succeed after taking so many risks with a lot of untried talent.

The updated graphics and post-moderne humour will hopefully persist with the paying public, sales may have slipped slightly recently, but this is true accross the board regarding most entertainment in early January.....even the boozers are quiet around now [so I hear].

It's still early days for the Dandy relaunch.

[Digifiend]

I've been worrying recently that the re-launch has lost a bit of momentum - highlighted yesterday when I went to Asda (nearest place to me that stocks Dandy) and they only had one copy as opposed to the 20 they had had in previous weeks.

I am far from an expert in these things and would never profess to know better, but I still can't quite get my head around the fact that there has been NO cross-product advertising in either The Beano or The Weekly News.

Surely, there are some Beano readers out there that may not know of the relaunch - they are obviously interested in comic strips as The Beano is predominantly thus so do they not think they could pick up some more sales there? For The Weekly News, this is an older readership but, similarly, a parent or grandparent may see news of the re-launch and buy a copy for their son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter?

If any DCT people are reading this I would be interested to know their views on this (just to stop my puzzler from puzzling!)

With regards to the website:

1- It isn't being updated so often at present - the latest issues was published yesterday but today still has the 18 Dec issue news on the front page

2- I know it has been mentioned on this forum before but the voting page really needs looking at if the editorial team are going to take it seriously when deciding upon strip changes etc.

3- I have signed up to the newsletter about 6 times since relaunch and have never received anything.


This post isn't meant in any way to be negative - I'm still buying two copies of every issue as both my sons love it (even the 12 year old who had recently stated that he didnt want The Beano any more as Dennis and Gnasher were 'too baby-ish' since they were updated).

I WANT it to work - that's the basis of this post!

Puzzler puzzling? lol, you know DCT own Puzzler magazines, right? If not, that's one flukey choice of words. I agree about the cross-promotion, or lack of it, that needs sorting out, pronto.

1. Yes, I noticed that. Unlike Beano, which is updated promptly.
2. Agreed, you really shouldn't be able to vote more than once, and not every strip is listed.
3. I've signed up for the newsletter too - and the Beano's - nothing yet from either. Might just be quarterly though, like the old Beano Club Newsletter, in which case it would be due in a couple of weeks.

[Raven]

3- I have signed up to the newsletter about 6 times since relaunch and have never received anything.

On a kids' site like that, getting people to sign up for a 'newsletter' can often be about building up a database of users (and their ages: good for research in itself) as much as anything else. Companies being approached to do a product tie-in or for advertising will often ask "is there a newsletter database?" so if Thomson say "yes, of xxx thousand readers" it all helps.

[Digifiend]

If it were just Dandy maybe, but Beano asks for your age when you sign up for VIP. So no newsletter con would be needed to obtain that info. I think we should wait another month or so before making any complaints.

[Lew Stringer]

Bear in mind it has just been Christmas/New Year so the staff have only recently come back to work and the comics have to take priority.

[felneymike]

Oddly I was just reading that the actual launch of Eagle in 1950 was actually quite poorly advertised in the press. To the point that commentators in the press, er, commented on it.

[patpending]

I saw the Harry Hill "there's only one way to tell - FIGHT" line on the cover of the Dandy yesterday and picked one up from a sheaf at Tesco's, thinking it would be worth a look.

I think it's great! I must admit I was busy and had missed about the relaunch, but I thought Harry Hill and Jeremy Clarkson (introduced, not by name, but as "that bloke who really likes DRIVING!") definitely made an impact.

The new style is reminiscent of the Marvel(?) comics of the 1980s like "It's Wicked" (Postman Prat / Ghostman Bat?) and "The Bog Paper" (Doctor Loo - was he Doctor Phew! in the Bog Paper? Or was that VIZ?). Ideas whose time (in taste terms) has come.

I think the Dandy is now more artistically inspired than at any time since Julian Clary was casting to replace Desperate Dan.

From a business perspective, I take heart from seeing maybe ten copies on display at Tesco's. They don't put goods on shelves for lav, bat for manny!

Best of British, Dandy!

[Digifiend]

The names Postman Prat and Doctor Loo are simply plays on Postman Pat and Doctor Who. Similarly, Pepperoni Pig's name will have been inspired by Peppa Pig, and Clive 5 is based on Ben 10. Any similarity to It's Wickid is a coincidence. Now Oink, that's another matter.

Doctor Loo isn't a new character by the way, he first appeared a couple of years ago in Dandy Xtreme. Is it a coincidence that his companion is named Gwen, the same name as Eve Myles's character in Torchwood?

[Raven]

The new style is reminiscent of the Marvel(?) comics of the 1980s like "It's Wicked" (Postman Prat / Ghostman Bat?) and "The Bog Paper" (Doctor Loo - was he Doctor Phew! in the Bog Paper? Or was that VIZ?). Ideas whose time (in taste terms) has come.

I think he was called Doctor Loo in The Bog Paper, too, but I'm not sure saying it's reminiscent of that is such a compliment - wasn't The Bog Paper one of the most dire comics of all time? It's Wicked wasn't exactly a shining beacon, either!

[stevezodiac]

Whereas Oink! was a shining Bacon!

Is anyone aware that Oink! first appeared a week earlier as a free giveaway sampler with Buster? (I think it was Buster - I have it here in the wardrobe).

[Lew Stringer]

Whereas Oink! was a shining Bacon!

Is anyone aware that Oink! first appeared a week earlier as a free giveaway sampler with Buster? (I think it was Buster - I have it here in the wardrobe).

Yes, that sample issue was given free in a few comics. Buster (as you said) plus Eagle, and maybe Tammy (?). The material in it was the stuff we did for the dummy issue back in 1984, which is why there's a few stylistic changes between that and the work we did for issue 1 in 1986. (Yes, it was in the planning stages for two years before we got the green light.)

[Lew Stringer]

The new style is reminiscent of the Marvel(?) comics of the 1980s like "It's Wicked" (Postman Prat / Ghostman Bat?)

I drew strips for Marvel UK in the 1980s so perhaps you're thinking of Combat Colin, Robo-Capers, Captain Wally, Snail-Man or Macho Man? (I never worked for It's Wicked or The Bog Paper though. I thought they were trying to copy Oink too much.)

[Raven]

Actually, I was thinking of Triffik for some reason (though I know Lew did some respectable work for that). It's Wicked was, of course, the one with Slimer on the front.

[Lew Stringer]

Actually, I was thinking of Triffik for some reason (though I know Lew did some respectable work for that). It's Wicked was, of course, the one with Slimer on the front.

Oh yeah, just remembered I drew Slimer too, but that was for The Real Ghostbusters comic. I think Bambos drew it for Wicked.