Comics UK

Cuddles and Dimples must've proven popular in the Christmas issue, because they're back next week. I imagine it'll be reprints. Kid Cops is back next week as well.

this is good I always liked that strip and even if it is reprints unless they're the first four 'episodes' it will probably be ones I have never seen before.

I am also glad that Cuddles and Dimples will be back next week. Another plus point is reprint or not it means Nigel Parkinson's work will be back in The Dandy.

Kid Cops returning, I wonder if this means Postman Prat will be taking a break since they are both drawn by Lew.

I reckon Cuddles and Dimples will be a reprint, although to be honest - I really want to see some new stuff by Nigel Parkinson in the Dandy...

I have a feeling that the story it will replace could possibly be My Own Genie, however this seems unlikely as My Own Genie seems to be a very "main" strip within the comic. Besides I'm pretty sure there are a few more left until the pull the plug...

Two stories I think that may go next week are Rocky O'Flair and Pepperoni Pig - they've both had quite a long run in the comic now (both debuting in the new, bigger, 36 page Dandy) - maybe Cuddles and Dimples will replace them...

I know for a fact that Postman Prat ends this week - for now. Prat's been in the comic since the "Summer of Fun" (A.K.A. The Celebrity-filled Rip-off). Now his comic strip is getting relaxed for a bit - Kid Cops coming in to fill up the space left by Prat. This was confirmed by Lew as of yesterday. Will be great seeing Sergeant Nick and Officer Bobby out on laugh-patrol again!

Intrigued by Noshy Monsters - blatantly a spoof of 'Moshi Monsters' - will probably replace one of Wayne's strips in the comic at present (i.e. Rocky O'Flair, Pepperoni Pig) - I'm a massive fan of Wayne's artwork so looking forward to it!

My Own Genie has some strips from one of the annuals that could be used as well, so it's got enough material for another couple of months at least (it's actually longer than I thought, see below). If it is the one that goes to make way for C&D, it leaves room for it to return later. IIRC, My Own Genie ended so Jamie could do other characters, and it was pretty popular. When it does run out of material, they could always do new strips- but something else would need to replace it in the reprint slot, and even counting only Nigel's artwork, Cuddles and Dimples have a four and a half year supply (originally six years, but considering the Xtreme strips would be used up double quick due it being fortnightly at the time...).

I doubt any strip in either the Dandy or Beano will be reprinted continuously for four years - any reprints that aren't popular usually get dropped, whereas the strips that remain popular usually come out of reprints after two years or so - Billy Whizz being a good example, he was reprinted for over two years (June 2007-October 2009) before Nick Brennan became his new artist.

Assuming Cuddles and Dimples is reprints, I think it is more likely to replace Space Raoul than My Own Genie, because Space Raoul's run in the Dandy was very short (he only had twelve episodes in the Dandy as I recall) whereas My Own Genie ran for about 2-3 years. I can imagine My Own Genie reverting to new material when the reprints run out, similar to what happened with Fred's Bed in the Beano. However, I definitely agree with those clamouring to see more of NP's artwork, I think it is a shame that he isn't drawing much for either comic at the moment (I know he does do Fred's Bed regularly but as he's not the full-time artist he doesn't have the chance to really stamp his mark on the strip in the way he did on first Cuddles and Dimples then Harry Hill).

My Own Genie's original run was sporadic. It didn't last as long as you think. It ran from 4 June 2005 to 26 August 2006 before being replaced by Space Raoul. It then appeared in the 2007 Summer Special, the 2008 Annual, and several random issues of Dandy Xtreme. So they won't run out for quite a while.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Own_Genie

Space Raoul has two Dandy episodes left, but they could use the Funday Times strips as well (although I don't know if they'd need permission from News Corp for that).

Lets hope Nigel is drawing for the Dandy soon..maybe Cuddles and Dimples are new?

I hope so, maybe there's a chance with Nigel not drawing many strips right now.

The last thing The Dandy needs is a third reprint.

Yeah, I'm only guessing that it's a reprint, but the advert used the graphic from the title panel, so we can't tell for sure from that.

Gilly wrote:. . .with Nigel not drawing many strips right now.

It doesn't feel like I'm not drawing many strips. I'm as busy as ever. But I haven't done any Cuddles and Dimples although there are three or four from about 2006/7 which have not been published yet.

I meant in The Dandy where since Harry Hill as gone none of your work has appeared, I wasn't implying you wasn't doing anything at all.

My fault maybe I should have worded it better.

NP wrote:

Gilly wrote:. . .with Nigel not drawing many strips right now.

It doesn't feel like I'm not drawing many strips. I'm as busy as ever. But I haven't done any Cuddles and Dimples although there are three or four from about 2006/7 which have not been published yet.

That's strange, considering that the strip survived until 2010, so they had plenty of time to use those.

I wonder if any of those strips will appear in the Dandy at some point? I think using them would be a win-win situation, as the strips willl have one of the main advantages of reprints (you don't have to come with new ideas or get an artist to draw them) without the caveat of there being the possibility that some readers may have seen them before. They also wouldn't look incongrous alongside the reprints.

Overall I think it's a good idea to bring Cuddles and Dimples back to the Dandy (even as reprints), because they were among the comic's most popular characters before the October 2010 revamp and one of the relatively few long-running Dandy strips. I was surprised that they were dropped at the time.

I agree, Jonny. Up until latest revamp, I always thought of Cuddle & Dimples as one of the 'Big Three' - the other two being Desperate Dan and Bananaman.

Anyway, I am glad they are back and hopefully NP will be drawing new strips in the not so distant future.