Beezer & Topper Relaunch!

[busterbrown426]

Does anyone else think this could really work?
I'm not just letting nostalgia get in the way of common sense here, I'm not old enough to have bought either comics, the only thing I have got is a 2003 summer special of the Beezer. But I think there is a good gap in the market now the Dandy has gone "Xtreme" and some kids may want an alternative to the Beano. The surveys the Dandy have done suggest that the kids want more comics.

Both comics have classic characters with still a lot of potential some of which are now in The Beano & Dandy, but surely they can take these characters back? It's all the same publisher after all-plus this will give buyers of The Beano & Dandy an extra incentive to buy the new Beezer or Topper.

And I don't mean combined, as two seperate comics. The Beezer has the freedom to be more free and experimental and the Topper could become more action focused but with the classic comical characters remaining. This would give each comic a unique selling point!

So there you go, I'm not a raving madman-it really could work!

[steelclaw]

As your new, you wouldn't have known people have been asking the same question,over the years we've had loads of posts like this.
Bring back this comic bring back that comic.
Just buy a load of comics from ebay if you want the past.
That's what I do.

[busterbrown426]

It's not that at all, I've never even seen an old copy of either the Beezer or the Topper. But I genuinely think there is a gap in the market for these comics, obviously not in the same form as they used to be but a revamped version.

Surveys are proving that kids prefer comics and there hasn't been a new comic featuring wacky off the wall funny strips for a long time, nor a comic featuring funny strips mixed with action and adventure.

I just want your opinions on whether this could work AND how these new comics would look and what would feature in them etc.

[Lew Stringer]

But I think there is a good gap in the market now the Dandy has gone "Xtreme" and some kids may want an alternative to the Beano.

The Dandy went Xtreme because there was no longer a gap in the market for The Dandy solely as a comic. That said, Dandy Xtreme still features at least 15 pages of comics, so it's not like it's vanished into the ether. Kids who want an alternative to The Beano can still enjoy Desperate Dan, Cuddles & Dimples etc if they wish.

Why would DC Thomson even want to pull more readers away from The Beano by launching two more comics? Dividing a shrinking readership between several comics sounds like professional suicide.

Beezer and Topper folded because their sales dropped to no longer making them feasible. Why would this generation buy them when the previous generation didn't?

Besides, launching a new comic these days has all the odds stacked against it. Retail giants like Smiths and Asda want a LOT of money for even putting the title on the shelves. That's why The DFC is subscription-only.

It's a different world in the comics retail market than it was 40 years ago unfortunately.

Lew

[ogtec]

Retail giants like Smiths and Asda want a LOT of money for even putting the title on the shelves.

Lew

Lew, I've read about this in a number of places and I believe it is the same for the big book retailers such as Waterstones, Borders, et al., who charge for prime spots and window displays.

But I've never read an 'expose' or article laying out just how much the market is twisted by the dead weight of multinationals bulldozing their way to market share. Are there any on-line resources you know of that lay out the facts simply? I realise that the precise details are probably a closely guarded secret, but it'd be nice to have an understanding of exactly why it is that Loaded appears on 6 shelves in Smiths while Commando is shoved behind anything to hand...

George

[Lew Stringer]

But I've never read an 'expose' or article laying out just how much the market is twisted by the dead weight of multinationals bulldozing their way to market share. Are there any on-line resources you know of that lay out the facts simply?

An editor or someone in marketing might be able to give you the figures. I can't be specific as I don't know the cost unfortunately. But this is the reason I've been given by every editor in the business, and costs keep getting higher apparently. I guess the retail giants will push it as far as it'll go and when the market pulls out they'll just use the space to stock more sandwiches instead.

Lew

[Peter Gray]

It's a different world in the comics retail market than it was 40 years ago unfortunately. Lew

Love to see the Beezer and Topper back.thankfully there is a lot to collect from the early 90's while we wait... Also the Beezer book of the 90's was great giving artists different characters to draw and experiment in wild fun ways...shame this and the summer special went...seems even the Dandy summer special doesn't exsist anymore (am I right?)

In the 1999 Beezer annual is 2 paintings and a poem about a red fox...which is lovely to see..(who painted this?).so many one offs like this...

Every kid should read comics.it should be made law... this new generation is the reason we have no new humour comics.boring kids we have today...maybe teachers could teach kids to read comics...homework tonight is to read the Beano and Dandy...

[Lew Stringer]

.seems even the Dandy summer special doesn't exsist anymore (am I right?)

No worries Peter. There will definitely be a Dandy Summer Special this year as always.

It's the Beano Summer Special that ceased in 2006, but it has been replaced by BeanoMAX, - the summer issue of which is out today.

Lew

[AndyB]

In the 1999 Beezer annual is 2 paintings and a poem about a red fox...which is lovely to see..(who painted this?).so many one offs like this...

I have vague memories of this, and I'm going to guess Bob Dewar. There certainly was one year he got painting about six pages with poems.

[MikeC]

Every kid should read comics.it should be made law... this new generation is the reason we have no new humour comics.boring kids we have today...maybe teachers could teach kids to read comics...homework tonight is to read the Beano and Dandy...

Yep, that's bound to reverse the trend

Obviously your tongue is in your cheek, but if you were young today, would you seriously look at a beano twice? It's like a limp lettuce.

[Lew Stringer]

Obviously your tongue is in your cheek, but if you were young today, would you seriously look at a beano twice? It's like a limp lettuce.

Tens of thousands of kids do still enjoy it though.

Lew

[MikeC]

Yeah, I meant in comparison to the other media that's available now, like games and cartoons, not other comics as such. It does well in its field - it's just the field is not as exciting as it once was.

[dandy mad]

Hi all im a new member i think if thomsons do relaunch the beezer and the topper it would be good and bad at the same time. As a kid if the newsagent god forbid didnt have the beano and dandy in i would buy the beezer or topper which i thought was a poor substitute to the beano and dandy because they didnt have the same fun factor or strong characters like dennis the menace,the bash street kids ect they seemed more tame by comparison

[chrissmillie]

I'd agree that DCT would be cutting their own throats. What could work is a Buster (or Monster Fun/Whoopee etc) relaunch. Won't hold my breath mind you.

We really need a boys adventure mag. Actually, although I didn't like it, I'm disappointed Striker didn't last longer. They certainly seemed to sell enough but the £1 an issue so late on did for them. By all accounts, more readers than 2000AD.

When I look back at old comics, I find I prefer the likes of Sparky, Topper and Beezer. I'm guessing it was probably the same creative team, so how come I like one over the other? Even in Classics from the Comics, it's usually those strips I enjoy more.

Chris

[dennis the menace]

they should reluanch comics