Got a few pennies Guv'nor?

Talk here about just about anything associated with British comics or story papers and the industry that does not fit in any other forum.
There are separate fora open to registered members for discussing specific comics, artists, websites etc.

Moderators: Al, AndyB

Phoenix
Guru
Posts: 5360
Joined: 27 Mar 2008, 21:15

Re: Got a few pennies Guv'nor?

Post by Phoenix »

tolworthy wrote:I'd love really cheap (like 10p/issue cheap) copies of all those tens of thousands of comics I missed.
I'm not sure whether tolworthy is presenting an accurate statement here of what he would consider to be a purchasing opportunity that he couldn't possibly turn down, or whether he is guilty of exaggeration. Is he really saying that if 'all those tens of thousands of comics' were available at 10p he would buy them, or is he simply complaining that they are far too expensive at a mere £1 each? If the latter, then I can fully understand why he says he simply cannot afford them, given that he would need to stump up a minimum of £30,000, (the word 'all' in his statement implies at least 3). If the former, then judging by the attitude I sense in his message, the chances are that even £3,000 would be beyond his means. Perhaps he should have bought them all in the week they came out. If he had done so and kept them, and was now considering putting them up for sale on eBay, I bet he wouldn't be settling for a mere £1 each.

User avatar
Muffy
Posts: 343
Joined: 24 Jun 2007, 17:14

Re: Got a few pennies Guv'nor?

Post by Muffy »

One of the most interesting aspects for looking at old comics is how they reflect the respective decades they are in. :soapbox:

For someone who might look at these in 60 or 70 years time, they'll be able to see that in the 1970s from a social point of view... it was perfectly acceptable to smack children, whereas today it is not, unless absolutely necessary. We still see chimney sweeps in many issues; 95%-97% of the characters were white and most of these were boys. Scrumping apples is something almost unknown in the 21st century. Often you see coal-bunkers/coal-holes, almost all the older characters have false teeth (thank-god for improved dentistry). You can see how cars and prams have changed, as well as fashion (no-one wears short trousers), school uniforms have evolved. Super-markets were only starting to take a grip with many issues featuring corner-shops/green-grocers instead. If mobile phones were shown they were as big as your arm in the late 1980s. Inflation is apparent as the comic heroes were always happy with 50p as a reward.

All these would make for analysis by some-one/some-group later this century. :?:

Lew Stringer
Posts: 7041
Joined: 01 Mar 2006, 00:59
Contact:

Re: Got a few pennies Guv'nor?

Post by Lew Stringer »

Muffy wrote:One of the most interesting aspects for looking at old comics is how they reflect the respective decades they are in. :soapbox:

For someone who might look at these in 60 or 70 years time, they'll be able to see that in the 1970s from a social point of view... it was perfectly acceptable to smack children, whereas today it is not, unless absolutely necessary. We still see chimney sweeps in many issues; 95%-97% of the characters were white and most of these were boys. Scrumping apples is something almost unknown in the 21st century. Often you see coal-bunkers/coal-holes, almost all the older characters have false teeth (thank-god for improved dentistry). You can see how cars and prams have changed, as well as fashion (no-one wears short trousers), school uniforms have evolved. Super-markets were only starting to take a grip with many issues featuring corner-shops/green-grocers instead. If mobile phones were shown they were as big as your arm in the late 1980s. Inflation is apparent as the comic heroes were always happy with 50p as a reward.

All these would make for analysis by some-one/some-group later this century. :?:
Good comments Muffy. I agree. The historical aspect is, for me, one of the main attractions of keeping/collecting old comics. It's also one of the things that I enjoy so much about the Odhams "Power Comics". Wham!, Smash! and Pow! are full of pop culture references, far more than any other children's comics of the same period.

Lew
The blog of British comics: http://lewstringer.blogspot.com
My website: http://www.lewstringer.com
Blog about my own work: http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com/

User avatar
colcool007
Mr Valeera
Posts: 3872
Joined: 03 Mar 2006, 18:06
Location: Lost in time, lost in space
Contact:

Re: Got a few pennies Guv'nor?

Post by colcool007 »

I'll echo Lew's comments as Muffy has presented a few very good points. Not only is there a great deal of social commentary in reviewing old comics, it is also interesting to look at things that seem to be overlooked. A good example is that very few comic families were large and most were modelled along the nuclear family model.

The only exception to this that springs to mind is The Broons. But growing up in the early part of the century prior to WW2, large families were the rule rather than the exception, whereas in modern society, it is almost unknown.

Another example is the lack of gadgetry. We would be lost today if we did not go out of our house with our wallet/purse, mobile phone and in some cases a small gaming system of some sort (DS Lite, PSP etc). But we look back to the older comics then it is a rarity that someone even had sweets or comics to spare. Even a new bike was something BIG in their (and our) lives.

Some of this I have looked at as I have worked through my social sciences, but it is by no means a complete look, more like a skim.

But back to the subject at hand, buying comics is a bonus. If I couldn't afford it, I wouldn't be able to do it, simple as that. I have the price that I will pay and if I get comics cheaper than that then it makes my day! :lol:
I started to say something sensible but my parents took over my brain!

User avatar
Peter Gray
Posts: 4222
Joined: 28 Feb 2006, 00:07
Location: Surrey Guildford
Contact:

Re: Got a few pennies Guv'nor?

Post by Peter Gray »

:offtopic1:
Imagefrom phil-comics

Image

tolworthy
Posts: 229
Joined: 27 May 2007, 18:55
Location: Highlands
Contact:

Re: Got a few pennies Guv'nor?

Post by tolworthy »

phoenix4ever wrote:
tolworthy wrote:I'd love really cheap (like 10p/issue cheap) copies of all those tens of thousands of comics I missed.
I'm not sure whether tolworthy is presenting an accurate statement here of what he would consider to be a purchasing opportunity that he couldn't possibly turn down, or whether he is guilty of exaggeration. Is he really saying that if 'all those tens of thousands of comics' were available at 10p he would buy them
Yes I would. I'm sure there must be wonderful stories hidden in comics I'd never normally buy. Girls' comics, war comics, young childrens' comics, romance photo stories, etc. Stuff I normally wouldn't consider. I know that nine tenths of those stories wouldn't interest me in the least, but I also know that there are hidden gems in every comic. Part of the fun is in finding them.
phoenix4ever wrote:the chances are that even £3,000 would be beyond his means.
My entertainment budget is currently £15/month, or £1000 every six years. £3,000 is about right for the next 20 years. I suspect I'm fairly typical, based on what normal people (i.e. not young adults) spend on books, movies, music, etc.
phoenix4ever wrote:Perhaps he should have bought them all in the week they came out.
For the record, 1970s comics were mostly outside my budget even when they were new. Yes I know, I'm the board's token pauper. I only ever bought four titles every issue from newsagents (Monster Fun, Krazy, Buddy and Fantastic Four). But I bought thousands second hand from jumble sales. They were (on average) 2p each. Adjusted for inflation that would be about 10p a time now. If it wasn't for the second hand comics I wouldn't have bought as many new comics.

tolworthy
Posts: 229
Joined: 27 May 2007, 18:55
Location: Highlands
Contact:

Re: Got a few pennies Guv'nor?

Post by tolworthy »

Muffy wrote:One of the most interesting aspects for looking at old comics is how they reflect the respective decades they are in.
Strongly agree!

And this doesn't have to be a problem for new readers, if the stories are strong enough. Sherlock Holme's London is a big selling point. And modern kids love stories set in boarding schools.

That's why I'm sure if more people had access to more comics then they'd find something to like, no matter how old or obscure the culture.

Post Reply