Is The Dandy no longer educational?

[AndyB]

I don't have actual figures from the 1950s, only recollections of a chat with Euan, sorry I suspect that it wasn't an instant change, but rather a steady flow. The other thing to mention is that the most probable reason for the new strips appearing in the Beano is almost certainly that the sub-editors responsible probably worked in the Beano office!

A decision was probably taken to wait and see what the effect of the new anarchic strips might be on sales before the Dandy tried to catch up - but it may have been too late by then.

A couple of notes:

Big Brad Wolf had a couple of 6-week runs, the second about a year after the first.

The last sales figures mentioned here on the forum showed that in that quarter, all three titles' sales had declined, but the decline in Dandy sales was rather less than either of the other two titles. The previous quarter, Beano Max was selling twice as many as the Dandy, and the Beano was selling twice as many again (ie 1:2:4) - that quarter the ratios had switched to 1:1.5:3 or so.

In terms of Adventure strips per se, I think it is fairer to say that the weekly comics had largely dispensed with them by the late 1970s with the final Whizzers from Ozz, Billy the Cat and General Jumbo, only Black Bob holding on until Albert Barnes retired. I don't really group Brassneck, Jack Silver and Winker Watson in with them, because although they were serials with an overall theme (eg Sneaky's special remote for Brassneck, any one of Captain Zapp's schemes to take over Marsuvia, or the Three Hoods), each episode was a self-contained comedy within that theme.

The annuals kept them going far longer - the Dandy featured one or two pure adventure strips into the early 1980s, we have already discussed Our Sheriff's an ape in this thread, and I think the Topper also kept them going.

[Digifiend]

They already tried reviving Jumbo, it only appeared in the comic once (1998 60th birthday issue) but The History of The Beano displayed some artwork.

Lew, which comics are doing worse than Dandy? I know DFC was, due to it's absence from the shops, but that's folded. Kraze Club also closed just a few months ago, and that was another Toxic-clone. Wouldn't surprise me if the Beano/Dandy Fun-Sizes weren't doing too good, considering some Dandy issues say for example "Jak presents The Jocks and The Geordies". That was last month, and a reprint of what was already a colourised reprinted comic library.

[Lew Stringer]

Lew, which comics are doing worse than Dandy?

Several have smaller circulations, without being specific, including various reprint titles, but as long as they make a profit (which they do) the publishers are happy, so the term "worse" may be pejorative.

I don't know how well the Fun Size comics do. I never even see them anymore.

Lew

[NP]

I think NP must be trying to frighten you into staying in Yorkshire. Trust me, I know these things.

I admit they may have changed their approach since 1998 when I was shunted off to half a dozen godsorsaken soggy libraries all over London but if they have learned from their heavy handed ways I appreciate that. I still much prefer Colindale though. especailly since they actually have what we're talking about and St Pancras don't. And by the way I always got there at 10am.. .BE WARNED! (For some reason, Colindale don't carry Buster. That's up in Yorkshire... I went to Yorkshire once...1973 it was..)

[Digifiend]

Lew, which comics are doing worse than Dandy?

Several have smaller circulations, without being specific, including various reprint titles, but as long as they make a profit (which they do) the publishers are happy, so the term "worse" may be pejorative.

I don't know how well the Fun Size comics do. I never even see them anymore.

Lew

I only ever see them in Asda and WHSmith. Not easy to get hold of, although I don't bother anyway, since I already have the issues from about 9 years ago which they're currently reprinting. I assume by reprint titles, you meant Classics from the Comics - which wouldn't be a surprise, given I only know one place that sells it in Hull - one specific branch of WHSmith. However, circulation and profit aren't the same, so maybe my terminology was poor. Never mind. Thanks anyway.

[Lew Stringer]

I assume by reprint titles, you meant Classics from the Comics -

No. I've no idea how that's doing.

One criticism that keeps cropping up from various people regarding Dandy Xtreme is the assumption that the comic would be doing better if it hadn't been revamped. The comic was spiraling down anyway, so something needed to be done. They'd already tried revamping it as a modern comic in 2004, which gave it a boost then sales dropped again, so another revamp to the modern comic/magazine hybrid seemed like a reasonable direction to go in.

We may prefer "the good old days" but the fact is those days are gone and that format simply isn't popular anymore amongst the readership it's aimed at. Dandy went "Xtreme" because the old format wasn't selling, not just on a whim. We'd all like to see our old favourite comics return from oblivion but the hard fact is they all eventually folded because they weren't selling enough copies. Most kids had lost interest in them. By giving Dandy a complete face lift Thomsons are at least trying to save it from the same fate of so many other comics.

Lew

[MikeC]

It sounds like a depressingly mean-spirited and pre-judged 'thesis' which is being prepared, neither of which attributes does justice (presumably) to the moral core and educational standards of the comics you claim to love, elliott.

Why not try a more positive topic and enjoy yourself while you do your research? Rather than put lines on your forehead at such a fresh age? If you love comics, why not ask why Beano and Dandy have survived when Watch With Mother, The Eagle, Dixon of Dock Green and other past glories of British popular culture have gone to the great internet archive in the sky?

Life's too short to hate stuff which isn't meant for you.

Mike

[Digifiend]

Cbeebies is essentially today's Watch With Mother. CBBC had no branding at all until the 80s. After WWM's demise, neither did the Cbeebies shows. In the 80s all kids shows went under the Children's BBC brand, and in 2002, the preschool programmes were rebracketed as Cbeebies, when the Cbeebies and CBBC channels launched.

[Lew Stringer]

Watch With Mother is essentially today's Cbeebies. CBBC had no branding at all until the 80s. After WWM's demise, neither did the Cbeebies shows. In the 80s all kids shows went under the Children's BBC brand, and in 2002, the preschool programmes were rebracketed as Cbeebies, when the Cbeebies and CBBC channels launched.

I think what Mike meant was that instead of picking faults with something that has survived the years the focus should be on why it's endured when other "traditional" fare has fallen by the wayside. We should come to praise Dandy, not to bury it.

Lew

[Phoenix]

Watch With Mother is essentially today's Cbeebies

This may seem like splitting hairs, Digi, but I think the sentence should read Cbeebies is essentially today's Watch With Mother, given that Watch With Mother breathed its last some time ago but Cbeebies is currently keeping our little ones quiet, sorry I mean interested, occupied and educated, while their mothers actually get on with preparing breakfast and anything else they can fit in during Numberjacks and Balamory etc. In my experience, the watching with mother bit is as defunct as the programme that begat the concept.

[Digifiend]

Watch With Mother is essentially today's Cbeebies

This may seem like splitting hairs, Digi, but I think the sentence should read Cbeebies is essentially today's Watch With Mother, given that Watch With Mother breathed its last some time ago but Cbeebies is currently keeping our little ones quiet, sorry I mean interested, occupied and educated, while their mothers actually get on with preparing breakfast and anything else they can fit in during Numberjacks and Balamory etc. In my experience, the watching with mother bit is as defunct as the programme that begat the concept.

Oops. I'll correct it. You're right about viewing habits changing, parents tend to treat the TV like a babysitter these days!

[MikeC]

I'm sure plenty kids watched without mother, too! Especially when there was no washing machine, microwave, tumble dryer...

[Jonny Whizz]

Just a couple of minor points about the characters. Big Brad Wolf only had one run in the Beano. His strip was one of Euan Kerr's last commissions as Beano editor. He replaced Robbie Rebel between March and July 2006 and was drawn by Ken Harrison. However, I suspect that if Euan had remained editor that he might have returned for another series. Also, Elliott, Freddie Fear is not a new strip. He was voted for in a poll in 2002 and has been a regular in the comic since then. I think that he was probably absent from the issue you looked at.

As for Little Plum and Calamity James, Plum was last seen in the weekly comic in January 2007 (issue 3364) drawn by Hunt Emerson, but hadn't appeared regularly for some time as his strip was replaced by Ratz. Calamity James's final appearance in the Beano was in issue 3375, April 2007 as a reprint. The last new strip appeared in issue 3364 drawn by Tom Paterson.

[Digifiend]

Big Brad Wolf only had one run in the Beano. His strip was one of Euan Kerr's last commissions as Beano editor. He replaced Robbie Rebel between March and July 2006 and was drawn by Ken Harrison.

Big Brad Wolf appeared for only a few months - issues 3323 (1 April 06) to 3340 (29 July 06).

Not officially March Jonny, although it was in the shops that month. I checked The History of the Beano before I originally posted the info, it was issue dated April Fool's Day!

[Jonny Whizz]

Absolutely right! I should have checked. I remembered it being around March but that of course will have been the day when I bought it.