2010 Annuals in the shops

[Lew Stringer]

I noticed the other day that the first wave of the 2010 Annuals are in Waterstones now: Doctor Who Annual, Horrible Histories, and a handful of others. (No Thomson books yet.) No doubt the rest will follow by next weekend.

Lew

[Digifiend]

They've been in WHSmith for a couple of weeks. Why DCT didn't release theirs at the same time as everyone else's I don't know. It'll be the weekend after next I think - September 7th, the same day the Dennis and Gnasher cartoon launches.

I can't see the Power Rangers one selling in high numbers this year, it's already out of date. It's got the Jungle Fury title, which normally would make sense as last year's was for the previous season, Operation Overdrive. But thanks to Jetix UK co-financing the RPM season, that's been on air for a few months already (instead of launching in Sept/Oct), and will likely be on GMTV's Toonattik programme before Christmas (instead of Jan/Feb)! And the annual doesn't cover RPM, so it's already obsolete. Admittedly, the PR comic is just as out of date.

Virtually every annual out at the moment is licenced from TV shows or movies. I don't know why half of them bother though, given how many went unsold last year. I could still buy 2009 annuals until the day before the 2010 ones came out!

[Lew Stringer]

They've been in WHSmith for a couple of weeks. Why DCT didn't release theirs at the same time as everyone else's I don't know. It'll be the weekend after next I think - September 7th, the same day the Dennis and Gnasher cartoon launches.

They came out the last week in August over the past two years at least so maybe the same will happen this year.

Virtually every annual out at the moment is licenced from TV shows or movies. I don't know why half of them bother though, given how many went unsold last year. I could still buy 2009 annuals until the day before the 2010 ones came out!

Even in the sixties the licensed titles were the ones left on the shelves after Christmas and well into Easter. Still, almost every annual is a merchandise tie-in now so that's the way things have gone unfortunately.

Lew

[Digifiend]

Sadly true...

Play.com says the Beano Annual is out on 01/09/2009 - which would be rather odd, since that's a Tuesday, and the day after a Bank Holiday. Zavvi's saying the same thing, as is Woolworths.co.uk. The date must be a guess, the Tuesday after the Bank Holiday just doesn't sound right. Has to either 29/8, 5/9 or 7/9 surely?

[AndyB]

Translation: real release date is 31/08/09 but due to the English bank holiday, they had to put it back a day.

[Digifiend]

If you're saying the shops will have them a day before they land on doormats of people who pre-ordered online, that's stupid. What's the point pre-ordering if you get it quicker buying it in person from the shop?

[Lew Stringer]

If you're saying the shops will have them a day before they land on doormats of people who pre-ordered online, that's stupid. What's the point pre-ordering if you get it quicker buying it in person from the shop?

Pre-ordering isn't necessarily just about getting it first, it's just a convenient way of ensuring you get one and gives you a chance to order it up front to save the bother of remembering to do it later.

I bought the 2008 annuals from Smiths on 29th August 2007 so it's possible the 2010 editions may be out later this week. If not, it's only another week to go.

Lew

[STARBOY]

If its an English Bank holiday (as oppossed to a UK one - although I actually think it is a UK Bank holiday - though not sure anymore with all the National holidays being different now) would that mean the DCT books (as a Scottish based publisher) would be in the shops earlier in Scotland? or is it based on another criteria ie wiating for the bigger English market and/or depending on where the books are printed etc (although a days diffwerence isnt a big deal really)

[Lew Stringer]

Here's something interesting: Gerry Anderson's Century 21 Annual 2010. It's a 96 page hardback seemingly in the format of the original TV Century 21 annuals. Published by Reynolds & Hearn it seems to be not part of their current Century 21 reprints but a different compilation. Should be out soon.



Pity they couldn't call it TV21 but I guess that name is owned by IPC.

Lew

[grumpy old man]

I know someone’s going to be pedantic and tell me it’s not an “annual” but Amazon are listing Johnny Red: Falcons’ First Flight for a September 25th release.

[Old Freddy]

I don't really see the point in stuff like the Hannah Montana annual, and the Lazytown annual, because I can't see anyone buying it. Perhaps I'm wrong, but since they've always been the ones available all year round since they haven't been sold, I'm not entirely sure. whenever I see an annual like a Barbie or High School musical annual, I mutter something like "Whoever thought up an annual like that must hate trees really badly."

[Digifiend]

You also see Beano and Dandy Annuals unsold all year round, annuals don't sell in large numbers anymore, whatever the title. I think they must be printing too many.

[steelclaw]

If Amazon says they have Beano 2010 in Stock you can get it now.

[Lew Stringer]

Managed to get the annuals today. Borders in Birmingham have loads, except for the Dennis annual. (Smiths had one, which was damaged so didn't buy it.) Waterstones say they're not having theirs until October, because they want to shift the Summer annuals first.

The Dandy/Beano collection is great, as is the Golden Age Bunty book. ( I know practically zilch about girls' comics so am looking forward to reading this.) Nice to pick up the DANDY Annual after months of seeing that Xtreme logo dominate the comic.

But... there are definitely less annuals around (in quantity if not in title) than they used to be 20 or 40 years ago. A sign of changing times I guess.

Lew

[Digifiend]

Well maybe Waterstones should tell the publishers to send them less of those summer annuals next year then. They're a waste of space anyway, how is it an annual when they print two a year? Plus these summer annuals are usually TV tie-in activity books, not what I'd expect from an annual.