Free comics in The Guardian

[Lew Stringer]

I notice the "interview" with me is in today's Guide (free with The Guardian) not in Monday's issue as expected. They use one line from a ten minute interview and even then I'm misquoted.

The interviewer had the opinion that Viz was a spoof of Buster etc, but what I actually said was it is more of a spoof of 1950s comics.

It also says I was on the staff of Buster. Not true. I've always been a freelancer.

It says I "graduated" from Buster to Viz. Not true. I worked for both comics at the same time.

I'm quoted as saying the "genre" doesn't exist any more. Not true. I'm still working in kids' comics!

Methinks the journalist already had his story in his mind before he rang me up. Disappointing.

Lew

[bustercomic]

Blimey - perhaps I should be glad I only had one line quoted then from my 20 minute chat with him!

Mine is word for word, though - just as well, to be misquoted on 24 words would be wrong! Nice pictures in The Guide today, the online link doesn't do it justice!

[Steve Henderson]

This weeks free Jackie issue has kept my mother very very happy! she was 14 on the date of issue and after asking her if she remembers that particular issue she replied 'oh he was on the cover loads of blummin times' you may have to take into account that shes a Donny Osmond fan!

Shes reading it now, apparently she wants to send off for the 16p cream eye shadow which is advertised! Its going to be heartbreaking when I remind her that its 2009.

I thought you were a comics historian Lew? Ha ha Your always getting misquoted! At least you can put us all straight on here

[Lew Stringer]

This weeks free Jackie issue has kept my mother very very happy! she was 14 on the date of issue

Blimey! I'm older than your Mum!

Here's the article from today's Guardian for those of you unable or too right-wing to buy a copy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/se ... -pat-mills

Lew

[Steve Henderson]

Blimey! I'm older than your Mum!

At least your younger than my dad Lew! I think if the 2000th Beano features Dennis bashing Walter on the nose he will be a happy man also, thats all he used to like most about the Beano the big thug!

[Digifiend]

If I understand properly, Dennis and Bash Street share their story due to the front cover being used to promote the milestone and the back being used as a reprint of the issue 1 cover starring Big Eggo (with Snooty, already the last survivor from issue 1, saying "I was in it!") Also, stories normally occupying another two pages would've been absent to make way for the Hall of Fame. Therefore I assume Walter doesn't appear. I'll know for sure tomorrow when I buy that Observer.

Re that Guardian article: Scorer, saucy? Someone needs to tell them that the focus isn't on Ulrika all the time! Failure to modernise by the late 80s? The decline was already in full flow at the start of the decade, just look at how many comic mergers/closures happened then.

[Phoenix]

I assume Walter doesn't appear. I'll know for sure tomorrow when I buy that Observer.

I've just extracted the original Beano 2000 from my collection, Digi. I could reveal all but I've decided not to spoil tomorrow morning for you. Tonight can now be like another Christmas Eve.

[Digifiend]

Too right, I wasn't asking for scans or anything.

As you'll have gathered, I've only seen the front, back, Ball Boy, competition and hall of fame pages (in Classics from the Comics and the History of The Beano). 6 out of 20. The other 14 pages should be new to me.

[tony ingram]

I notice the "interview" with me is in today's Guide (free with The Guardian) not in Monday's issue as expected. They use one line from a ten minute interview and even then I'm misquoted.

The interviewer had the opinion that Viz was a spoof of Buster etc, but what I actually said was it is more of a spoof of 1950s comics.

It also says I was on the staff of Buster. Not true. I've always been a freelancer.

It says I "graduated" from Buster to Viz. Not true. I worked for both comics at the same time.

I'm quoted as saying the "genre" doesn't exist any more. Not true. I'm still working in kids' comics!

Methinks the journalist already had his story in his mind before he rang me up. Disappointing.

Lew

Surely Viz is more a spoof of Beano and Dandy specifically than of 50s comics in general?

[Steve Henderson]

The Viz spoofs a wide range of comics, magazines and newspapers from the past, it does lean towards the more memorable comics such as the Beano but dont be surprised when you pick up a copy and find a spoof from any comic of any genre.

A straight DC Thomson spoof would be a bit lacklustre wouldn't it?

Hey speaking of Viz, why havn't the guardian given away a copy of the Viz?!? On second thoughts don't answer that!

[Lew Stringer]

Surely Viz is more a spoof of Beano and Dandy specifically than of 50s comics in general?

They have done obvious parodies of DCT strips (eg: Black Bag) but if you look at Davy Jones' work and the style of logos he sometimes uses it's a parody of 1950s (and even 1940s/1930s) AP strips. I know I certainly have that sort of strip in mind when I do my work for them, combined with a modern sensibility. But spoofing IPC strips is the furthest thing from my mind, otherwise I'd be doing 11 panels a page instead of 22.

Thing is, that style has now become indigenous to Viz for the large majority of its readers. Which is fine. It works and it gives value for money. It's ideal for Viz's rhythm of comedy. Any less and the build up of gags wouldn't work.

Lew

[felneymike]

I got the Jackie issue today, it seems a bit of a strange thing to start with, only about 4 pages in it are "comic", it's more of a magazine than Dandy Extreme is!

Looking forward to tomorrows, though!

[Digifiend]

That's because Jackie was never a comic. It's officially a magazine, seems the Guardian didn't do their reesearch, if they're calling it a comic. The other six are definitely comics though.

[Lew Stringer]

That's because Jackie was never a comic. It's officially a magazine, seems the Guardian didn't do their reesearch, if they're calling it a comic. The other six are definitely comics though.

Any research would show that most girls of the time did call it a comic, or at least the ones at my school did. It might not be the accurate term for Jackie but that's how it was referred to by its readers, just as today's mostly-magazine-content publications such as Toxic or Hot Wheels are called comics. (Or going further back, how the story papers are sometimes referred to as comics too, such as in those new books by Adam Riches & co.)

I'm pleased, and surprised, to see that these reprints are as close to faithful facsimiles as can be. Today's Beano No. 2000 reprint is on higher grade paper than the original, and stapled instead of glued, but otherwise is a great reproduction.

Initially I thought the choices of comics were an odd mix, but they're a good selection of the most popular titles that 30-somethings would be familiar with. I'm sure these reprints will prove to be very popular.

Lew

[Digifiend]

Yeah, I noticed that, they seem to have used the 1988-2008 type of paper instead of newsprint. Didn't stop the ink seeping through though, I can see lines from the Baby Face strip (page 2) on the front cover. They probably didn't have the means to glue it, it's kinda obsolete these days.

My local shop will be lucky to sell their Observers. I thought it was sold out at first, but it turned out somebody had dumped a tatty looking Sunday Mirror on top of the pile.

Minnie must have a time machine (actually she does, in a Comic Library), she has a copy of History of The Beano 28 years before it was published!

I didn't know Hall of Fame was on two separate pages instead of a double page spread, Classics did a good job of disguising that when they reprinted it last year. The first missing strip is The Nibblers, Whiskers and Cheddar Gorge are at the bottom of the first Hall of Fame page. Haven't identified what would normally be on the other page. Dave Sutherland must've drawn his pages before the other artists, considering how many others accurately show the front and back covers and the competition page. He did a good job compressing Dennis and Bash Street from two pages each into one shared page, and it was a good way to advertise the competition too.

Incidentally, there's an advert in The Observer for next week's issue, apparently if you buy it from Waitrose you get The Beano (the latest issue this time) for free - and they've shown a mocked up version of the cover for issue 3495. Dennis and Gnasher's pic has been replaced with one in the new style (I assume 3501's actual cover picture) and various other text has the new typeface. The Boost Your Comic Collection badge is also the new style.