Free comics in The Guardian

[Lew Stringer]

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.

The ink hasn't seeped through. The reprint is scanned from the original comic, and has picked up the show-through from that.

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!

Well spotted! Yes, amazing eh?

Incidentally I've compared the 1980 original to the reprint and it's a very close facsimile:

http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2009/09 ... xceed.html

Lew

[Little Squelchy Thing]

I am loving these facsimile editions - very well done indeed!

I can't wait to put up the dreamy poster of David Essex on my wall!

[colcool007]

Got yesterday's Guardian as I only just remembered it was being comic-friendly this week. I was also surprised to find so much 'magazine' content in Jackie, but when you compare it to the annuals, it's not so surprising.

I always remember Jackie as being one of the graduating comics, the sort of thing that you read before graduating to Cosmo or the People's Friend. So in the light of that sort of reminiscence, I shouldn't be surprised at the high article content. What's interesting is that there was no equivalent for boys at the time. It seemed that you went straight from the comic of your choice to the tabloid of your choice without any sort of metamorphosis. Almost akin to going from caterpillar to butterfly, but without the yucky bits inbetween.

[Lew Stringer]

I always remember Jackie as being one of the graduating comics, the sort of thing that you read before graduating to Cosmo or the People's Friend. So in the light of that sort of reminiscence, I shouldn't be surprised at the high article content. What's interesting is that there was no equivalent for boys at the time.

There was one boys' mag along those lines: Target, but it didn't last long. More details here:

http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2007/02 ... -1972.html

Presumably no other publisher bothered to do a boys' mag at that time because Target didn't work?

Lew

[AndyB]

Smudge would normally have been found on page 16, and Pup Parade on page 15. Similarly, Lord Snooty found himself on page 8 instead of page 6.

Between 1976 and 1984, there were very few changes in the Beano layout. The norm was something along the following lines:

Pages 1+20 - Dennis
Page 2 - Short-term story, such as 2-Gun Tony, Fix-it twins, Jacky Daw etc
Page 3 - Roger
Pages 4-5 - Minnie
Page 6 - Snooty
Page 7 - Ball Boy
Page 8 - Nibblers
Page 9 - Fan Club (its predecessor was on page
Pages 10-11 - the Kids
Page 12 - initially the Bears, later Gnasher
Page 13 - Grandpa, later Baby-Face
Page 14 - Billy
Page 15 - Pup Parade
Page 16 - Smudge (previously short term stories such as Sweet Sue)
Page 17 - Biffo, later Gnasher and Biffo, later Plum and Biffo
Page 18 - Tom Dick and Sally
Page 19 - Little Plum, later the Bears

If you open a random Beano from around that time, you will find my memory's not too defective

The other reflection is that the few "special" issues in that time were done in exactly the same way - specific strips had their usual slots, and that was that, no room for negotiation. The Dennis strip either got reduced to the back page only, or was effectively dropped for the week, as happened in this issue.

[Digifiend]

Thanks. Looking at History of The Beano, the reason Smudge lost his slot that week is because he was the newest character, having only launched a few months earlier. However, the same logic says that The Nibblers should've taken priority over Baby Face, so popularity probably decided that one, considering Baby Face would go on for longer.

It's a pity this week's issue 3500 wasn't celebrated with the same fanfare.

[steelclaw]

Typical one of the few 'Roy Of The Rovers' I have and they give it away free.

Anyway it's nice to see a comic back on the shelf so near to the comic section but hiding inside a newspaper. So near but so far.

[Phoenix]

Typical one of the few 'Roy Of The Rovers' I have and they give it away free.

I suspect, steelclaw, that most collectors will have some of them. In my case it's the Beano 2000 and the first issue of Tammy, but I will still keep the set. I take The Guardian every day anyway so it's not as if I have to buy a second daily paper.

[kevf]

Today's Roy Of The Rovers is a brilliant facsimile and fun to read, but I have one big problem with these comics in the Guardian - they make it look like comics were crap!

We've had a Beano from 1980 and a Roy Of The Rovers from 1981. The Beano shows that precious little has changed in its storytelling style in 29 years and is pleasantly nostalgic, but the Roy, ostensibly for an older reader, is atrocious. The artwork is as dull as comic art has ever been and the storytelling style wouldn't have been out of place in a 1950s Tiger comic.

This is a comic from December 1981. A time when 2000AD was at a high, with Alan Moore's Time Twisters & Robo Tales, Wagner & Grant's Judge Dredd and Pat Mill's Nemesis. This is the very month Warrior was launched, with V For Vendetta and Marvelman. I vaguely recall StarLord or Tornado may still have been going, certainly the relaunched Eagle was. And Dave Gibbons was drawing some of the best Dr Who strips there have ever been.

And what do the Guardian show the public, as the state of the art of comics in 1981? Roy of the bloody Rovers. I cannot imagine a single person looking at that travesty of comic art being in the least bit surprised that Britain doesn't have a comics industry any more if, at our peak, that's the best we could do.

It's like summing up the best TV of 1981 by showing an episode of Triangle.

And don't get me started on the article in Saturday's Guardian Guide about Misty comic. If we're setting records for factual inaccuracy, (how about the suggestion that Sid's Snake was the first animal in a comic strip because they'd previously been banned because they scared kids?) My poor poor favourite artform.

[AndyB]

What I found interesting were the differences between Egmont's presentation of Roy of the Rovers and DC Thomson's presentation of the Beano 2000.

The Beano facsimile is an exact replica, both in content and page size (but stapled rather than glued and on white paper rather than newsprint).

Roy of the Rovers is an edited facsimile, with reminders not to try entering the giveaways littered around the place, and with the original IPC production credits replaced by an Egmont archive credit.

[Digifiend]

At least The Beano's Arial competition had a closing date which specifically says 1980. The address for the Fan Club won't work these days of course, the current Beano Club address is different, and I'm sure the postal address had already changed by the 90s.

Like The Beano, Jackie (also by DCT) was faithful to the original. I expect the same from The Dandy and Bunty. The others though will share ROTR's problems, which is unfortunate. Looks like you spoke too soon on your blog Lew.

[Lew Stringer]

Like The Beano, Jackie (also by DCT) was faithful to the original. I expect the same from The Dandy and Bunty. The others though will share ROTR's problems, which is unfortunate. Looks like you spoke too soon on your blog Lew.

I don't think so. A tiny piece of text in the margin and an altered indicia (both unavoidable for legal reasons) hardly ruin the effect of the facsimiles. The indicia had to be changed because those comics are no longer owned by IPC.

Truth is none of the comics are faithful facsimiles, nor were they announced as such. I understand the original Jackie was larger in format for a start. It doesn't matter. Someone's obviously taken the trouble to make sure they're as close as can be to the originals, and that's more than good enough I think.

Lew

[AndyB]

The Dennis the Menace Fan Club was 60p or 65p at the end. I'm not entirely sure what would happen if the Beano Office received an application now, because it did stay open for several years after the Beano Club opened.

[Steve Henderson]

The Dennis the Menace Fan Club was 60p or 65p at the end. I'm not entirely sure what would happen if the Beano Office received an application now, because it did stay open for several years after the Beano Club opened.

Doubt you would get a furry Gnasher badge though now Andy!

I missed sundays paper - gutted! The Dandys later in the week so Ive got that one to look forward to, may get in touch with the Guardian and try get hold of the Beano seeing as im not lucky enough to have collected the 2000th first time around

[colcool007]

I always remember Jackie as being one of the graduating comics, the sort of thing that you read before graduating to Cosmo or the People's Friend. So in the light of that sort of reminiscence, I shouldn't be surprised at the high article content. What's interesting is that there was no equivalent for boys at the time.

There was one boys' mag along those lines: Target, but it didn't last long. More details here:

http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2007/02 ... -1972.html

Presumably no other publisher bothered to do a boys' mag at that time because Target didn't work?

Lew

Lew, thanks for that. I always wondered what the earlier Target looked like. I have vague recollections of reading your blog on that Target first time round, but never took in the implication that the first Target was aimed at the older comic readership. It certainly didn't appear in my neck of the woods, that's for sure.