This weeks Dandy

[Digifiend]

This is my point, I don't get the jokes because I don't know who the celebrities are! Maybe Harry Hill should say! Half the time I'm like, "I'm guessing that was a joke, but what did it mean?!"

But...that's why NP explained earlier that he writes the strips (mostly!) on two levels. You don't have to know the Olly in question to 'get' the joke that he's an unctuous, ingratiating pseud who, in the strip, has a restaurant full of slebs. The jokes flow naturally from that scenario...

The Harry Hill strip is genuinely groanworthy (in a good way). My kids 'get' it. For me, it could be a soupçon more vicious...

Restaurant full of celebs? Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsey are more famous and could be used for the same joke.

[Tin Can Tommy]

a restaurant full of slebs.

Slebs thats a brilliant way to spell Celebs (if that is what you meant) and I am going to use it from now.

[swirlythingy]

a restaurant full of slebs.

Slebs thats a brilliant way to spell Celebs (if that is what you meant) and I am going to use it from now.

A feature in next week's Dandy advertised this week is "Slob or Celeb?" Missed opportunity? (Can't say I'm looking forward to it either way.)

Regarding Harry Hill: I have never heard of Olly Smith, if that is indeed who he is, but as MikeD said I didn't need to know who he was in order to appreciate the humour - as far as I was concerned, he was just a random secondary character, who, like any original character, had his personality established in dialogue. His celebrity status was irrelevant - indeed, for those like me who neither know nor care of this sort of culture, Harry Hill is, more or less, simply any other comic strip with a large but well-established original cast, much like the Simpsons.

Incidentally, I thought this week's episode was particularly good, and some of the gags had me laughing out loud. I just wish that all these good points weren't marred by the apparent need to connect everything to D-list 'slebs', when all of the factors which make Harry Hill a good strip (the same factors which would make anything a good strip) would function perfectly well, and have functioned perfectly well, without them.

[MikeC]

Do the maths. Ignore the Celebrity Pages bit, the rest add up to 32.

Got it now!

For my part, the celebrity thing is being overplayed a little here. They poke fun at them, but not in a mean way. Do you really want a vicious celebrity comic for your kids? There's any number of adult versions if that's what you're after. The jokes work in any case.

Also, shows like Top Gear are hugley popular with kids. There was even a partwork out earlier this year, aimed at kids, and there's a range of books too. The presenters don't wear rainbow sweaters, but that doesn't mean kids don't enjoy it.

[StuMunro]

I don't post on here often, but felt the need to say this week's Harry Hill was hilarious. I was suprised to see Olly, but loved the story - written by Mr. Hill himself - tying in nicely with TV Burp. One of the funniest Harry Hill's in ages.

Here's some news for you though: Andy 'George Vs Dragon' Fanton and I have teamed up for a future mini-strip based on a joke by Stephen Baldwin. It's a Dandy Supergroup! Wonder how it will go down?

In other news I have another strip starting soon... it features my usual way of getting round using a celebrity...

[NP]

...this week's Harry Hill was hilarious. I was suprised to see Olly, but loved the story - written by Mr. Hill himself - tying in nicely with TV Burp. One of the funniest Harry Hill's in ages.

Nice to hear, but the writer was me once again, as it is every week.

[StuMunro]

Oops Apologies. Misinformed as always. Still, I loved the strip!

[big bad bri]

i've said it before i think harry hill is one of the best strips in the dandy at the moment & this is the first week i didn't knbow a celeb, i.e olly but that didnt spoil my enjoyment of it.I think one of the problems sales wise with dandy at the moment is that it needs more artwork like nigels & lews that is not too babyish,but i do realise that the dandy at the moment is probably aimed at a slightly younger audience than the beano.

[Digifiend]

They're aimed at the same audience aren't they? 6-12?

[Jonny Whizz]

I have to say I really enjoyed the Dandy preview in this week's Beano!

Although Jamie Smart's Desperate Dan is visually quite different from that of his predecessors, and I'm quite a traditionalist, I really like his version of Dan. The people who criticise his artwork are barking up the wrong tree in my opinion. I also thought the 'big hammer' story was hilarious, as I love madcap humour like that!

[WizzKid97]

I have to say I really enjoyed the Dandy preview in this week's Beano!

Although Jamie Smart's Desperate Dan is visually quite different from that of his predecessors, and I'm quite a traditionalist, I really like his version of Dan. The people who criticise his artwork are barking up the wrong tree in my opinion. I also thought the 'big hammer' story was hilarious, as I love madcap humour like that!

BIG HAMMER! So funny, the brilliant thing is how the humour of Desperate Dan has changed so much, it's no longer puns or things, it's Jamie Smart humour, a humour which I honestly love.

One of his greatest strips (if you're able to get it) is his Thingummyblob story in which we meet their worst enemy 'Whatsidoodle', the strip is so cute and very, very funny. HATS!! (You'll only get this if you read the strip)

[WizzKid97]

Apologies for the double post but I have some promising news for the beloved comic's future!

I was speaking to Jamie Smart the other day, brilliant guy. Anyway, he said this:

"I have been talking to The Dandy and they've said there's been no mention of stopping The Dandy, so don't worry just yet. We're discussing new ideas and plan to keep making comics forever, we just need to find the best way to do it ."

This is all I can say though as this is all I know. Anyway, let's hope there's a light at the end of the tunnel yet! I'm sure there will be, hopefully they'll turn out well.

[Digifiend]

Sounds like they may be planning some changes though. I wonder what. A more consistent roster? A change in the number of celeb based strips? The return of more old characters (even if they're reprints like My Own Genie)? More covermount gifts?

Idea - they should run a poll for the readers favourite character from the annual - the winner gets added to the weekly comic (if it isn't Dan, Korky, Bananaman, Kid Cops, or George vs Dragon, which are already current characters).

[WizzKid97]

Sounds like they may be planning some changes though. I wonder what. A more consistent roster? A change in the number of celeb based strips? The return of more old characters (even if they're reprints like My Own Genie)? More covermount gifts?

Idea - they should run a poll for the readers favourite character from the annual - the winner gets added to the weekly comic (if it isn't Dan, Korky, Bananaman, Kid Cops, or George vs Dragon, which are already current characters).

Nice idea James, I think you should get two votes, however even then I'd be stuck between Laura's Bully Beef and Chips, Nik's Fiddle O'Diddle, Steve's Brain Duane, Karl's Ollie Fliptrick and of course Nigel's Corporal Clott!

[AndyB]

In fairness, if there's one thing the Dandy has been good at since the relaunch, it's been giving strips runs of at least six weeks to establish themselves, and also ensuring that they overlap. It's far better than finding different strips every week, as used to happen in the Beano (and again, things have improved there somewhat!)