The Bash Street Kids - The Beano #3619 *REPRINT?*

[WizzKid97]

This week's Beano features a Bash Street Kids story which I believe might be a reprint - the reason why I say this is because the kids and teacher look different to usual - David Sutherland's older style (his style has changed quite a lot when you compare them), Plug has his jug ears back again - something which Sutherland has appeared to have got rid of a while back, the writing for words like "lift", "leap" and "toss" is in the old style they used - the current style is simply David Sutherland's handwriting plus the colouring (e.g. gradients on characters) is a lot like the Beano's older colouring technique.

Could anyone confirm it is a reprint for me?

[Peter Gray]

I noticed a change as well.the title panel was different which I would love to see back..maybe David Sutherland needed a break..unwell..?

[Gilly]

I thought it was a reprint as well but then I noticed David Sutherland had signed the strip. How long has he been signing his own strips?

[Jonny Whizz]

The first time I remember DS signing his work was around March 2004. I also thought this week's BSK story looked like a reprint, mainly due to the title panel - the same title panel is always used these days, but until a few years ago DS did a unique one each week - though I'm fairly sure I haven't seen that particular strip before. This suggests that, if it is indeed a reprint, it's from before July 2002 (I have every issue since then!)

[Digifiend]

I don't think he signed his work back then - so it must be a new strip.

[swirlythingy]

Sorry to disappoint everyone, but it's absolutely, definitely, a reprint. I recognised it straight off.

Where it's a reprint from is another matter. Going by what Jonny Whizz said, it's quite possible the place I first saw it was in a Bash Street Kids annual.

[AndyB]

Yes, the bespoke title panel is the real giveaway. Didn't notice until you pointed it out...

Should add that it's a reprint from the Weekly Beano. All the two page stories in the Bash Street Kids annuals were reprints.

[Digifiend]

A post-2002 strip would've never made it to the annuals. You didn't see it there. They only got to around 1998-9 before the annuals switched to using Mike Pearse material then stopped. Part 1 of the three part 1994 anniversary story was used in a BSK book a few years before that.

[Gilly]

This means with Bash St Kids, Roger the Dodger, Bananaman, Pup Parade, Number 13, The Germs and obviously Retro Beano all being reprints thats 9 1/2 pages.

Is this a record?

[Jonny Whizz]

It probably is a record for a 'regular' issue - the only issues with more reprinted pages are probably ones with reprinted long stories, such as the 2007 Christmas issues, which included a 19 page Robert Nixon reprint from 2000, as well as single pages of Billy Whizz and Gnasher and Gnipper (though even then, unusually for the time Fred's Bed was new and the Hoot Squad/Riot Squad shared a new page with Robbie Rebel).

I'm in two minds about this. On one hand, I think the Beano is crying out for some fresh strips, which reprints can never be - the problem in recent times, in my opinion, has not been the quality or even the number of strips in the comic each week, but the actual roster (Personally, I'd prefer a slightly larger roster even if it meant some strips had to be left out each week). However, I'd rather have reprints than feature pages, as at least the reprints do fill the Beano with comic strips whereas I find the filler content does tend to feel like padding.

[swirlythingy]

I've just checked five (almost) solid years of the Beano from 2001 to 2005, plus all my recent BSK annuals, and drawn a complete blank. This is really frustrating.

One good thing, I suppose, about hunting for a Bash Street Kids story is that the strip can almost always be guaranteed to be located in the exact same section of the comic every week. It makes the magazine file shuffle go by that much quicker.

[Gilly]

I'm in two minds about this. On one hand, I think the Beano is crying out for some fresh strips, which reprints can never be - the problem in recent times, in my opinion, has not been the quality or even the number of strips in the comic each week, but the actual roster (Personally, I'd prefer a slightly larger roster even if it meant some strips had to be left out each week). However, I'd rather have reprints than feature pages, as at least the reprints do fill the Beano with comic strips whereas I find the filler content does tend to feel like padding.

I agree with you Jonny right now there is still a strange stale feeling to The Beano as opposed to The Dandy which still feels new and fun. The reprints don't seem to be helping and maybe the return of Super School and the other mystery character in new strips would help.

However we are older than the target age, would the kids notice that Roger the Dodger is a reprint from the 80s? To them the arrival of Number 13 and The Germs could be 2 new strips rather that reprints of old ones. Retro Beano to the current readers could be the only old strip in the comic.

[Digifiend]

Pup Parade, Germs, Number 13, Roger and Bananaman are all from the 80s (Pup Parade could even be earlier). Yeah, the target audience wouldn't notice - especially since The Germs is by the BSK artist and Bananaman and Number 13 share an artist. The kids also wouldn't know that Robert Nixon and John Geering are dead.