Beano - new direction? *** locked ***

[fromthenorth]

Just received by subscriber copy this morning... It seems to me that last weeks 75th anniversary disguised a mini-relaunch of the Beano.

How to describe it.... It's very Dandy.
I've changed the font colour if you want to wait to see it yourself.


Lots of celebrities and varying artwork styles.

There's a 5 page Dennis...

The title 'Funsize Funnies' has been dropped. There's still mini strips, but they're all new. Only Rasher survives as 'Watch Hog' - No Little Plum, Biffo, Baby-Face, Les Pretend, Winston, Gnipper. Snooty, Smiffy, Bambeanos

No sign of Big Time Charlie, Calamity James. Tricky Dicky,

Ball Boy, Numskulls and Roger the Dodger continue with their new looks.

New strip from Jamie Smart, El Poco Loco (looks great as usual, but don't get it!)
Another new one is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turkeys.
A seemingly licenced strip Fight My Monster.

Bash Street Kids are in a new school. Teacher is not wearing his Motorboard hat!

Bananaman continues in Dandy style.

It's good but feels very different!

[Digifiend]

Teacher's hat is called a Mortar Board. That new school would be Beano High, yes (not a spoiler, as the story in the anniversary issue explains it)? It seems that the Bash Street Kids finally went up from year 6 (the 2B designation was leftover from when 10-11 year olds were in the second year of junior high) to year 7. And why they have the same Teacher still? Nobody else will teach them, of course!

Fight My Monster was in BeanoMAX.
Big Time Charlie, Lord Snooty and Baby-Face Finlayson are confirmed to be finished. http://wizzkid97.wordpress.com/2013/07/ ... /#comments

[George Shiers]

Hopefully this Beano High thing is just part of a story, and they'll be back at Bash Street soon.

[Digifiend]

It seems an odd time to do it anyway. It's the school summer holidays right now.

[Gilly]

I don't mind change but The Bash Street Kids in a different school will just do my head in.

Teacher should also wear his Mortar Board as well, he always has done. (Don't worry fromthenorth I spelt it wrong on here once as well )

[SID]

I'm glad that The Dandy survives in spirit and I like that they trying to give The Beano a fresh look. I also like the fact that they are trying to better establish the Beanotown/Beano Universe.

[tony ingram]

Teacher's hat is called a Mortar Board. That new school would be Beano High, yes (not a spoiler, as the story in the anniversary issue explains it)? It seems that the Bash Street Kids finally went up from year 6 (the 2B designation was leftover from when 10-11 year olds were in the second year of junior high) to year 7. And why they have the same Teacher still? Nobody else will teach them, of course!

"Junior High"? I don't recall ever being in the second year-or any year-of Junior High. Just secondary school. Why has our education system become Americanised?

[TwoHeadedBoy]

I'm glad that The Dandy survives in spirit and I like that they trying to give The Beano a fresh look. I also like the fact that they are trying to better establish the Beanotown/Beano Universe.

So... No lessons learned then? The Dandy got that whole "fresh" look and that's what killed it off - now they're doing the same thing to the Beano?

Hindsight's a strange thing...

[Digifiend]

Teacher's hat is called a Mortar Board. That new school would be Beano High, yes (not a spoiler, as the story in the anniversary issue explains it)? It seems that the Bash Street Kids finally went up from year 6 (the 2B designation was leftover from when 10-11 year olds were in the second year of junior high) to year 7. And why they have the same Teacher still? Nobody else will teach them, of course!

"Junior High"? I don't recall ever being in the second year-or any year-of Junior High. Just secondary school. Why has our education system become Americanised?

1970s, when my Mum (who was born in 1958) was at school. She tells me she had to stay back at her primary for an extra couple of years after the year above her moved up, so I believe that makes it 1971. It was changed back in the 1980s, I think in 1988. It must be in that period that the 2B designation first appeared, otherwise it doesn't make any sense.

[AndyB]

Some areas have junior highs, including the Craigavon area of Northern Ireland (although that Junior High was from 11-14, our years 8-10 as we start a year younger than you folks!) Most of Northern Ireland, and I would guess most areas of the UK in general have 6-7 years in primary school and change once.

If you remember, Joker in Whizzer and Chips was in 3C in the local Middle School, and of course Massacre Street School had 3X which again does not make sense except in the context of a Junior High or Middle school. In each case, there was no way that years 2 or 3 could possibly refer to either what in English and Scottish practice are now Years 3 or 9.

[SID]

I'm glad that The Dandy survives in spirit and I like that they trying to give The Beano a fresh look. I also like the fact that they are trying to better establish the Beanotown/Beano Universe.

So... No lessons learned then? The Dandy got that whole "fresh" look and that's what killed it off - now they're doing the same thing to the Beano?

Hindsight's a strange thing...

That's if you think it was the 2010 revamp that caused The Dandy's downfall. That has never been established and I for one still believe that it was the marketing/advertising (or lack of) that finally killed the comic.

[NP]

No lessons learned then? The Dandy got that whole "fresh" look and that's what killed it off - now they're doing the same thing to the Beano? Hindsight's a strange thing...

Can you identify the source of information that gave rise to your statement "that's what killed it off" please?

[Digifiend]

Yeah, please do, I agree with SID, in my opinion it wasn't the content of the comic that killed it at all. Prove us wrong. Because these changes at the Beano should prove it once and for all. If the readers like the changes, that proves that it wasn't the style of humour or artwork that was the problem.

[tony ingram]

Teacher's hat is called a Mortar Board. That new school would be Beano High, yes (not a spoiler, as the story in the anniversary issue explains it)? It seems that the Bash Street Kids finally went up from year 6 (the 2B designation was leftover from when 10-11 year olds were in the second year of junior high) to year 7. And why they have the same Teacher still? Nobody else will teach them, of course!

"Junior High"? I don't recall ever being in the second year-or any year-of Junior High. Just secondary school. Why has our education system become Americanised?

1970s, when my Mum (who was born in 1958) was at school. She tells me she had to stay back at her primary for an extra couple of years after the year above her moved up, so I believe that makes it 1971. It was changed back in the 1980s, I think in 1988. It must be in that period that the 2B designation first appeared, otherwise it doesn't make any sense.

I started Primary School in late 1974, I believe, and moved up to Secondary School in 1981. I never heard the expression "Junior High" except in American comics and TV shows.

[Phoenix]

1970s, when my Mum (who was born in 1958) was at school. She tells me she had to stay back at her primary for an extra couple of years after the year above her moved up, so I believe that makes it 1971. It was changed back in the 1980s, I think in 1988.

Sometime in the late-sixties quite a number of Education Authorities introduced a three-tier system. Children attended Primary School from 5 to 9, Middle School from 9 to 13, and Secondary School from 13 to 16. Most returned to the original two-tier system a decade or so later, but the three-tier system does still exist in some areas. This may explain Digi's mother's recollection. If the class above her was the last in her Primary School to go to a Middle School at 9, or the only one, the two years extra she spent there before going on to her Secondary School will just have been the two it took her to reach 11. Perhaps Digi could check on this for us. Nevertheless, the term Junior High has never been used in schools in England as far as I am aware.