Comics UK

big bad bri wrote: which is why i said cheap £1 or even less may get people buying em again theres been at least 10 years since egmont/fleetway did buster maybe its time to dip their toes in the waters again or do more books like the 3 roy of the rovers they did, but every month

One last time then I'm off, because I'm finding I'm constantly repeating things I've said lots of times before. It's too time consuming and some people just make the internet mistake of reading facts as opinions so it's ultimately pointless.

Guys, comics can't go back to how they were. You can't be seven again.

One last time then:

1) Times and tastes have changed. Expecting today's kids to appreciate the strips of 30 or 40 years ago is as unlikely as expecting kids of the 1970s to appreciate strips from the 1930s. (Yes, we know some would, but not enough. That's why styles change.)

2) Even if you only aim them at collectors there aren't enough of them to support such ventures. Let's face it, even some of the members here wait until they find reprint books at a discount before they buy them. Interest in old UK comics is really very small.

3) A pound for a comic is impractical. Distribution/retail costs are too high.

Thanks for all the conversations folks. I'll keep in touch with some of you and will continue to update my blog when I have time.

Lew Stringer wrote:

big bad bri wrote: which is why i said cheap £1 or even less may get people buying em again theres been at least 10 years since egmont/fleetway did buster maybe its time to dip their toes in the waters again or do more books like the 3 roy of the rovers they did, but every month

One last time then I'm off, because I'm finding I'm constantly repeating things I've said lots of times before. It's too time consuming and some people just make the internet mistake of reading facts as opinions so it's ultimately pointless.

Guys, comics can't go back to how they were. You can't be seven again.

One last time then:

1) Times and tastes have changed. Expecting today's kids to appreciate the strips of 30 or 40 years ago is as unlikely as expecting kids of the 1970s to appreciate strips from the 1930s. (Yes, we know some would, but not enough. That's why styles change.)

2) Even if you only aim them at collectors there aren't enough of them to support such ventures. Let's face it, even some of the members here wait until they find reprint books at a discount before they buy them. Interest in old UK comics is really very small.

3) A pound for a comic is impractical. Distribution/retail costs are too high.

Thanks for all the conversations folks. I'll keep in touch with some of you and will continue to update my blog when I have time.

Lew, why not just ignore the more whimsical posts?

If it was your job to correct every factual error or impractical fancy expressed on the internet you wouldn't have time to sleep, let alone draw. Just keep on taking part in the kind of discussions you enjoy and find substantial.

A lot of goods are artificially high in price, though: property especially. Alcohol is a lot more expensive in real terms than it used to be, and as a result pubs are continuing to shut down, which is not really helping anyone [alcoholics will get drink one way or another, whatever the cost: meanwhile casual drinkers are penalized.]


I think comics have rocketed in price in real terms, but this is more to do with dwindling sales than anything else: to print Classics-like reprints for a pound each would see me buy a copy every week, but they would have to sell a skipload to make it worthwhile.


Maybe if reprint comics were sold at a quid each they would sell significantly more......2 quid is a lot if you have to decide on a comic or something to eat, if you are skint, like many are.

It now seems as if Lew is leaving the building too! That's 3 old timers in a little over a week. I had to break my self imposed exile to try and make people come to their senses.TBH , I didn't think I'd be back this fast since I went out in solidarity with Steel Claw. But if we don't nip this in the bud there won't be many experts left on this forum at the rate they are leaving...one a week! To be fair to Lew , he does give a lot to this forum and through his blog and his passion and knowledge are up there with the best. I can understand his frustration when trying to correct errors but sometimes ya just gotta go with the flow. Raven gave good advice...stay away from the more whimsical posts. I am sure there are enough members here to tackle them. The serious stuff...get stuck in there , me son So , I would now appeal to Steel Claw and Lew to return with their nuggets of wisdom to this forum. Who knows , I may don my battle fatigues for the more crazy posts

Captain Storm aka The Cap.

Oh no , he's back!

lew you dont have to leave i just stated my opinion as surley that is what forums are for to discuss opinions wrong or right,if i have upset you i Apologise.i have not seen everything on these boards as even though i joined here a few years back i did not actually get internet in my house until about 6 months ago and had to make do with an hour in the library every now & then,which is one of the reasons i didnt know about starboy trying to offer some of his comics for free

Not wishing to answer for Lew, but I don't think this really had anything to do with you personally Bri - I just think Lew got fed up repeating himself over a series of very similar threads where some comments may (or may not) have been not been based on any evidence or facts and seemed to take no account of Lews (and others) replies. I can't talk for the others folk leaving as I have not read the reasons for them deciding to leave but hopefully they'll all be back later after a wee break (I hope so anyway).

STARBOY wrote:Not wishing to answer for Lew, but I don't think this really had anything to do with you personally Bri - I just think Lew got fed up repeating himself over a series of very similar threads where some comments may (or may not) have been not been based on any evidence or facts and seemed to take no account of Lews (and others) replies.

Spot on.

No need to apologize Bri. Nothing's upset me as such. I'm just tired of seeing the same type of "why can't things be like they used to be" posts year after year which continue to ignore the reasons why that's impractical.

We're all nostalgic to various degrees but one has to be realistic. If it was viable for old titles to return, or for new non-licensed comics to proliferate, or for comics to be under a pound, publishers would jump at it, just as they used to. It's a business. They make money where they can. Decades ago comics were hugely popular. Now they're not unfortunately. It costs a massive amount of money to launch a new comic. It's also a massive risk. (That said, I'll be supporting Strip Magazine in October and I hope all of you will too. Then there's The Phoenix in January 2012, so UK comics aren't down and out yet, - but they'll need your support to survive.)

Of course it's good to voice opinions on why one would like to see old style comics on the stands but if factual reasons are given why such proposals couldn't work I can't see the point of insisting such opinions are still feasible. (Not singling you out Bri. Just a general comment.)

Anyway, have fun. I'm off.

The most vandalised comics I've seen are my Look-Ins. Every week I used to get them and adore the artwork by the likes of Martin Asbury, Harry North, John Burns and Mike Noble. In fact I liked it so much, I used it to illustrate my Picture Diary, a page-a-day diary I wrote from age 12 to 18 which featured an illustration and colourful decoration every day. The Look-In pictures regularly formed the masthead or centrepiece to each page, as a consequence of which there's not a single Look-In in my collection that remains intact.

I still have all their gutted carcasses. Nostalgia beats resale value, every time.

Kev F
Comic Art Masterclasses

Hope you keep reading the posts on here Lew...I'm sorry its all gone a bit too serious..

I'm sure you will be back..after your breather..

There's nothing worse than recieving comics through e-bay with bits clipped out.......very off-putting.

If they don't mention that when advertising the item, then it's not as described and you can get your money back. It's the law.

I contacted the seller and he assured me the ones he had cut up were in poor condition. The better copies he said he passed on to his dad who deals in football memorabilia. Re Look-In. I bought the first 50 issues or so but then cut out the Mike Noble Timeslip pages and put them in a coule of scrapbooks and threw away the remainder of the comics. I still have the scrapbooks along with the very first issue which I didn't cut up. In the 60s I cut any Man From UNCLE pics out of my TV21s and stuck them inside my school desk lid. I still have the TV21s but have had to buy second copies since then and a vaster price than the 7d I got the originals for.

oops![3]

Digifiend wrote:If they don't mention that when advertising the item, then it's not as described and you can get your money back. It's the law.

And quite rightly so!

Heh, watching Dom Littlewood's shows and Watchdog comes in handy sometimes.