Comics UK

Steve Flanagan wrote:

These Best of books could really show off Fleetway comics like Buster...[etc]

One problem is that none of those titles is currently in print. The marketing guys would be very unhappy. Note how the DCT reprint volumes, even if they contain material from Beezer and Topper, only mention Dandy and Beano on the cover; or how Titan sent their first attempt at the cover for Albion Origins back to replace the logo with one that more closely matched Wildstorm's covers for Albion.

Look-In isn't in print either, though - or June and School Friend, Girl, Jackie or the IPC war libraries, and they all have compilation books out. I think if marketed properly to focus on the nostalgia factor, it's not essential, and the fact they're long gone could even add to the appeal.

Look-In, Jackie and School Friend collections are marketed towards a knowing post-modern "oh God did they/we really look like that" etc audience though, not comic fans. A book of Buster reprints wouldn't appeal to the same reader, and might not be so well received by the retailers.

Lew

Lew Stringer wrote:Look-In, Jackie and School Friend collections are marketed towards a knowing post-modern "oh God did they/we really look like that" etc audience though, not comic fans. A book of Buster reprints wouldn't appeal to the same reader, and might not be so well received by the retailers.

Lew

It may have to be a more general and cleverly packaged themed compilation of humour stuff than just a straight 'Best of Buster' but apart from maybe the Girl stuff I think it's essentially more about childhood nostalgia and retro cool than just knowing post modernism - the Look and Learn compilation can't be explained away like that, for example (and I don't think it's the aim of the Look-In one either, really) and I think the best of these are essentially all tapping into the same thing. I think many people have bought the Jackie one, for example, out of genuine affection and because of happy memories. But retro is cool, and people can melt at the sight of their childhood favourites. I think they're probably intended to be impulse buys based on that reaction.

There'll still be possibilities of knowing postmodern type reactions with comic strip compilations, anyway, as they're clearly from another era, un 'PC' and will be recognised as the source material for the Viz strips.

Heres the post on the book which started the original comic work being published.

Interesting that a Best of Buster is on the cards.though might be for 2009 now...Roy of the Rovers first.