Comics UK

Well I ordered the Dandy/Beano special offer pack from DC Thomson for £6.99.

My brother works in our local WH Smith and he says they haven't got them in yet, but judging by recent years they should be in soon, as we were talking yesterday about how the annuals come so close to the Summer Specials now and my parents said they always used to come around christmas time. I think they started to get a bit earlier when I was a kid as my birthday is October and I remember getting the annuals occassionally then instead of Christmas.

r3tr0_gam3r wrote:My brother works in our local WH Smith and he says they haven't got them in yet, but judging by recent years they should be in soon, as we were talking yesterday about how the annuals come so close to the Summer Specials now and my parents said they always used to come around christmas time. I think they started to get a bit earlier when I was a kid as my birthday is October and I remember getting the annuals occassionally then instead of Christmas.

Annuals have always been published around August to September. In recent years some titles have come out in July. A lot of people think they used to be published in December because that's when they'd buy them or receive them.

I seem to remember now that you mentioned this once before. I was thinking that it was probably just that my parents would wait to buy them for me at Christmas. The reason I remember getting them sometimes for my birthday is because I always remember when The Legend of Desperate Dan came out, I was so happy to get that for my birthday, but I think I had to wait for the others. Then, if my memory serves me right, The Legend of Lord Snooty was the following year and I got that one too.

r3tr0_gam3r wrote:I seem to remember now that you mentioned this once before. I was thinking that it was probably just that my parents would wait to buy them for me at Christmas. The reason I remember getting them sometimes for my birthday is because I always remember when The Legend of Desperate Dan came out, I was so happy to get that for my birthday, but I think I had to wait for the others. Then, if my memory serves me right, The Legend of Lord Snooty was the following year and I got that one too.

Those two books were not annuals so they may have come out a little later, but the annuals have definitely always been in the shops in September, or often in August. In recent years, July.

already purchased 2000 ad summer special (by the way, a winter special is already in the making for an October release) and I will be purchasing both Beano and Dandy summer specials. Good to see a mini-revival, especially from the old guard. I hope this continues because, as a fossilized collector, I dread the time when all publications are only viable through digital means. The time will come, I'm sure, but hopefully not in my time. I've already made the decision to buy Beano on a weekly basis (the first time I've actually bought an issue since 1978) but it needs every support that's available. I don't want to see the "printed" comic die. I still buy 2000 ad and Judge Dredd Megazine. I just wish, given hindsight, I could have given Dandy some support. Anyway, let's keep these old British publications on the shelf for as long as possible. Subscription may be the last resort, but I still want to keep them in the newsagents and, oh-hum, WH Smith as well... they really p**s me off... but still, we need them.

I completely agree, I don't ever want to reach that point where all (or even just most) of the publications come only in digital form. I also made the same mistake of not giving The Dandy enough support until towards the end. I used to buy it occasionally and then started a subscription, but oh well. As for The Beano, I have had a subscription since about 2008/09 and have just recently bought one for one of my nephews birthday present. I also bought him and his brother The Dandy and Beano annuals for Christmas last year and will be doing the same this year. Hopefully these little bits here and there will help keep it going for a while yet.

geoff42 wrote: I've already made the decision to buy Beano on a weekly basis (the first time I've actually bought an issue since 1978) but it needs every support that's available. I don't want to see the "printed" comic die. I still buy 2000 ad and Judge Dredd Megazine. I just wish, given hindsight, I could have given Dandy some support. Anyway, let's keep these old British publications on the shelf for as long as possible.

r3tr0_gam3r wrote:I completely agree, I don't ever want to reach that point where all (or even just most) of the publications come only in digital form. I also made the same mistake of not giving The Dandy enough support until towards the end.

I don't really agree with that line of thinking. To justify their continued existence, they need to be chosen and read by their target audience of children, not bought by adults in an attempt to keep them going. They're children's publications, so significant numbers of children need to be enthusiastic about them and choose them. I think r3tr0_gam3r's doing the right thing by buying them for younger relatives, introducing them to the publications, so there's a chance that they'll develop an enthusiasm.

Lew Stringer wrote:

r3tr0_gam3r wrote:I seem to remember now that you mentioned this once before. I was thinking that it was probably just that my parents would wait to buy them for me at Christmas. The reason I remember getting them sometimes for my birthday is because I always remember when The Legend of Desperate Dan came out, I was so happy to get that for my birthday, but I think I had to wait for the others. Then, if my memory serves me right, The Legend of Lord Snooty was the following year and I got that one too.

Those two books were not annuals so they may have come out a little later, but the annuals have definitely always been in the shops in September, or often in August. In recent years, July.

I distinctly remember those two being advertised alongside the annuals. Pretty sure they came out at the same time as them.

The nephew you liked the Dandy will be pleased

The same WHSmith I mentioned yesterday now has the Dandy Summer Special.

Just had the Beano special delivered - no sign of the Dandy one however, even though I ordered them at the same time (the advice given to me was to return the two individual comics to a freepost address and I would have the money refunded, so I also ordered the double pack).

"27 Peel & Play Stickers" it says on the front - er, not in my copy, I can't see them anywhere, my son will be pretty disappointed with this.

meherenow wrote:Just had the Beano special delivered - no sign of the Dandy one however, even though I ordered them at the same time (the advice given to me was to return the two individual comics to a freepost address and I would have the money refunded, so I also ordered the double pack).

"27 Peel & Play Stickers" it says on the front - er, not in my copy, I can't see them anywhere, my son will be pretty disappointed with this.

I got my double pack yesterday, but only got enough time to start reading The Dandy one. Just checked and it seems you're not the only one, I haven't received my Peel & Play Stickers either. I wasn't bothered about them, but still. It's a shame that your son won't have them now.

r3tr0_gam3r wrote:

meherenow wrote:Just had the Beano special delivered - no sign of the Dandy one however, even though I ordered them at the same time (the advice given to me was to return the two individual comics to a freepost address and I would have the money refunded, so I also ordered the double pack).

"27 Peel & Play Stickers" it says on the front - er, not in my copy, I can't see them anywhere, my son will be pretty disappointed with this.

I got my double pack yesterday, but only got enough time to start reading The Dandy one. Just checked and it seems you're not the only one, I haven't received my Peel & Play Stickers either. I wasn't bothered about them, but still. It's a shame that your son won't have them now.

I phoned them about it and after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing I was informed that the stickers should be stitched in around the middle somewhere and not loose, so they would just send me a fresh copy out as they couldn't send the stickers separately.

From what you say this doesn't bode well though.

Can't say my boy was too bothered when I gave it to him today on the first day of our holiday, he's not a fan of the plastic tat usually, although he does like stickers normally (a summer special to read on the car journey, how that brings back memories, in fact we are near the same place I was when 10 in 1985 (my oldest son is 8 ), of course I remember having SLIGHTLY more than just the one or two summer/holiday specials to read back then lol! I have kept my new 2000ad Sci-Fi special to read, natch.)

Just a pity The Dandy one never arrived, either my individual one or the double pack - and strangely this Beano one was delivered by Yodel/HDNL which I thought was a bit odd.

Good to hear there is a chance of getting it sorted. Though, as you say, it doesn't look too good! Fingers crossed

I used to be the same. Every holiday, I would have my summer specials to read on the beach and usually a book or a couple of comics for the journey down.

Hope your other specials arrive soon.