Comics UK

Excuse my ignorance as regards "Commando". But how on earth does this publication still persevere? The likes of "Warlord" and "Battle" were long extinguished. Obviously, there is still a healthy readership for war strips as defined by "Commando's" longevity. If I'm not mistaken, the title releases 4 issues per month which is tantamount to a weekly magazine. Although I admire its continuing presence, I'm equally baffled by it. Is it a case of a core readership being retained as both 2000 ad and the Beano has managed?

geoff42 wrote:Excuse my ignorance as regards "Commando". But how on earth does this publication still persevere? The likes of "Warlord" and "Battle" were long extinguished. Obviously, there is still a healthy readership for war strips as defined by "Commando's" longevity. If I'm not mistaken, the title releases 4 issues per month which is tantamount to a weekly magazine. Although I admire its continuing presence, I'm equally baffled by it. Is it a case of a core readership being retained as both 2000 ad and the Beano has managed?

They publish 4 issues every fortnight, so 8 a month. (Two of each fortnightly batch are reprint though.) I don't know how many it sells but it's obviously still popular and has a loyal following. I think its readership were always mostly older than that of Warlord and Battle. A lot of people in the services and ex-servicemen buy it apparently, and people who wouldn't normally buy comics.

Over the last few years the editors have had the sense to send press releases to blogs and websites every fortnight so they get free advertising that way.

geoff42 wrote:Excuse my ignorance as regards "Commando". But how on earth does this publication still persevere? The likes of "Warlord" and "Battle" were long extinguished. Obviously, there is still a healthy readership for war strips as defined by "Commando's" longevity. If I'm not mistaken, the title releases 4 issues per month which is tantamount to a weekly magazine. Although I admire its continuing presence, I'm equally baffled by it. Is it a case of a core readership being retained as both 2000 ad and the Beano has managed?

I think that Commando's refusal to change has added to its' longevity. Readers old and new like the fact that this is a comic that continues to churn out the same tropes in new ways and adds to its' charm as it allows the readers to feel that they are continuing to accept that society changes.

Readers are comforted by the fact that their tastes will be sated by a good story and this helps Commando to survive.

Maybe the size of the comic makes it cheaper to produce.Who Knows?Only DCT are the one's with the answer to that.While we are on the subject of Thomsons I assume with all the reprints they produce they must keep copies of everything they ever created, a veritable museum in fact.

I was just looking at issues of TV Comic on eBay out of curiosity and I'm amazed at the prices being bid on them. 1968 issues at £30 to £40 each at present! Looks like it's really taken off as a collectible comic now, rivalling TV21 on prices.

Lew Stringer wrote:I was just looking at issues of TV Comic on eBay out of curiosity and I'm amazed at the prices being bid on them. 1968 issues at £30 to £40 each at present! Looks like it's really taken off as a collectible comic now, rivalling TV21 on prices.

I think it's probably the Sixties Doctor Who stories that do it. Someone was selling about 12 consecutive issues from around 1968 the other week which went for well over £200. But there may just be a handful of Who fans determined to get them!

Raven wrote:

Lew Stringer wrote:I was just looking at issues of TV Comic on eBay out of curiosity and I'm amazed at the prices being bid on them. 1968 issues at £30 to £40 each at present! Looks like it's really taken off as a collectible comic now, rivalling TV21 on prices.

I think it's probably the Sixties Doctor Who stories that do it. Someone was selling about 12 consecutive issues from around 1968 the other week which went for well over £200. But there may just be a handful of Who fans determined to get them!

Yes, there was another consecutive run of 7 issues too I think from the same seller. All very nice condition. I placed a bid but I wasn't going anywhere near the high figure they sold for. I didn't need them that much.

I didn't buy the 1968 TV Comic fireworks issue, featuring Dr Who too - a fine combination, but £35 was sadly a bit too steep. Still anything Dr Who is on the up - 1960s Radio Times with Dr Who covers often go for hundreds now. And the TV21s with Daleks usually go for more than most other issues.

This week's The Beano though my M&S subscription kicks in April.

One of the charity shops had a number of Beano and Dandy annuals plus a Desperate Dan annual ranging from the 90s to the 2000s at 49p each.Decided these were too new to be counted as collectables so left them for others.Another charity shop had a lot of fun size Beano's/Dandy's at 50p each .Not keen on pocket size comics so left them also.They had a couple of Whizzer and Chips annuals but I don't buy these because some of the pages seem to age very quickly.

TV Comic also had Supercar and Space Patrol in the early 60s and a front cover Daleks strip in the mid 60s.

Trying to buy comics and annuals doesn't always run smoothly.A couple of weeks ago I spotted Three copies of a thunderbirds book in a charity shop window which must have been donated by some bookstore or other.These were positioned in the centre of a window display in front of two dressed tailor's dummies.I went into the shop and as I stood behind the dummies I realised I would not be able to reach the books and I did not wish to ask for help from the assistant in case I decided not to buy a copy so I wandered around the shop and finding nothing else of interest I left empty handed.A few days later Back at the same shop I saw the three thunderbirds books were still there positioned in front of the same tailor's dummies.This time as I went in the shop I realised I should be able to reach them if I moved in from the side which I did.Unfortunately one of the dummies toppled over and fell backwards onto the shop floor.I picked it up with the aid of an assistant and made my apologies.I still had the book in my hand and looking through saw that it had no comicstrips inside and was not what I wanted.While the assistant was sorting out the clothes on the dummy I decided to put it back.When I got the book about a foot from where it was originally postitioned I tried to lob it into place but instead of landing upright it fell on its side.I decided to leave it and the shop.The phrase Bull in a China Shop came to mind.

...Sounds like my traumatic experience in a store full of precariously balanced carpet rolls when I was four years old!

abacus wrote:Trying to buy comics and annuals doesn't always run smoothly.A couple of weeks ago I spotted Three copies of a thunderbirds book in a charity shop window which must have been donated by some bookstore or other.These were positioned in the centre of a window display in front of two dressed tailor's dummies.I went into the shop and as I stood behind the dummies I realised I would not be able to reach the books and I did not wish to ask for help from the assistant in case I decided not to buy a copy so I wandered around the shop and finding nothing else of interest I left empty handed.A few days later Back at the same shop I saw the three thunderbirds books were still there positioned in front of the same tailor's dummies.This time as I went in the shop I realised I should be able to reach them if I moved in from the side which I did.Unfortunately one of the dummies toppled over and fell backwards onto the shop floor.I picked it up with the aid of an assistant and made my apologies.I still had the book in my hand and looking through saw that it had no comicstrips inside and was not what I wanted.While the assistant was sorting out the clothes on the dummy I decided to put it back.When I got the book about a foot from where it was originally postition I tried to lob it into place but instead of landing upright it fell on its side.I decided to leave it and the shop.The phrase Bull in a China Shop came to mind.

Looks like a job for International Rescue

This week's Beano... I tried a Supernews branch yesterday, no luck. WHSmith today, still had last week's issue. Is there a national distribution problem, or am I just having my namesake's calamitous luck?