Comics UK

Dennis and Gnasher good.Bash Street Kids seemed like a classic this week. Fred's Bed is good, Ratz is funny for once, i doubt roger said al fresco in the original strip in the 80s!

I'll do this beano review before the Dandy one because there's urgent news we need to discuss. Good issue this week, Dennis and Gnasher was cool, Ratz was greatz (hah, see what i did there?), Barcelona passing in Ball Boy's team is funny, Bash Street Kids was always going to be good this week and had a story about a stuffed dodo. Pup Parade funny this week. The numskulls i enjoyed, Fred's Bed good again. But lastly, two old-ish strips come back next week, in The Germs and Number 13. The Germs is drawn by David Sutherland and Number 13 i dont know. So, what do you think will happen?

This is very suspicious. What's happening? Any more changes? Pleeze?

yanobandy wrote:I'll do this beano review before the Dandy one because there's urgent news we need to discuss. Good issue this week, Dennis and Gnasher was cool, Ratz was greatz (hah, see what i did there?), Barcelona passing in Ball Boy's team is funny, Bash Street Kids was always going to be good this week and had a story about a stuffed dodo. Pup Parade funny this week. The numskulls i enjoyed, Fred's Bed good again. But lastly, two old-ish strips come back next week, in The Germs and Number 13. The Germs is drawn by David Sutherland and Number 13 i dont know. So, what do you think will happen?

That's newsworthy enough for it's own thread, because there's more to it.

yanobandy wrote:This is very suspicious. What's happening? Any more changes? Pleeze?

I'll know exactly what is going to happen on Saturday or so when I get my subscription copy, but I'll be keeping quiet until Wednesday when everyone else can read it and we have an unspoken agreement that we don't give the game away.

So,this was the day it came out! I can tell you: The paper is shiny again. The Germs and Number 13 are back as expected. There's a new sort of comic strip, Woody and Willy Buildit by Nigel Parkinson. Freddie Fear has changed to reprints from the mid-noughties anyway. The review: Dennis and Gnasher was good this week. The Bash Street Kids was funny with Smiffy telling teacher what to do! Fred's Bed was funny, although the strip seemed diffrent, being mainly based away from the bed. Number 13 Beano Street and Totally Gross Germs returned after long absenses, with them both being average. TTG looks more interesting though. Ratz could be funny. I see Gnasher's Bit has a new artist, Barrie Appleby no less! E (this was the e that gnasher bit off!)

Finally got my copy and if I'm honest, I really liked it.

Okay, so what if Number 13 "Beano Street" and "Totally Gross" Germs are reprints. They're not very famous and to be honest I've hardly read their stories besides the Beano needed some reprinted John Geering material and I'm glad they went for Number 13 over Smudge or whatever else Geering drew for the Beano.

One thing which was a shame to see however was the Freddie Fear reprint which was clearly reprinted, they didn't even change the speech bubbles! As much as I like Freddie Fear being in the Beano, I really don't like the fact it's a reprint; Dave Eastbury's only other strip in the Beano is Ball Boy so as if it's going to be a lot of work for him to also do Freddie, also Freddie seems a bit too new to begin reprinting...

It's a shame Roger the Dodger is still in reprints, you'd think there are enough reprints in the comic now so why not get a new artist to do Roger?

The best comic strips this issue in my opinion were Ball Boy, because if the sheer silliness of it all; Ratz, because it was not only a funny storyline but also featured some brilliant artwork by Hunt Emerson; Number 13 Beano Street, I know it was a reprint but it was very funny - the type of humour the Beano's missing nowadays; Fred's Bed, because it felt different as this time it wasn't as based around his bed as much but still very entertaining and finally Minnie the Minx, because of the storyline, it just made me chuckle.

I was a bit miffed that the Billy Whizz story this week was a rewritten, redrawn story with exactly the same joke at the end. But still, I liked it and if I hadn't of read that one before, it would've been funny to me.

I actually quite like the new paper used, it may be flimsy again but the colours look very good and the comic still feels nice to hold unlike the really flimsy style we had not too long ago.

One thing which bugged me though had nothing to do with the content of the Beano but instead the people who were nearby while I was buying it. One guy began to chortle and then another man said to me, "Aren't you a little old to be reading those comics?", I then replied "No, I don't think I am." then he really wound me up by saying, "How old are you exactly because comics are for babies, you must be one sad boy!" (I was shocked by this point, what made him start on me for? He was a complete stranger!), I then said something that sounds a bit rude now I think back at what I said), I replied to him asking "You think I'm too old for this? Show me where the age rating for 8 and under is on this thing then?!", he looked lost for words then I brought my comic and walked out of the shop leaving him surprised. Probably one of the most interesting experiences when buying comics in my life!

That had that man told, eh Harry? Good on you!

I was still buying the Beano up to 16.then I stopped for a while..so you've got two more years yet..
I still kept reading it at the dentist though and bought the best of Beezer nad Topper and Big comic after..

Peter Gray wrote:I was still buying the Beano up to 16.then I stopped for a while..so you've got two more years yet..

Ha ha! Got it Peter, I'll see if I can beat your record!

I can't remember for absolute certain with the Germs, but that was the original Number 13 masthead artwork with a new logo.

Seeing Dave's earlier version of Freddie reminds me how much better the new version is. Eek.

The freddie in the title panel looks odd. Does anyone know if he ever looked like this in the real strip.

AndyB wrote:I can't remember for absolute certain with the Germs, but that was the original Number 13 masthead artwork with a new logo.

Seeing Dave's earlier version of Freddie reminds me how much better the new version is. Eek.

1. Not sure about the Germs either. If they ever run out of reprints but it proves to be popular, I'd love to see one of the artists make the masthead a mock on the old Numskulls one with the Germs doing the things the Numskulls did but with a really ill looking Will!

2. It was most definitely the original masthead.

3. Agreed. I love his latest style, the characters have more movement and don't look as static as they did before. Hopefully this reprint was just added in as a one-off and next week it'll be new stories again. *fingers crossed*

WizzKid97 wrote:

Peter Gray wrote:I was still buying the Beano up to 16.then I stopped for a while..so you've got two more years yet..

Ha ha! Got it Peter, I'll see if I can beat your record!

I'm still buying the beano & I'm 40 Though i did stop around 14 to collect american comics & only just started buying again a few years ago.Yes I do get funny looks in whs when i pick up Beano & dandy But i dont care care comics is my hobby & i dont care who knows it although there is no way i could have shown the restraint harry did when the guy told him he was too old for comics.I would have

Stuff the funny looks if its something you enjoy who cares what other people think.

In my local newsagent they call me the Beano boy