Comics UK

In true Summer Special style, I have packed the Dandy, Beano and 2000ad Summer Specials and taken them away with us on holiday. The boys and I will be reading them on the beach over the next few days, Lew - hopefully with an ice cream in the other hand.. Sadly no ham rolls made by my Nan in her Walton-on-the-Naze caravan though.

Really miss the excitement of going into the local newsagent and seeing all of the Summer Specials arriving, and trying to decide which ones to buy in addition to my regular comics to take on holiday!! Memories...

Only thing that could have been better this year would have been a 'new' Dandy Summer Special.. All a bit odd what's happening there - their Facebook said they would announce something about the digital future 'soon' back in March.. Was really hoping there would still be some life in the old dog yet but maybe that hope is a tad futile..

Still keeping them crossed..!

Spencer wrote: Only thing that could have been better this year would have been a 'new' Dandy Summer Special.. All a bit odd what's happening there - their Facebook said they would announce something about the digital future 'soon' back in March.. Was really hoping there would still be some life in the old dog yet but maybe that hope is a tad futile..

Still keeping them crossed..!

As I understand it the Dandy Summer Special was at the suggestion of WH Smith but there wasn't time to assemble new material. Hopefully next year! Meanwhile, the Dandy Annual is also out now and that is full of new material.

There's going to be a 2000AD Winter Special too by the way. October probably.

judomole wrote:

judomole wrote:Update: DC Thomson obviously do not think that their customers are just looking for faults rather than enjoying the comic. They have apologised for their errors and they have now sent me a brand new Beano with stickers by first class post which arrived today and will do the same when they have some correct Dandy's in stock all for no extra cost. So now i can enjoy the comics as they were meant to be
I hope that everyone else with problems gets the same result

Update 2: I Have just been informed that there will be no new print run of the Dandy summer special so the options are its take it as it is or a return for refund . I will keep my copy but it is a shame this fault wasn't picked up plus now we will never know what happened to Blinky's swimming pool

Update no3:
Just received a nice e-mail from Michael Stirling (Editor-in-Chief) apologising again for the Dandy Summer Special and saying steps have been taken to stop this mistake from happening again. He also promised to send me a copy of the last every Dandy with a strip inside that features both Him and Craig Graham(final Dandy editor) autographed by both. This is a very nice gesture by both men and DC Thomson and great customer relations.
This also goes to show unlike some people who posted on this thread DC Thomson do not believe what happened was acceptable nor should the customer just put up with it as one of those things or that it was customers who were just being awkward looking for faults.

Asda has the Beano Summer Special in stock. Saw it in the Hull Kingswood branch. Of course I already bought a copy from WHSmith, but if you don't have a WHS near you, try Asda.

judomole wrote: This also goes to show unlike some people who posted on this thread DC Thomson do not believe what happened was acceptable nor should the customer just put up with it as one of those things or that it was customers who were just being awkward looking for faults.

Of course DC Thomson take such matters about their comics seriously. No one suggested otherwise.

I presume that's a reference to something I said about the mistake-spotting that some readers indulge in. I'd added a smiley emoticon to show I was joking and in my defence I also said, in all seriousness: "I do appreciate though that, for young readers, if the stickers are missing it feels like a big deal so I hope the matter can be resolved to make everyone happy."

I'm pleased the matter has now been resolved for you.

Beano Christmas Special 2014 is out now. Picked up a copy from WHSmith today, found it accidentally when looking for the weekly, which it was right next to.

Digifiend wrote:Beano Christmas Special 2014 is out now. Picked up a copy from WHSmith today, found it accidentally when looking for the weekly, which it was right next to.

Is it new or reprinted material this year and how much is it please?

Saw the Beano Winter Special too in my local Sainsbury's. Is there a Dandy version coming out?

Had an answer form Dc Thomson regarding Christmas specials
The Beano will be available to buy@ £4.99 online through their own shop from next week there is NO Dandy Special this Year
As for Content i.e. new or old strips I still don't know and would appreciate if anyone can tell me

A couple of new strips, mostly reprint, some activity pages with new art. Contents:
2: Seasons greetings message. Originally a back cover from a Christmas issue. Drawn by David Sutherland.
3: Message from the editor
4-9: Dennis the Menace and Gnasher's Christmas Conspiracy by Nigel Parkinson and Kev F
10: Billy Whizz reprint, early 90s
11: jokes page
12-14: Super Slidey Slalom Sledge Race by Nigel Parkinson
16-17: The Bash Street Kids by David Sutherland, has a custom title so definitely not new
18-19: The Artful Dodger, a Roger version of Scrooge by Barrie Appleby, reprint from a few years ago
20: Be a Christmas Prank-Star by Lew Stringer
21: Ball Boy by Dave Eastbury. Presumably reprint.
22: Bea by Nigel Parkinson. Mum and Dad have the old designs, so it's definitely reprint.
24-25: Minnie the Minx by Tom Paterson. Reprint from about 10 years ago.
26-27: The Numskulls by Barry Glennard. Reprint.
28: Who ate all the mince pies? Puzzle page by Lew Stringer.
29: Gnasher and Gnipper by Barry Glennard. Old design parents again, so another reprint for sure.
30: How to make a flying Christmas tree! Art by Stu Munro
31: Calamity James by Tom Paterson. Reprint.
32-33: Another Minnie the Minx by Tom Paterson. Reprint.
34: Les Pretend. Reprint.
35: Sticking in a Winter Wonderland. Art by Nigel Parkinson, newly drawn I believe for the free stickers to be used on.
36-45: The Bash Street Kids in Tree-Mendous Triumph. Art by Nigel Parkinson.
46: Santa's ten most wanted menaces. Puzzle page with art by Stu Munro.
48: Another Gnasher and Gnipper reprint.
49: Merry Itch-Mas. Puzzle page by David Sutherland?
50-51: Dennis the Menace and Gnasher by Nigel Parkinson.
52: Spot the difference puzzle page.
54-55: Little Plum by Hunt Emerson.
56: Another Billy Whizz reprint, late 90s I think.
57: Brussels Sprout Bazooka. Art by Wayne Thompson.
58-59: Roger the Dodger by Barrie Appleby. Reprint.
60: Colouring page by Nigel Parkinson
61: Ball Boy by Dave Eastbury. Reprint. Has the new title panel for some reason.
62-64: Minnie the Minx by Ken Harrison. Reprint.
65-66: Puzzle answers

Digifiend Many thanks for that detailed info first class
so good in fact i almost dont need to get the comic now

The Beano christmas special 2014 is available now at Beano shop
http://shop.beano.com/products/the-bean ... ecial-2014
for those still looking for a copy

Digifiend wrote:A couple of new strips, mostly reprint, some activity pages with new art. Contents:
2: Seasons greetings message. Originally a back cover from a Christmas issue. Drawn by David Sutherland.
3: Message from the editor
4-9: Dennis the Menace and Gnasher's Christmas Conspiracy by Nigel Parkinson and Kev F
10: Billy Whizz reprint, early 90s
11: jokes page
12-14: Super Slidey Slalom Sledge Race by Nigel Parkinson
16-17: The Bash Street Kids by David Sutherland, has a custom title so definitely not new
18-19: The Artful Dodger, a Roger version of Scrooge by Barrie Appleby, reprint from a few years ago
20: Be a Christmas Prank-Star by Lew Stringer
21: Ball Boy by Dave Eastbury. Presumably reprint.
22: Bea by Nigel Parkinson. Mum and Dad have the old designs, so it's definitely reprint.
24-25: Minnie the Minx by Tom Paterson. Reprint from about 10 years ago.
26-27: The Numskulls by Barry Glennard. Reprint.
28: Who ate all the mince pies? Puzzle page by Lew Stringer.
29: Gnasher and Gnipper by Barry Glennard. Old design parents again, so another reprint for sure.
30: How to make a flying Christmas tree! Art by Stu Munro
31: Calamity James by Tom Paterson. Reprint.
32-33: Another Minnie the Minx by Tom Paterson. Reprint.
34: Les Pretend. Reprint.
35: Sticking in a Winter Wonderland. Art by Nigel Parkinson, newly drawn I believe for the free stickers to be used on.
36-45: The Bash Street Kids in Tree-Mendous Triumph. Art by Nigel Parkinson.
46: Santa's ten most wanted menaces. Puzzle page with art by Stu Munro.
48: Another Gnasher and Gnipper reprint.
49: Merry Itch-Mas. Puzzle page by David Sutherland?
50-51: Dennis the Menace and Gnasher by Nigel Parkinson.
52: Spot the difference puzzle page.
54-55: Little Plum by Hunt Emerson.
56: Another Billy Whizz reprint, late 90s I think.
57: Brussels Sprout Bazooka. Art by Wayne Thompson.
58-59: Roger the Dodger by Barrie Appleby. Reprint.
60: Colouring page by Nigel Parkinson
61: Ball Boy by Dave Eastbury. Reprint. Has the new title panel for some reason.
62-64: Minnie the Minx by Ken Harrison. Reprint.
65-66: Puzzle answers

The first Minnie The Minx is a ghost job by Paul Palmer.
The sticker page was the background of a cover we did in 2012/13.
The Christmas Tree Bash street story was taken from my own files (The Beano had lost theirs!) but it's only from 2010.
The colouring page is the cover of a Dennis book I did about two years ago.
The other Bea and Dennis pages by me are from 2007/8.
The first story by Kev F and me is new- so new that I drew it against doctor's orders so please buy it!

Ah well, must've been a good ghosting job if I couldn't tell! Thanks for the corrections and clarifications, at least I got the majority right.