Comics UK

The Beezer is now being discussed in a blog..might be worth following..

http://thebeezersgoldenyears.blogspot.com/

I am..

Well it is a great comic..

Didn't know Baby Crockett was based on an earlier character from another magazine. Needs better research on its demise though. Says that Baby finished in 1990, and that the Beezer having merged with Topper was incorporated into The Beezer (!) in 1993. The merger was 1990, and the merged comic was never absorbed by another, when it closed in 1993 the characters either vanished or moved to Beano or Dandy, but editors Ewan Kerr and Morris Heggie will have had open choice over which to take (Beano took The Numskulls, and later on Tricky Dicky and Fred's Bed. Dandy took Beryl the Peril and Blinky). I've posted a response about this.

The Beano also took on Splodge, who was in the comic for about a year in 2000-2001, and Adrian the Barbarian appeared as reprints for a few months in 2008 as Olaff the Madlander. Really though, only The Numskulls and Beryl survived, Blinky was changed beyond recognition and the others were only revived later (and in the case of Fred and Adrian/Olaff, as reprints). The Numskulls did change to an extent in the Beano but it was essentially the same idea (and it was in the Beezer and Topper that 'Our man' became 'Our boy', though in the Beano he became Edd), however Blinky changed from being a younger version of Colonel Blink to a completely different character.

I've noticed a mistake on the blog though. Bill Ritchie I don't think drew The Banana Bunch, I'd say Baby Crockett was his main Beezer strip. I assume it means Bill Hill.

According to Ray Moore's The Book Of The Beezer, four artists were involved with Banana Bunch in the comic itself. From issue 1 to 438 it was Leo Baxendale, from 439 to 1650 it was Bill Hill, from 1651 to 1663 it was Robert Nixon, and from 1664 to 1809 it was Barrie Appleby.

I think that makes sense. Also, the Banana Bunch was the only Beezer strip that appeared in every issue of the Beezer and also every issue of the combined Beezer and Topper. Pop, Dick and Harry appeared in every Beezer but were sometimes left out of the Beezer and Topper, while Ginger appeared in every Beezer but never appeared in the combined comic.

Always nice to see a new comic blog. I'm just a little surprised that Simon has begun a blog on the Beezer with so relatively little source material to hand. Of course you can see a blog grow in tandem with your personal collection but it is a little inhibiting when you are focusing all your attentions on one title if enough research material on that particular title isn't readily to hand.
I should maybe send him a copy of my own Beezer index but maybe that would inhibit him in other ways knowing someone had covered the topic relatively exhaustively before, albeit not online.

I started the Beezer blog because I want to bring together people who rememberd it and and loved it as much as I did. Guru said that I've taken on a blog with so little source material to hand but I have got alot that I'd like to share with others as the project develops. I'm hoping that the blog will evolve, that others will contribute, share memories and really find out more about the history of this comic.

keep up the good work, Simon, I bought a fair few 60s BEEZERS last year, and I definately fancy getting some more: a fantastic 'widescreen' comic.

simonmackie wrote:I started the Beezer blog because I want to bring together people who rememberd it and and loved it as much as I did. Guru said that I've taken on a blog with so little source material to hand but I have got alot that I'd like to share with others as the project develops. I'm hoping that the blog will evolve, that others will contribute, share memories and really find out more about the history of this comic.

"Guru" is a staff assigned custom user title. His username is Kashgar, and his real name is Ray Moore. You should try to get hold of a copy of his Beezer Index (try ebay). It might give you some insight into when characters appeared and were dropped, format changes (like 1981's page size change and 1990's merger), artists, etc.

Sorry Simon if it seemed I was coming across as a little dismissive. That certainly wasn't intended. Best of luck with the site and if you need any particular details at any time just drop me a PM and I'll see what I can do.

Ray.

Kashgar wrote:I should maybe send him a copy of my own Beezer index but maybe that would inhibit him in other ways knowing someone had covered the topic relatively exhaustively before, albeit not online.

simonmackie wrote:I'm hoping that the blog will evolve, that others will contribute, share memories and really find out more about the history of this comic.

There is really no need for Simon to feel inhibited about the content and direction of his blog, despite the fact that Ray's The Book Of The Beezer does cover all the basic facts about titles, characters, artists, free gifts, annuals, summer specials etc, because he is clear that the evolution of his blog will depend significantly on contributions from others and become a kind of chatroom forum. Specific areas in which I think Simon and his contributors could add to and fill out Ray's meticulously-researched volume would be to post and invite comment on whole pages of strips from the comic, as opposed to just a couple of panels here and there, show us scans of the actual free gifts, adverts, puzzles, competitions, any interaction there was between the editor and his readers and, in particular, coloured front covers of the comics and any similar pages within the annuals or specials. Ray's book was published in 1997. I am sure that if he was doing it now he would certainly be considering incorporating the kind of enhancements that I am suggesting. It is merely a sign of the times that these can, and I'm sure will, be presented on line by Simon and other interested members of this forum.

I have Ray Moore's excellent 'The Book of the Beezer' and I have to say you'll find out more information about the Beezer than you'll find in my blog [Ray, do you mind if I can give it a shout on my blog and also let people know where to buy it from?]
Ray's book lists every Beezer and every artist involved from 1956-1993 and is a must have for any serious collector. In contrast my blog exists to rekindle memories and bring together those who loved the tabloid size version. I wanted to reiterate that the blog is solely about the Beezer from 1956-1981 which is why I made no mention of the artists who contributed after 1981.

Ray - I don't know where you got you very in-depth and incredible source from. Do you own every copy of the Beezer or did D.C.Thomson let you loose in their archives?
Do let me know if you would like to contribute anything to the blog and that goes for any of you involved in this discussion.

Like your new post on pick a prize..I like it when you refer it to yourself..

Ray has all the Beezers..Toppers....nearly all The Beano's Dandys..all the Busters..and many many more..

As Peter has pointed out Simon I do have a complete collection of Beezers. As to the details in the Beezer Index relating to artists etc (the title The Book of the Beezer was not of my own choosing and not one I particularly like), these were the result of consulting members of the Beezer editorial staff either by letter or phone over a number of years and of course not forgetting the pioneering work done in artist identification by other comics' enthusiasts, the late Denis Gifford in particular.
I doubt if the Beezer Index is available to buy anywhere now except second hand through ebay.

Very sad to hear about the passing away of Bill Ritchie http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/Forum/viewtop ... d85#p32288
More here on The Beezer Blog http://thebeezersgoldenyears.blogspot.c ... -25th.html Blog