YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Talk here about just about anything associated with British comics or story papers and the industry that does not fit in any other forum.
There are separate fora open to registered members for discussing specific comics, artists, websites etc.

Moderators: Al, AndyB

Old Forum Fella
Posts: 1656
Joined: 25 Feb 2006, 22:09

YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by Old Forum Fella »

I've no idea Captain, sorry. Most of the artists I know are from recent decades, as we've met at conventions etc. Most of those pre-2000 AD artists never socialised with other comics folk unfortunately. That's how times were then; anonymous creators isolated from their peers and readership.

Originally posted by Lew Stringer on the old forum on 29/1/2006

Old Forum Fella
Posts: 1656
Joined: 25 Feb 2006, 22:09

YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by Old Forum Fella »

Oddly enough I went to art college in Manchester with John Donnelly's son (also called John) during the 1970s. Afraid I don't know what happened to the father but I remember that John Jr. had actually drawn for the original Lion while he was still a schoolboy! (...needless to say I was green with envy). He eventually went on to work in advertising.

Originally posted by Phil Rushton on the old forum on 29/1/2006

User avatar
Old Freddy
Posts: 197
Joined: 11 Jun 2009, 19:51
Location: In front of the computer

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by Old Freddy »

*Blows Dust off of very old thread*

Atchoo!

Many people say that the best era for comics is from when you were a kid and read them. To be honest, I'm not sure if that's true for everyone. I first started reading the Beano and the Dandy around 2002. I would have been around seven or eight at the time. However, I don't think that 2002 was a 'golden' year for either the Beano or the Dandy. The dandy of 2002 I found a bit bland-ish somewhat when I was younger.

The strips I remember in the Dandy were the likes of Blinky, Beryl the Peril (Karl Dixon), Ollie Fliptrik, Molly, Korky (By dave windett), Desperate Dan by Ken Harrison, etc. Most of these were quite traditional, but I seem to recall that the dandy seemed to do more computer-drawn stuff than the Beano at the time. Brassneck was computer drawn and I really didn't like the art style for that. There was also a spariodic strip called Digital Dan, I think it was done by the same guy. I think the Current Dandy comic since it was relaunched last october is a better read.

The Beano seemed better than the Dandy during 2002 and onwards, perhaps it was because it seemed more traditional, maybe because of its more consistant lineup of characters (Characters like Brain Duane, Smasher, Owen goal, etc. didn't appear in every issue of the Dandy) but one era from the Beano I really like is probably around 1998-99 when the comic went to 32 pages. I also like the Beano of the eighties, but then again I'm biased because nearly all of my Beano's are from 1980-87 (Back in 2009 I bought hundreds of 1980s Beano's from a car boot, for a pretty decent price iirc)
Last update to http://comiccentral.jimdo.com: 7/4/2011

Sammy Shrink, Korky, Dennis and the Dandy all updated
Beryl the Peril Page Added
Navigation altered

big bad bri
Posts: 1761
Joined: 03 Mar 2006, 15:50

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by big bad bri »

my comic buying era besides now :lol: was the 80's when i used to buy the odd nutty & beano ,dandy for a while until the new eagle came out then i was buying buster,whoopee, whizer & chips 2000ad mainly ipc stuff my brother used to buy scream & i knew of the likes of sparky & cheeeky through jumble sales but now as a wise old man i prefer the 70s stuff like monster fun cheeky, shiver & shake i only have a few 60s buster comics so cant really compare that era.ironically i now have a lot more of each title than i ever did as a kid as eagle & 200oad were the only ones i made sure were must haves every week.although i still have to see or own an issue of plug or krazy in all my years as a collector/reader.i never ever bought a girls comic as i would have got battered at school for even contemplating such a thing i never even used to read my sisters when she would buy the odd bunty or it was even shameful to be seen at jumble sales but i was dragged along by my mum, but now if i came across a cheap set ofsomething like misty i would prob pick it up as im sure most of us on here now would but at the mo i would love to have a complete set of sparky as i have none apart from a few with a page or 2 missing.

User avatar
philcom55
Posts: 5170
Joined: 14 Jun 2006, 11:56

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by philcom55 »

It's often said that each person's Golden Age is the period during which they were growing up. For me that extends from about 1955 to 1970, whereas anything priced in 'new money' seems pretty lame by comparison.

Of course this doesn't alter the fact that that period really was the Golden Age - at least as far as British adventure strips were concerned; and I'm willing to fight anyone who disagrees!!! :wink:

- Phil Rushton

User avatar
Digifiend
Posts: 7315
Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 11:43
Location: Hull, UK

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by Digifiend »

Wow, a 62 month necropost!

Anyway, I agree with Freddy about Dandy. I would buy the occasional issue (notable issues, such as the 60th birthday issue and the two previous issues from 1997, and the 2004 and 2007 relaunch issues), but never bought it weekly until last year's relaunch. I didn't like Fiddle O'Diddle and Molly much at all (two strips which were axed in the 2004 revamp). Unfortunately, while I thought the 2004 version was an improvement, compared to the Beano, price-wise it was poor value. And Xtreme... even worse value, and not enough comic strips. The most recent revamp fixed all these problems. Before that, I think Dandy had been in gradual decline since the early 90s.

Beano's strength is in it's consistency. Dennis, Minnie, Roger and Bash Street are ever-present. The new retro section was a good addition (at least they admit that they're reprints, and they're so old that hopefully readers won't have seen them before, even when you've been reading it for 16 years like I have!), but no substitute for the axed monthly Classics from the Comics.

Dandy's strength nowadays is experimentation. They've been trying out a lot of new stuff these last six months. It's been a fun ride. Let's hope it keeps up. With Beano having a new editor (and the changes that will likely bring), could a new golden age be around the corner? Whenever the original golden age is, I can probably agree that it would be before my time!

User avatar
ISPYSHHHGUY
Posts: 4275
Joined: 14 Oct 2007, 13:05
Location: BLITZVILLE, USA

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

I think the most talented comics creators belonged to a past era. [50s-early 70s]

Today's creators are very talented, but their wares are swamped in a world where we are bombarded by visuals everywhere we go. As a result, today's comics seem more 'ordinary' compared to the 60s for example, when comics were the only way to study fantasy graphics cheaply and regularly [no VCRS, etc].

High-profile imagery everywhere was always the case, but not nearly to the extent we see today..... it's so fragmented, it is simply bewildering today.I don't even need to see TV anymore, due to the endless imagery online, in advertising etc. which are using increasingly sophisticated visuals.

User avatar
Jonny Whizz
Posts: 1079
Joined: 03 May 2009, 14:17

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by Jonny Whizz »

Many people say that the best era for comics is from when you were a kid and read them. To be honest, I'm not sure if that's true for everyone. I first started reading the Beano and the Dandy around 2002. I would have been around seven or eight at the time. However, I don't think that 2002 was a 'golden' year for either the Beano or the Dandy. The dandy of 2002 I found a bit bland-ish somewhat when I was younger.
I started reading the Beano around the same time and I have to say I don't regard that period as a golden era either. I feel the Beano went through a period of transition between 1998-2003 that begun with David Parkins replacing David Sutherland on Dennis the Menace after the 60th birthday issue. A year or so later John Geering died, and so did Vic Neill not long after. Then Jim Petrie retired, and a couple of years later Robert Nixon died and John Dallas retired. I think this transition period ended around April 2003 - although John Sherwood died later that year, it felt like the changing of the guard was over, especially as it had affected several of the major long-running strips. In 1998, Roger and Ivy were drawn by Nixon, Minnie by Petrie, Billy Whizz by Neill and Ball Boy by Dallas. By the spring of 2003, Roger was drawn by Barrie Appleby, Ivy by Tony O'Donnell, Minnie by Tom Paterson, Billy by Wayne Thompson (with Graeme Hall drawing him between 2000 and 2003) and Ball Boy by Dave Eastbury.

Having said that, there was quite a lot to like about the Beano around this time - Dennis was consistently excellent, drawn by both David Parkins and Nigel Parkinson, while Minnie, Roger, the Bash Street Kids, Ivy and Calamity James were usually good and Mike Pearse was still drawing occasional long stories.

I think the 1980s was a great era for the Beano. From 1980-84 there was a very consistent character line up (I usually see this as a good thing), and after Euan Kerr took over as editor Robert Nixon came back to draw Roger and Ivy, Tom Paterson started on Calamity James and the 50th birthday celebrations coincided with an increase in the number of pages, and more colour strips.
'Michael Owen isn't the tallest of players, but his height more than makes up for it' - Mark Lawrenson

User avatar
Old Freddy
Posts: 197
Joined: 11 Jun 2009, 19:51
Location: In front of the computer

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by Old Freddy »

I really agree about the 1980s being a good era for the Beano, it did have a good lineup of characters and the lineup was consistent as possible, which is a good thing because it meant your favourite strip was in every issue. Even when new characters started cropping up in the second half of the decade, usually it would just consist of one or two strips permanently being dropped to make way for the new kid. Nowadays, with the odd 4-page or 8-page strip occasionally appearing, there sometimes isn't room for the likes of Fred's Bed or Super School, but most of the time there is still a fairly consistent line-up in the Beano.

I agree with Digifiend about The Dandy being in decline since the early 90's. the 90's was also an example of how much the Dandy's character lineup changes. Here are all the characters from the Dandy I can think of that were introduced between 1990 and 1999:

1990

Keyhole Kate (Series 3)
Tristan (?)
Marvo the Wonder Chicken

1991

Growing Paynes
Molly
Smitten

1992

Hyde & Shriek
James the World's worst schoolboy
I hate Miss Eve. L. Powers
Fibba

1993

Oliver Twister
Peter Piper (Series 3)
Beryl the Peril (From the Topper)
Fiddle O' Diddle
Jonah (Series 2 I think)
Carrot
Potsworth & Co. (From the Topper)
Rasper
Puss 'n' boots (Series 2)
First Class

1994

Blinky (Series 2)
Euro School
Tik & Tak
Claude Cuckooland
Herb's History
Brain Duane

1995

Cowrin' Wolf

1996

Marvo (Series 2)
Sneaker
Hector the Spectre

1997

Marshmallow
Jak
Spotted Dick (Series 2)

1998

Freddy the Fearless fly (Series 3)
Dreadlock Holmes
P5
Owen Goal

1999

Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber



And how many of these actually became established characters like Desperate Dan, Korky or Cuddles and Dimples? Tik & Tak and Euro School didn't even last into 1995. By the time the 2004 relaunch was round the corner Blinky, Molly, Fiddle O' Diddle, Sneaker and Brain Duane were the only 90's characters surviving, and Fiddle and Molly were both axed soon after, although Hyde & Shriek was being reprinted and a resurrection of Dreadlock Holmes was round the corner.

A lot of the characters introduced during the 90's weren't really that imaginitive, though Growing Paynes and even Fiddle O' Diddle were quite good. P5 was a bit like the Bash Street Kids at times, Euro school wasn't much more than a copy of Whizzer & Chips' Worldwide school, Hector the Spectre was basically identical to the Topper's Edd Chumley, while Oliver Twister was sorta like a mix of Roger the Dodger and Junior Rotter but with a Goody goody twist (no pun intended).

Although, the constant changing of the Dandy's character lineup meant you didn't know which strips were going to be inside so it was more of a surprise when you bought it, whereas The Beano was considerably more at the time.
Last edited by Old Freddy on 12 Apr 2011, 09:35, edited 1 time in total.
Last update to http://comiccentral.jimdo.com: 7/4/2011

Sammy Shrink, Korky, Dennis and the Dandy all updated
Beryl the Peril Page Added
Navigation altered

User avatar
Digifiend
Posts: 7315
Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 11:43
Location: Hull, UK

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by Digifiend »

A couple of notes about that list: Jonah was originally in The Beano, 1958-1963, and that series was reprinted in Buddy. The Dandy series is indeed the second series of new strips, but the first in that comic (a Beano strip moving to Dandy is very rare, the only others I can think of are Iron Fish, which appeared in a Dandy Book once, and Crackpot Circus). Blinky, of course, is ex-Beezer, and Puss n Boots's first series was in Sparky.

felneymike
Fence Sitter
Posts: 1901
Joined: 30 Sep 2007, 15:03
Location: Cambridgeshire
Contact:

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by felneymike »

1892 - 1933 :D

NP
Posts: 664
Joined: 22 Mar 2006, 23:03
Contact:

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by NP »

Old Freddy wrote:Here are all the characters from the Dandy I can think of that were introduced between 1990 and 1999. . .And how many of these actually became established characters like Desperate Dan, Korky or Cuddles and Dimples?
Owen Goal, introduced in 1998 (I think) ran until 2007. Fairly successful, but not on your list.

User avatar
Digifiend
Posts: 7315
Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 11:43
Location: Hull, UK

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by Digifiend »

Wikipedia says that it started as Rob Lee reprints in 1998 and your new episodes started in December that year.

NP
Posts: 664
Joined: 22 Mar 2006, 23:03
Contact:

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by NP »

Digifiend wrote:Wikipedia says that it started as Rob Lee reprints in 1998 and your new episodes started in December that year.
It could still be true.

User avatar
paw broon
Posts: 1215
Joined: 29 Jan 2011, 19:13
Location: Falkirk, Scotland

Re: YOUR GOLDEN ERA

Post by paw broon »

"It's often said that each person's Golden Age is the period during which they were growing up. For me that extends from about 1955 to 1970, whereas anything priced in 'new money' seems pretty lame by comparison." Philcom55
I'd tend to agree, although I also seriously enjoy many comics and storypapers from before I was born. And as I learn more about the earlier British titles, I appreciate the contents more. Unlike USA, we don't really have a British golden age even though I feel it could be that '55 - '70 period but there is so much good stuff outside those years that most periods, or single years, could have a case made for it.
Nostalgia time for me - I remember being at primary school in the '50's and getting my first sight of an Ace Hart comic (Superthriller, published by Foldes Press in Joppa, just outside Edinburgh, as I now know), (this is before American comics were distributed in the U.K.) and, between that and seeing a Frew Phantom comic while on holiday in the same year, I was hooked.

Post Reply