Various news items on comics...

[Lew Stringer]

I've updated by blog a few times this week to reflect some developments. News on Mike Noble, Brickman, and a Beano revamp over here....

http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/

Lew

[Digifiend]

Lew, you say Dennis and Gnasher is on CBeebies? Surely you mean CBBC. Thanks for the heads up on the revamp, I wonder if the logo's going to drastically change?

[Lew Stringer]

The article in Retail Newsagent claimed it was going to be on CBeebies, but they've been wrong before.

Lew

[NP]

Yep, they're wrong again! It's CBBC, starting early September. This is a big revamp The Beano has been working on for a while (I've personally been involved off and on since February 2007!) Anyway now it's out in the open, I can confirm Dennis is changing... I can't give the exact date but the last Beano of August should make it all clear...

[Lew Stringer]

Thanks Nigel. Twenty years ago a newsagent used to give me his old copies of Retail Newsagent and CTN every week and the items on comics were almost always wrong or out of date.

It's very much geared towards retail profit, with comics considered as having no more value than crisps or sweets. The fact that the stories could inspire and excite children is never considered. It's all about the units they can shift. I appreciate that retailers are in it for the money but it'd be nice if they were inspired to consider comics as having some literary and artistic merit as well as being "units".

It's the first time I've read the mag in two decades and it's still as shallow as it ever was. Unfortunately it's the bible for newsagents so it's understandable why comics have no respect in this country.

Lew

[NP]

Units! Oh well, at least they're talking about SELLING the units not just about returns or pulping them!

[Digifiend]

Just had a thought. The current issue is 3491. That means issue 3500 is in 9 weeks time - the middle of September. I reckon news of the changes would appear in hint adverts much like those that heralded the 70th birthday issue, and the actual revamp would be issue 3500.

Nigel can't give the exact date, but if my therory is right, I can. Issue dated 12th September 2009, on sale 9th September.

Nigel, will all three artists continue to draw Dennis, and if so, are all of them going to alter their styles to fit the TV show, or are you taking over entirely? And they don't really pulp the comics do they? I'd have thought they'd just remain on sale through a back issues department like any other magazine.

[NP]

All four of the 'usual' Dennis artists (Tam, Jimmy and Barrie are the others) are drawing in the new style, I'm not taking over. That's all on this topic from me.
Pulped? Sure are. Not all of them, but most unsold ones.

[Digifiend]

When I said three, I was omitting Barrie, as I didn't know he still drew him (I know he used to do Beano Superstars). I always assume unsigned Dennis strips are Jimmy Hansen's, as you and Tom both sign your work.

Out of curiosity, why is Tom Paterson referred to as Tam anyway?

[Jonny Whizz]

Barrie Appleby doesn't regularly draw Dennis. He drew him in Beano Superstars and in Beano specials, but only occasionally in the weekly. However, this might be changing for this revamp which is on the cards. I don't think that Hansen's and Appleby's styles are that similar, and I can tell between the two fairly easily. Anyone know anything else about the revamp? Which characters will be kept, who will be dropped and will any new ones come in? Hopefully there won't be any more reprints.

I'm not sure whether to be excited or concerned - I think most people would agree that The Beano is very good at the moment.

[stevezodiac]

I wonder if it will get a new masthead, it was always exciting when a revamped masthead appeared. I liked the 60s one best. It seems to have been the same now since the early 70s. I think the Beezer had the most masthead variations. Has the Beano had four or is it more than that?

[Digifiend]

A lot more, but only four distinct logos, counting the 1998 change as a new logo (even though it's still based on the 1970s logo really)
LOGO1
1938-1947 Peanut. See here
1948-1950 Same logo, but the writing is no longer arched and Big Eggo replaced Peanut. See here
1950-1954 Yellow background, initially with Eggo, then Dennis. See here
1954-1956 Multicoloured variant. See here. Some issues had a black background in this era: see here
1956-1960 Similar to original logo, Dennis in Peanut's place. See here
1960-1961 Same as above but with Plum or Bears instead of Dennis
LOGO2
1961-1963 New lower case logo. See here
1963-1970 The above logo becomes arched. See here
LOGO3
1970-1974 First version of current logo. Thin yellow inside thick red writing, THE above E. See here
1974-1975 THE is now inside the B. This change happened when Dennis took over the cover. See here
1975-1978 THE returned to it's previous font, now above B.
1978-1988 The now familiar thin yellow outline on thick red writing. See here - as this image is from issue 2500, the yellow and white have been swapped.
1988-1993 Logo redone on computer, virtually identical to previous version.
1993-1998 THE changes typeface, writing more rounded. See here
LOGO4 (modified version of logo 3)
1998-2007 Arched logo, slight 3D effect for first few months quickly dropped. See here
2007 Brief use of 3D effect and uneven lettering
2007-? Current logo, with another 3D effect. See here The Posh theme issue used a slightly recoloured version.

I'm not sure if I got the 70s dates right, apart from the 1974 change when Dennis took over the cover.

[NP]

I should point out I am referring to a revamp of Dennis to tie in with the TV series, not a revamp of the Beano.

This is a big revamp The Beano has been working on for a while ... Dennis is changing...

So that's the story.
'Tam' is just 'Tom' when North of the border.

[Digifiend]

News on a Beano revamp over here....

Tsk. Lew's magazine must've made two mistakes! Retail Newsagent can't be trusted then.

That's a relief actually, as the comic is fine as it is (apart from all issues not being the same price), although I suppose issue 3500 will still have something special besides Dennis's new look.

[Lew Stringer]

News on a Beano revamp over here....

Tsk. Lew's magazine must've made two mistakes! Retail Newsagent can't be trusted then.

That's a relief actually, as the comic is fine as it is (apart from all issues not being the same price), although I suppose issue 3500 will still have something special besides Dennis's new look.

Actually it was only people here who jumped to conclusions about the whole comic having a makeover. The story was purely about the Dennis strip changing to reflect the tv show.

Lew