Has there ever been a serious attempt to republish older British comics? I'm not talking about those one-off (but always welcome) nostalgia books that drift their why into 'Just Books' – I'm thinking more on the lines of the hard/softback collected editions that Marvel/DC have in the states (ie Marvel Masterworks & DC Archives).
Even in the UK there is a fortnightly hardback collection of marvel comics story arcs on sale in WHS. Imagine a similar line collecting the complete run of Jelly Men or some of the regular Buster characters.
The British are a nostalgic lot, and I think it's time to get nostalgic about our home grown comic products. One of my favourite icebreakers at work meetings is to talk about comics we used to read. People's faces always light up - it's amazing how much affection is still held for these things, even by old jaded corporate drones.
Collected reprints
Moderator: AndyB
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ISPYSHHHGUY
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Re: Collected reprints
Sadly, scorpion, this potential is still woefully untapped, but hopefully the floodgates will open on this score before long [with long overdue chronological collections on one format or another].
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Marionette
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Re: Collected reprints
If it happens at all now, it'll probably be digital. Minimal overheads, lots of profit. But there's been little sign of that happening yet.
The Tammy Project: Documenting the classic British girls' comic, one serial at a time.
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ISPYSHHHGUY
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Re: Collected reprints
I know a lot of comics fans and enthusiasts find it difficult to adapt to reading comics as computer files, but I personally have got used to it and it becomes 'intuitive' if you persist with it.
Having said that, reading a pile of real-worlde comics is way more comfortable, whatever marvels the Digital Worlde continues to throw at us, and I can only read about 6 digital comics on a row before my eyes get tired and I feel like switching off---if you can tolerate this limiting outlook, it does actually suffice [6 digi-comics a day x 7 each week: enough to sustain the old interest, and I doubt if I was able to read anything like this amount of comics as a nipper, me hearties!]
I would loved to have been able to do so at the time, though...
Having said that, reading a pile of real-worlde comics is way more comfortable, whatever marvels the Digital Worlde continues to throw at us, and I can only read about 6 digital comics on a row before my eyes get tired and I feel like switching off---if you can tolerate this limiting outlook, it does actually suffice [6 digi-comics a day x 7 each week: enough to sustain the old interest, and I doubt if I was able to read anything like this amount of comics as a nipper, me hearties!]
I would loved to have been able to do so at the time, though...
Re: Collected reprints
Yes I find it more relaxing reading from paper too, plus I guess it's closer to the original experience and therefore enhances the feeling of 'being back there'.
Digital may be the only possible outlet as you say. I can read digital scans but (even with correct sitting/viewing alignment) my eyes get tired, my back starts to feel pressured etc. Getting older!
Actually if the comics were collected into hardback sets, what would your preferred approach be? The whole comic series reproduced in chronological order (ie Buster issues 1-20 collected into volume 1, complete with ads, and so on) or to collect characters/stories into separate volumes (ie, 'The complete 'Tales of the Twister' in one hardback edition and so on). I would probably prefer the former, but would be grateful for either.
Digital may be the only possible outlet as you say. I can read digital scans but (even with correct sitting/viewing alignment) my eyes get tired, my back starts to feel pressured etc. Getting older!
Actually if the comics were collected into hardback sets, what would your preferred approach be? The whole comic series reproduced in chronological order (ie Buster issues 1-20 collected into volume 1, complete with ads, and so on) or to collect characters/stories into separate volumes (ie, 'The complete 'Tales of the Twister' in one hardback edition and so on). I would probably prefer the former, but would be grateful for either.
Re: Collected reprints
Well Titan has been doing excellent work reprinting some older material, even if it 's mostly from the "Battle" era (Charley 's War, Johnny Red etc). Their collections of Dredd, Slaine, Nemesis and other 2000AD titles that they published between 2002 and 2004 were also top quality. I wish Rebellion hadn 't taken the rights back to publish them on their own in smaller format... 
Re: Collected reprints
At least most of the 'Dan Dare' stories from Eagle have been collected (excepting the ones that were printed in black & white).
Of course, many old Howard Baker volumes reprinting the Magnet still turn up from time to time. It's a shame he never followed them up with titles like Buster, Lion, Tiger, Valiant, etc.
- Phil R.
Of course, many old Howard Baker volumes reprinting the Magnet still turn up from time to time. It's a shame he never followed them up with titles like Buster, Lion, Tiger, Valiant, etc.
- Phil R.
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felneymike
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Re: Collected reprints
The DFC library has also collected individual series from the DFC. Hopefully the same will happen with some Phoenix stories in the near future. If it's in time for christmas, they may find their way into the hands of non-readers, who will start getting the weekly.
I also like the Judge Dredd case files, especially the "pulp" earlier volumes, collecting complete years. A great big wedge of comic for £13.99... or whatever they were. The newer ones are printed in colour, so are probably more (and, of course, Dredd was at his best in the 70's and 2000's!). Modesty Blaise collected books also continue to trickle out, 3 stories for £11.99. They're not as reliable as they were pre-recession, mind you.
Unfortunately the modern Dan Dare books appear to have ceased, they did manage to collect all the Frank Hampson stories, though (maybe that was the intention). They were pretty steep, being hardbacks on art paper, but as the art all had to be scanned and processed from the original comics, they were going to be expensive anyway.
There was also a plan to do a year-by-year reprint of all of Roy of the Rovers, but that failed at the first hurdle, leaving us with only 3 "best of" books (though the 80's one is brilliant).
I also like the Judge Dredd case files, especially the "pulp" earlier volumes, collecting complete years. A great big wedge of comic for £13.99... or whatever they were. The newer ones are printed in colour, so are probably more (and, of course, Dredd was at his best in the 70's and 2000's!). Modesty Blaise collected books also continue to trickle out, 3 stories for £11.99. They're not as reliable as they were pre-recession, mind you.
Unfortunately the modern Dan Dare books appear to have ceased, they did manage to collect all the Frank Hampson stories, though (maybe that was the intention). They were pretty steep, being hardbacks on art paper, but as the art all had to be scanned and processed from the original comics, they were going to be expensive anyway.
There was also a plan to do a year-by-year reprint of all of Roy of the Rovers, but that failed at the first hurdle, leaving us with only 3 "best of" books (though the 80's one is brilliant).
Re: Collected reprints
Given his high profile as a novelist I'm really surprised that Philip Pullman's 'Adventures of John Blake' hasn't been released in collected form (unless it was and I missed it!).felneymike wrote:The DFC library has also collected individual series from the DFC.
- Phil Rushton