Andy Fanton strip coming soon

[Digifiend]

Posted half an hour ago on Facebook.

More good news! Been asked to draw a regular, full-page strip for The Beano! WAHOOOOOOO!

When I asked if it was a new character or an existing one, he said "It's all top secret, and I'd hate them to release Gnasher on me...all I can say is that it is an existing character. Ish."

[Gilly]

ABOUT TIME!!!

Wonder what he means by existing character ish though. An old character coming back with a new design perhaps?

[Little Squelchy Thing]

I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you! Alright, I wouldn't kill you. I'm not a maniac. Ish.

In other Beano news, looks like Alex Matthews has something in the pipeline too: http://alexonemillion.com/New-Beano-character

[Gilly]

I better not ask then.

I don't think anyone can accuse The Beano of playing it safe no more. It's great to see new characters coming in though to keep things fresh.

[Peter Gray]

Its Scared-stiff Sam type character maybe..

[Peter Gray]

Also new are Beano babies...I think by Laura..

done in a manga style..

[Gilly]

That's quite a few new strips Peter, have any been replaced?

[Peter Gray]

it will happen next week...so its just an advert at the moment..

the large kid in the advert seems a clumsy type walking through walls..

[Digifiend]

Isn't that one of Bananaman's gimmicks? He always crashes through the wall of Chief O'Reilly's office.

Unless they're increasing the page count permanently (rather than the occasional extra 8 pages we've had only some weeks recently), something definitely has to go.

[WizzKid97]

I wouldn't mind seeing a bit of a rearrange of stories really, series such as Meebo and Zuky and Gnasher's Bite have had their time in the comic now and are fit to leave. Both haven't been wildly impressive in recent years and the jokes are very limited in both.

Personally, I'd prefer to see more pages added and the removal of Bananaman and the return of Fred's Bed. I also think the Funsize Funnies should be on a rotor because a few of the Funsize Funnies (particularly Biffo the Bear and Gnash Gnews) have become stale by now and should be replaced with new material. I wouldn't want to see them end forever though so there certainly should be a rotor - The Beano should follow in the footsteps of The Dandy and pick up where they went wrong (i.e. barely any mini-strip returns) and fix that.

[Lew Stringer]

I also think the Funsize Funnies should be on a rotor because a few of the Funsize Funnies (particularly Biffo the Bear and Gnash Gnews) have become stale by now and should be replaced with new material. I wouldn't want to see them end forever though so there certainly should be a rotor - The Beano should follow in the footsteps of The Dandy and pick up where they went wrong (i.e. barely any mini-strip returns) and fix that.

What you're suggesting would mean less work for everyone, unless you use the same writers/artists for the new material.

[Digifiend]

Well someone's probably losing work anyway as it is. Andy Fanton's only Beano work so far has been writing duties on Little Plum. Now he's drawing a page. Unless it replaces Bananaman or Calamity James, someone else is losing that page.

[big bad bri]

Get rid of all those waste of space advertising pages & reprints of calamity james etc but keep bananaman but new stories with a decent artist this time more suited to the classic look of bananaman.

[Gilly]

Can't see Bananaman going but Calamity James is a maybe. Meebo and Zuky perhaps as well due to Laura (maybe) drawing Beano Babies.

[AndyB]

The Bambeanos are the work of Wayne Thompson as far as I can see. There's also a new Alexander Matthews strip coming next week.

Has Calamity James gone new, and is it Henry Davies?