Teaser in this week's Dandy

readee · Post by **readee** » 18 Jul 2007, 10:24

Hi all,

There's a teaser ad in the back of this week's Dandy:

A picture of a "top secret" folder marked "not to be opened until 4/8/2007". It states "You Talked - We Listened".

Hmmm....so the readers asked for a fortnightly comic?

Best,
Chris

rossmac · Post by **rossmac** » 18 Jul 2007, 22:28

Hmmm, somehow I doubt they're going to try to convince us that 'we' asked for a fortnightly

I'm guessing it's going to be something to sweeten the blow somehow... it's going fortnightly BUT.....

Wouldn't it be nice if the 'you' they refer to was this forum? If that were the case, what would they be changing? More stories in the style of the 60s and 70s? More detail in the pictures, adventure stories, a return of Korky, Clott and Smasher (Ok, that last bit is just me!)

And other than that, what else could it be- realistically?

I'm intrigued!

Ross

philcom55 · Post by **philcom55** » 19 Jul 2007, 00:17

...DandyMax?

- Phil Rushton

Peter Gray · Post by **Peter Gray** » 19 Jul 2007, 00:34

you could be right.....

The summer special is like a Dandy max......I thought it was very good.......so the new Dandy may have more pages......hope they don't change the name.............or the issue number.....

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 19 Jul 2007, 09:26

rossmac wrote: Wouldn't it be nice if the 'you' they refer to was this forum?

Without wishing to denigrate this worthwhile forum, and I know you weren't entirely serious there, but realistically, I don't think the views of a dozen or less vociferous people here would sway them, nor should it.

It's more likely to refer to reader's letters, focus group surveys, or online poll results. It'll be the views of their target audience, not the wishes of a few adult collectors.

I assume it refers to changes in content rather than frequency. (But if readers have said they can't afford ?1.30 a week, a fortnightly frequency would help them.)

Personally I'm surprised The Dandy has lasted this long as a weekly, considering that a less regular frequency for comics has been preferred by the retail trade for several years now. (How times change though. I remember an IPC editor over 20 years ago telling me a monthly comic wouldn't work for the UK market because "readers would forget which week it was coming out". Now it's the norm.)

Lew

rossmac · Post by **rossmac** » 19 Jul 2007, 11:24

Don't worry- I wasn't being in the least bit serious when I said that!

Just dreaming!

I agree that it's definitely the target audience, emails, letters etc that they've received that they are basing it on- and I applaud that. Yes, sales are down and they have to do something, but it's good to see that they are taking notice of what their audience want and that should translate into better sales. I'd rather see the Dandy survive and live on for another 70 years, than see it die because it's stuck in the past (I guess that's what Classics from the Comics is for!) just because that's what 'we' would like!

Just curious, do any of the Dandy artists who reside here have any clue as to what the big change is? I know you can't probably say anything, but just would be interested to know if you know?

Regards,
Ross

Peter Gray · Post by **Peter Gray** » 19 Jul 2007, 19:04

Nigel P said that he was working on a new project....maybe he is to draw a new character for The Dandy......

only guessing......

Post by **AndyB** » 25 Jul 2007, 23:14

just think, the Beano would take less than two years to overhaul the Dandy's issue tally

Earl · Post by **Earl** » 28 Jul 2007, 10:12

If they are removing most of the actual comic material it won't take long for the Beano to pass the Dandy as it sounds like the Dandy may soon be a childrens magazine and not a comic at all - so it might not count as a true comic after the change.

Then the Dandy can be Thomson's (2nd?) longest running magazine after 'The People's Friend' rather than it's longest running comic.

Earl.

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 28 Jul 2007, 12:29

Earl wrote:If they are removing most of the actual comic material it won't take long for the Beano to pass the Dandy as it sounds like the Dandy may soon be a childrens magazine and not a comic at all - so it might not count as a true comic after the change.

What is the definition of a "true comic"? Even the earliest comics (Comic Cuts, Illustrated Chips etc) had 50% text material in them and TV Century 21 had only 12 or 13 of its 20 pages devoted to comic strip. And although I don't have copies to hand to check, I think Look-In was about a 50/50 balance of strips and features too.

Lew

Captain Storm · Post by **Captain Storm** » 28 Jul 2007, 16:41

Ah the semantics of it all

Everybody's definition is gonna be different depending on how old they are.Now me,I'm ANCIENT

Earl · Post by **Earl** » 29 Jul 2007, 16:52

Lew Stringer wrote:
Earl wrote:If they are removing most of the actual comic material it won't take long for the Beano to pass the Dandy as it sounds like the Dandy may soon be a childrens magazine and not a comic at all - so it might not count as a true comic after the change.
What is the definition of a "true comic"? Even the earliest comics (Comic Cuts, Illustrated Chips etc) had 50% text material in them and TV Century 21 had only 12 or 13 of its 20 pages devoted to comic strip. And although I don't have copies to hand to check, I think Look-In was about a 50/50 balance of strips and features too.

Lew

Well in my view a publication is classified by it's primary content.

A newspaper with a half page of comics is a newspaper.

A features magazine with 2 pages of comics is a magazine.

If you add a second story to a bungalow is it still a bungalow?

Of course I think think having a few strips is better than no strips, but I like to read comics. I don't want to spend money on 48 or 32 pages of something only to get 6 pages of comics content.

Earl.

Earl · Post by **Earl** » 29 Jul 2007, 16:59

Of course I could just be getting to be an old git who hates change

Knowsnowt · Post by **Knowsnowt** » 30 Jul 2007, 15:46

For what it's worth (and I know nowt), I think a children's magazine has as much chance of success as a children's newspaper.

readee · Post by **readee** » 30 Jul 2007, 22:11

For what it's worth (and I know nowt), I think a children's magazine has as much chance of success as a children's newspaper.

There are already children's magazines running successfully in the UK (Kraze Club, CY, National Geographic Kids, DK Find Out...) as well as a couple of children's newspapers (First News being the only newsstand one mind).

Best,
Chris

Comics UK