Why? Why? WHY!!!???

[Sidnny]

Now I know that there are many burning issues e.g.

Why is Gordon Brown still in power ? - (Please no political discussions).

Who is going to be the next American President?

Whoever thought that the title for the new James Bond movie was ever cool? - (Though it is starting to grow on me - besides it's the story that matters).

Why they are postponing the next Harry Potter film and instead bring out two films next year?

Why did they have to ruin Dallas by bringing Bobby back in the shower? -(Okay, very long time ago).

But my burning question is this:

You have the Dandy Xtreme comic.

You have the Dandy Xtreme Summer Special.

But the book is just the Dandy Annual.

Why????

[rossmac]

Don't know why, but I for one am pleased that it is just 'The Dandy' Annual. I guess, maybe since it is mainly comics then they decided that it wasn't 'xtreme', as it is the articles, reviews, cheats etc that are essentially the difference between the old Dandy and the current Dandy Xtreme.

Or it may just be that the Annual is often a bit out of sync with the comic. For example the 2006 annual had the 'classic' Ken Dan on the cover despite the new square jaw-ed version having been in the comic for quite some time. Then in 2007 they caught up with the times and had the new Dan, but went back to classic Dan for 2008 and now despite the new Jamie Dan we're back to the square jawed Ken Dan on the cover Although this last one is probably because it was decided & drawn long before Jamie Dan started in the comic, and from what I've heard Jamie Dan will be on the 2010 cover (and does that mean that will be an Xtreme Annual?).

Ross

[Conor B]

Not to do with being "out-of-sync" really, as it still features "Jak and Todd" under the new title, and the new logo on the cover. They probably know that the annual will sell much more if it sticks with the traditional style. Maybe next year they could have a "Dandy" annual and an "Xtreme" annual!! Not that I'd buy the Xtreme one.

[Lew Stringer]

Not to do with being "out-of-sync" really, as it still features "Jak and Todd" under the new title, and the new logo on the cover. They probably know that the annual will sell much more if it sticks with the traditional style. Maybe next year they could have a "Dandy" annual and an "Xtreme" annual!! Not that I'd buy the Xtreme one.

I think you're right. Annuals have more of a "tradition" to uphold than the comics, so that's one reason. The other reason could simply be that the feature material in the comic is about current fads, (movies, games, etc) which would be out of date by the time the Annual appeared.

Lew

[thomasc1982]

I think a bit part of it is that adult collectors still get the annuals (like me) but not the comics...So they need to find a way of appealing to both markets...And the topical magazine rubbish wouldnt really work in an annual anyway... So it makes sense to me

I just would like more reprints of classic annuals to appear

[Sidnny]

Not really a serious question (as you may have guessed) and as long as they are continued to be published. Like thomasc1982, I've been collecting them since I was seven.

[Digifiend]

from what I've heard Jamie Dan will be on the 2010 cover (and does that mean that will be an Xtreme Annual?)

Wrong (it's Nigel Parkinson in Ken Harrison's 2004-7 style) and no (not Xtreme), as it turns out.

[Jonny Whizz]

The problem with Xtreme that as a sort of a cross between a magazine and a comic, the 'Xtreme' stuff is all right up to date. The deadline for DCT's annuals (and most other annuals) is the end of August the year BEFORE publication. Of course, in this time, trends and crazes pass by, meaning what was really cool at the time of the annual being made might have become totally uncool by the time it comes out, and it's a particular problem in sports like football, where a guy who everyone wanted to be on the playground gets forgotten after a miserable season. In short, an Xtreme annual would be too topical. Egmont haven't done a Toxic annual for the same reason, though you'd think they would produce an annual containing just the comic strips.

[Digifiend]

That's exactly what I was thinking when I mentioned the absence of a Toxic Annual in another thread. Get artists like Laura Howell to draw their usual Toxic strips (in her case, Robin Hoodie), and commission some new characters just for the annual (they could use some from that bonus comic they did a few months back). That's what DC Thomson did when the Dandy and Beano annuals started in 1938-9.

Given that Toxic is very popular and outsells Xtreme, I reckon an annual would do as well as the Dandy one at least, despite the lack of history associated with the title.

[Lew Stringer]

Annuals aren't the big sellers they used to be Digi. A Toxic Annual full of strips would be expensive to produce, and would have neither the generational appeal of The Dandy (ie: bought by parents/grandparents who remember it) or the brand recognition of all the tv/toy tie-in books.

Then there's the chance that a kid flicking through it wouldn't want it because it wasn't half-full of topical reviews/previews etc.

Then there's the retailers, presented with a list of books which includes one they're not familiar with. And its content is too cheeky to stock alongside Teletubbies Annual in Tesco, but not adult enough to put with the Viz annual. So they'd probably pass on it and before you know it you have a warehouse full of unsold books and a publisher looking to claw its losses back by making cutbacks.... Not ideal.

Lew

[Digifiend]

If that's the case, it's a wonder the Broons and Oor Wullie ones are marketed in England, where few people buy the Sunday Post and so would recognise them. Likewise, if kids won't buy an annual without up-to-date features, you'd think the Beano and Dandy annuals would be doing badly too - and from what I've heard, only Doctor Who has beaten the Beano Annual recently.

A decline of sales does explain why WHSmith still had 2009 annuals in stock when the time came to replace them with the 2010 editions! And that did include the Dandy Annual.

[Lew Stringer]

If that's the case, it's a wonder the Broons and Oor Wullie ones are marketed in England, where few people buy the Sunday Post and so would recognise them.

The Sunday Post seems quite well distributed here in the Midlands. Mostly bought by Scottish people who have moved South perhaps? My Mum reads it too, but she's not Scottish, so it does have an appeal outside of Dundee.

Likewise, if kids won't buy an annual without up-to-date features, you'd think the Beano and Dandy annuals would be doing badly too - and from what I've heard, only Doctor Who has beaten the Beano Annual recently.

As I said, Dandy and Beano have a attraction that reaches across the generations. Parents and Grandparents recognise the names. Toxic doesn't have that advantage.

A decline of sales does explain why WHSmith still had 2009 annuals in stock when the time came to replace them with the 2010 editions! And that did include the Dandy Annual.

Presumably they're on firm sale then. (No returns to the publisher.)

Lew

[chrissmillie]

Is it The Dandy Annual or the Dandy Book? Certainly DCT always used to be Books rather than Annuals.

[Lew Stringer]

Is it The Dandy Annual or the Dandy Book? Certainly DCT always used to be Books rather than Annuals.

A few years ago they changed them to "Annuals".

Lew

[Digifiend]

It changed with the 2003 editions.