Will The Dandy ever return?

Discuss or comment on anything relating to Britain's longest running comic. The home of Korky the Cat and Desperate Dan. Has been running since 1937.

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SID
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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by SID »

I am resigned that it will just live on in annuals and specials (for a long time to come I hope). However, it would be nice if DCT did give a definitive statement on The Dandy's future.
Reading comics since 1970. My Current Regulars are: 2000 AD (1977-), Judge Dredd Megazine (1990-), Spaceship Away (2003-), Commando (2013-), Monster Fun (2022-), Deadpool and Wolverine (2023-), Quantum (2023-).

Spencer
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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by Spencer »

Until we get a definitive 'no' then I'm clinging on to a little hope...
DCT's last communication on the Dandy's future was in a reply to a post on the Dandy Facebook page enquiring about the status of The Dandy..
This reply stated "Hey, Epic Callum, we're still working on some exciting plans for The Dandy's digital future. We can't say too much at the moment, but hopefully we'll be able to bring you some news soon"
Although this was back in March 2014, there was obviously SOMEthing being planned... Also, with a Bananaman movie coming this year (apparently?), maybe something could be launched (even if digital only) to tie-in with this?

I know it's a long shot but while there's still a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter account and no statement otherwise, I'm hoping we'll one day see Dan, Cuddles & Dimples, Korky, Brassneck and pals In some form or other again.

Whatever people's views of the art styles in the last issues of The Dandy (which, by the way, myself and my sons all enjoyed), the writing in these last issues was certainly top-notch in terms of chuckles...
:xfingers: :xfingers:

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SID
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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by SID »

Spencer wrote:Until we get a definitive 'no' then I'm clinging on to a little hope...
DCT's last communication on the Dandy's future was in a reply to a post on the Dandy Facebook page enquiring about the status of The Dandy..
This reply stated "Hey, Epic Callum, we're still working on some exciting plans for The Dandy's digital future. We can't say too much at the moment, but hopefully we'll be able to bring you some news soon"
Although this was back in March 2014, there was obviously SOMEthing being planned... Also, with a Bananaman movie coming this year (apparently?), maybe something could be launched (even if digital only) to tie-in with this?

I know it's a long shot but while there's still a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter account and no statement otherwise, I'm hoping we'll one day see Dan, Cuddles & Dimples, Korky, Brassneck and pals In some form or other again.

Whatever people's views of the art styles in the last issues of The Dandy (which, by the way, myself and my sons all enjoyed), the writing in these last issues was certainly top-notch in terms of chuckles...
:xfingers: :xfingers:
:up:
Reading comics since 1970. My Current Regulars are: 2000 AD (1977-), Judge Dredd Megazine (1990-), Spaceship Away (2003-), Commando (2013-), Monster Fun (2022-), Deadpool and Wolverine (2023-), Quantum (2023-).

geoff42
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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by geoff42 »

It's extremely unlikely that the Dandy will ever make a comeback in printed form on a weekly basis. But it still endures through the summer specials and annuals which has to be a bonus. Technically, through these annual offerings, it still lives unlike the old stalwarts such as Beezer, Topper, Buster, etc... It's not much, but it's something.

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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by alanultron5 »

Sadly, if the sales levels don't support a weekly comic- then no! Of course, yearly annuals can continue; but a weekly? afraid not in my view! Look at the once mighty NME; now struggling for survival.
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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by geoff42 »

The circulation figures of daily newspapers is dropping alarmingly. The printed form as we know it is ailing. People read e-books now rather than buy the hard copy. Savour the printed forms of Beano and 2000 ad while you can for they will go under. It's inevitable, sadly. The youth of today is transfixed with smart phones and increasing technology; no time for paper. We Luddites, as we have become, will slowly die out and leave a cyber landscape to reign. There is little hope, however. Vinyl records are still gaining a curious audience.

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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by geoff42 »

Here's a classic example of what I mean from my last post. Yesterday at work, there was a copy of that day's Sun newspaper in the canteen. One or two flicked through it while the majority were too preoccupied with their smartphones. Guess the generation of the one or two who paid attention to the newspaper - forty plus in years; the majority with their smartphones who had no interest in the newspaper were in their early twenties. Jesus, they had no interest in page 3. Twenty years ago, grown men fought over that newspaper!

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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by Phoenix »

geoff42 wrote: Jesus, they had no interest in page 3.
My younger son, Russell, who knows about these things, Geoff, tells me that the Page 3 Girls in The Sun no longer strip to the waist, an editorial decision that I heartily approve of incidentally, but the knock-on effect will eventually contribute to a significant reduction in sales of the paper, if it isn't already doing so. Of course sales up here on Merseyside are already a lot lower than they used to be anyway due to its original coverage of Hillsborough, and there will be no forgiveness in future, or so it would appear.

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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by geoff42 »

Hi, Phoenix, I never meant to provoke an argument over the flexibility of newspapers with which to display female breasts. Personally, I have no problem. I go to Benidorm every year and see plenty of displayed breasts and don't even blink. It's a natural environment. How far do we go with the no-no's of the past? Back in the seventies, and before, do we lambast the parents of Dennis, Minnie, Roger (no longer allowed to express their disapproval with a slipper); which is worse? To see harsh punishment (as was viewed in those days) or a pair of natural breasts that may cause a little excitement amongst the menfolk? Which is the most warped of the two - the sexual aspect of female nipples or the violent conduct reaped against mischievous kids?

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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by AndyB »

Or Eric Roberts' and Jimmy Hughes' caricatures of chinese and black people in the 1970s Dandy Books, or reprint books in the 1970s of 1950s and 1960s strips including cigars, pipes, you name it. Creatures of their time.

I am going to be honest and say I don't see the Dandy returning. If it had been allowed to keep going for another year or two, the web version might have been better and more sustainable, but 13 weeks before being relaunched with most of the same material, albeit free, was never going to cut ice and I was disappointed but not awfully surprised. Two years on from that, I don't see it coming back other than as a heritage title unless the Beano bucks the market and starts growing.

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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by Digifiend »

Digital Dandy was not free (if you got the second versions free it's because you already paid for the original versions). Not unless you directly typed in the urls for the stories anyway (which shouldn't have been possible due to the paywall - just one of the bugs that killed it off).

And yeah, no way is Dandy coming back. I know of at least two retailers in my area that apparently delisted The Beano recently. It's not doing so well itself it seems. :(

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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by AndyB »

I've noticed that it's only possible to get comics and other magazines for the 5-16 age range in proper newsagents. Never in convenience stores.

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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by Digifiend »

The shops I was referring to were a branch of Supernews and a branch of McColls - Supernews is a newsagent and McColls is a newsagent/convenience hybrid (neither of them sell Doctor Who Magazine either, so it's not just to do with the 5-16 age range). You're right that convenience stores don't tend to have a decent range - Sainsbury's Local and Tesco Express are no good. Aldi have a very tiny range too. The places I can rely on are Asda (but just recently my local branch seem to have not ordered enough copies, they've been sold out by Saturday more than once recently), Tesco Extra, and WHSmith.

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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by Phoenix »

AndyB wrote:I've noticed that it's only possible to get comics and other magazines for the 5-16 age range in proper newsagents. Never in convenience stores.
Out of curiosity I've just been across to my local convenience store (the main supermarket, Morrisons, is in the town square, a quarter of an hour's walk away from my house, so to save time I'm prepared occasionally to pay a little extra for the convenience), and before I bought a couple of items for my tea I made a list of virtually all the comics and magazines for children on sale there, some of which I had never heard of. They had C Beebies, Peppa Pig, Hello Kitty, Lego Elves, Lego Friends, Swashbuckle, Palace Pets, Doc McStuffing, The Furchester Hotel, Toxic, Doctor Who Adventures, Ren 10, Under The Sea Magazine, Disney Princess, Girl Talk, The Official Jacqueline Wilson Magazine, Moshi Monsters, Barbie, Top Of The Pops, Frozen Trading Cards, Spider-Man Sticker Collection (starter pack), My Sister, My Hero Sticker Collection (starter pack), and Cinderella Sticker Collection.

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Re: Will The Dandy ever return?

Post by Digifiend »

It's Ben 10, not Ren 10.

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