British Comic Mergers - Good or Bad?

[SID]

My question is this:

If your comic was going to fold, would you rather that it was merged with another comic; therefore giving some of its strips a change to survive in their new host comic?

Or would you preferred for your comic and its strips to just fade into oblivion?

[SID]

As a reader, I liked mergers (despite my tone in other threads). I thought that they created a little excitement.

Agreed that it was not much fun when it was one of your comics that was heading for the chopping block (e.g. Cracker into The Beezer) but then again, I rather have had that than just finishing the comic and losing any chance of reading my favourite strips (if they were carried forward).

Yes, merging could irrevocably alter the make up of the hosting comic but sometimes that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I thought the Battle Picture Weekly and Action merger was a good one. At the time, I was never really into the individual comics but the new Battle-Action got me hooked.

[Robbie Moubert]

I started reading Valiant in 1969 which, in hindsight, was probably just when it was starting to decline a bit. I think the mergers with Smash! and TV21 weakened it further but I didn't mind them too much at the time. I hated the merger with Lion and it was never the same for me after that. Looking back at the earliest issues, I think the merger with Knockout kick-started the comic after a mediocre start.

[SID]

I started reading Valiant in 1969 which, in hindsight, was probably just when it was starting to decline a bit. I think the mergers with Smash! and TV21 weakened it further but I didn't mind them too much at the time. I hated the merger with Lion and it was never the same for me after that. Looking back at the earliest issues, I think the merger with Knockout kick-started the comic after a mediocre start.

I haven't heard anyone say that the Valiant and Lion merger was a good thing. Funnily enough, it was the merger that got me interested in the comic but because I still preferred humour comics at the time, I quickly lost it again. By the time I did start taking an interest in adventure comics, Valiant was gone.

[philcom55]

At least Valiant got equal billing with Battle for the first few issues after their merger, though the fact that Battle came first showed that the writing was already on the wall for 'Britain's Top Adventure Paper'!

[SID]

Now that was a very sad merger since it killed off it's (and Lion's) legacy overnight. Only recently created strips such as One-eyed Jack made the transfer. (Yes, Captain Hurricane did come over but only to man a reader's page.)

I know it was done to bring over the readers but I do think this was one merger where the comic might as well have been cancelled outright.

[stevezodiac]

Growing up in the sixties I was a very big fan of the Power comics. It wasn't so bad when Pow! absorbed Wham! But then Smash absorbed Pow! which was sad for me as Pow! was my weekly comic along with TV Century 21 and Fantastic. Then Fantastic was absorbed by Smash! and that was the end of Power comics. Perhaps like the Beatles and tv's The Avengers and U.N.C.L.E. they belonged in the sixties.

[Lew Stringer]

Growing up in the sixties I was a very big fan of the Power comics. It wasn't so bad when Pow! absorbed Wham! But then Smash absorbed Pow! which was sad for me as Pow! was my weekly comic along with TV Century 21 and Fantastic. Then Fantastic was absorbed by Smash! and that was the end of Power comics. Perhaps like the Beatles and tv's The Avengers and U.N.C.L.E. they belonged in the sixties.

I think so. The 'Power Comics' were so 1960s (in a good way) that in retrospect I'm glad they only exist there. (Smash! being changed out of all recognition in 1969; still a good comic, but not really Smash!)

[koollectablz]

Here's one for you, a merger that actually did get the best from both and made a much stronger comic all round.

2000AD and StarLord.

[philcom55]

Come to think of it I wonder what was the greatest number of merged comic titles to be crammed onto the same cover?

[SID]

Here's one for you, a merger that actually did get the best from both and made a much stronger comic all round.

2000AD and Starlord.

No argument from me. It did help that the comics were so compatible that strips from one could have easily originated in the other. I also think it was one of those mergers where it didn't really matter which one won - it would still be around today and looking very similar today's 2000AD.

IMHO.

PS Prefer the name "2000AD" though.

[SID]

Come to think of it I wonder what was the greatest number of merged comic titles to be crammed onto the same cover?

Good question.

I have seen a comic drop the merged comic name from its masthead one week and two weeks later has incorporated another title.

Another question: Has there ever been a multiple merger (3 comics into 1)?

[koollectablz]

Come to think of it I wonder what was the greatest number of merged comic titles to be crammed onto the same cover?

Good question.

I have seen a comic drop the merged comic name from its masthead one week and two weeks later has incorporated another title.

Another question: Has there ever been a multiple merger (3 comics into 1)?

All in one week? Good question!

I quite like it when summer special incorporate multiple titles too. The first smash/power/fantastic does, likewise the first Dandy/Beano.

What others i wonder?

[SID]

Come to think of it I wonder what was the greatest number of merged comic titles to be crammed onto the same cover?

Good question.

I have seen a comic drop the merged comic name from its masthead one week and two weeks later has incorporated another title.

Another question: Has there ever been a multiple merger (3 comics into 1)?

All in one week? Good question!

I quite like it when summer special incorporate multiple titles too. The first smash/power/fantastic does, likewise the first Dandy/Beano.

What others i wonder?

Talking about summer specials, I loved the Lion and Valiant specials. DCT also did the Magic-Beano annuals.

[stevezodiac]

Strictly speaking it should have been:

Smash! and Pow! & Wham! incorporating Fantastic & Terrific.

Here's a question - did those issues contain at least one strip from all five comics?