Dandy Relaunch next month

[Spencer]

This 'major part' is really foxing me! We know from Nigel's blog that "all it took was a 5 second phone call" to get it arranged. I guess that means that Nigel knew the person well that he was calling. I'm probably barking up the wrong tree massively, but I think there's some kind of Harry Hill connection. Nigel mentions that he is a good friend and asks "Harry couldn't be any busier, could he??".

WHAT the connection could be - don't know? Harry Hill's TV Burp certainly has a great kind of humour to it - very appealing to young and old.

Harry Hill's TV Burp - sponsored by The Dandy?

That would be cooool (but prohibitively expensive I guess)

Oh well, 8 days to go now!

[steelclaw]

I would love to see mini reprint comics in the centre pages, Buddy,Champ, Sparky, Wizard say once a month I would defo get a subscribtion then

[Lew Stringer]

I would love to see mini reprint comics in the centre pages, Buddy,Champ, Sparky, Wizard say once a month I would defo get a subscribtion then

The cancellation of Classics would suggest that today's 8 year olds are not interested in vintage material.

[NP]

A crossover strip with the Beano where the same story is told from different points of view; readers have to buy both comics to get the full story

I like it

[felneymike]

Yeah but the pocket money providers of the land won't!

On the Harry Hill connection... perhaps him as "editor"? A "Radio Fun"-esque strip about him (that'd be a turn up for the books!)? Or maybe him "introducing" each strip and cracking jokes about it like that kid in Cracker? (Which would have course require a lot of new strips to be drawn 'around' this concept to make it easier)

[kevf]

Possible ideas:

- Campaign in schools to get kids into comics as a means of getting them reading (I'm really surprised DC Thomson haven't exploited this more)

In case anyone's not aware, I already run a campaign in schools to get kids into comics as a means of getting them reading. It's called my Comic Art Masterclasses and is rather popular. By the end of a morning or afternoon a class of kids has produced a comic which they take away, here are some examples from recent classes.

I would love to take Dandys into my classes, if anyone could send me promotional copies I can guarantee they'll be devoured. Currently The Beano is the most well known comic in primary schools nationwide, the Dandy is almost entirely unknown. I'd love to see that change, and will help in whatever way I can. For the record I spent nearly 100 days in schools, colleges, libraries & art centres last year doing my Comic Art Masterclasses. Working with an average of 50 kids per day, that's 5000 kids who could become instant and devoted Dandy fans.

Anyone else wants their comic put in the hands of kids who are suddenly very excited about the artform, I'm here to help.

Kev F
Demo video: http://bit.ly/8ZVYS0

[kevf]

National Comics Day, ah memories. None of you will remember, but I launched National Comics day in 1997 as a promotional device for the first National Comics Awards (presented by Jonathan Ross? Won by The Beano?)

Talking of changing the subject back to the Dandy relaunch, I've been told on another forum that "the cover to the first new issue has a big ol' headshot of HH and talks about the new Harry Hill comic strip inside, so I'd say that was definitely on, though whether that's the innovation they're talking about, who knows..."

Which sounds all well and good. Not as innovative as I was hoping for (guest editors and appearances by celebs being a pretty regular occurrence in The Beano to no great effect), but if it gets The Dandy featured on the telly, it can only be a good thing. I hope the strip is written by Harry Hill's writers and is genuinely original, could be good.

Fingers crossed.

Kev F

PS: Have you seen the video for Harry Hill's new single I Want A Baby? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIQ4su7xWuA

[stevezodiac]

Perhaps we could buy several copies of the new Dandy and hand them to trick or treaters who come knocking. With some sweets of course - a comic on its own wouldn't go down well.

[Digifiend]

- Celebrity guest 'editors'
- The use of strips from licensed tv properties
- Translations of foreign strips (I would love to see some more translated European cartoons)
- A crossover strip with the Beano where the same story is told from different points of view; readers have to buy both comics to get the full story

These ideas have been done before:
Guest editors: Beano did this with Dick and Dom once a few years ago.
Licensed properties: BeanoMax already has Wallace and Gromit, and Dandy's Bogies is licensed as well. There was also Potsworth & Co in Beezer and Topper then Dandy in 1993-4.
Foreign Strip translated: Dandy did this in 2004 with Tootuff.
Crossover strip: Both Beano and Dandy ran various strips tying into Beanotown Racing in 2001. There was also an April Fools stunt one year in the 90s where Dennis "left" The Beano, and tried to take over Desperate Dan's spot as Dandy cover star. I only have The Beano half of this story.

[PaulTwist]

I adore Harry Hill (save for his new single, linked to above, which is sneery chav-bashing of the worst, laziest kind and which has really, really disappointed me) so his presence in The Dandy would certainly be A Good Thing in my books (unless he's chav-bashing etc etc).

[NP]

Perhaps we could buy several copies of the new Dandy ..

This I also like.

[Spencer]

No clues in this week's Beano chaps. The 'mystery gift' in my copy was a 'batapult' and there is nary an advert in sight for the New Dandy.

I can understand keeping it under wraps but thought maybe worth advertising that NEXT WEEK you can get the new Dandy ... Big it up a little to coin a phrase that I hate..

Hopes resting on a Weekly News front page EXCLUSIVE tomorrow now......

[Lew Stringer]

No clues in this week's Beano chaps. The 'mystery gift' in my copy was a 'batapult' and there is nary an advert in sight for the New Dandy.

I can understand keeping it under wraps but thought maybe worth advertising that NEXT WEEK you can get the new Dandy ... Big it up a little to coin a phrase that I hate..

Hopes resting on a Weekly News front page EXCLUSIVE tomorrow now......

It would have been nice to have had a four page pull-out ad; dark blue ink on pink paper... but those days are long gone.

Perhaps today's thinking is that kids/parents would be confused if it was advertised one week in advance. Maybe it's better to wait until next Wednesday to advertise it, when they can actually go out and buy The Dandy?

[Little Squelchy Thing]

Well, at any rate - ONLY ONE WEEK 'TIL D-DAY (Dandy Day)!

Huzzah!

I'm excited.

[MikeC]

No papers will carry a story which has been advertised a week ago, and DC Thomson's papers aren't big enough to base a PR campaign on, no matter how cosy the relationship might be.

Keeping the powder dry is the expression, I think.

If speculation continues, expect some red herrings from insiders as well!