What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Talk here about just about anything associated with British comics or story papers and the industry that does not fit in any other forum.
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comixminx
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by comixminx »

Oh! Now that Lew mentions it, our household has been getting The Phoenix since day 1 (and the DFC before that) so yes, of course we are supporting the UK comics scene! :D
jintycomic.wordpress.com/ Excellent and weird stories from the past - with amazing art to boot.

Lew Stringer
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by Lew Stringer »

paw broon wrote:Not many. Doctor Who Comic and, now, Tales from The Tardis are the only British ones and these two, despite being created by number of British creators, are reprints of American titles.
American format, but British publisher. Titan Comics are based in London. So you're still supporting UK comics. :cheers:
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Raven
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by Raven »

Should people be buying any title to "support the uk comics industry" rather than just buying whatever they like and enjoy, though?

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starscape
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by starscape »

Unfortunately, I don't buy anything regularly any more. The occasional Commando if it's Celtic, sci-fi or something else unusual. DC and Marvel's push for new readers by destroying the originals has left me out (last year, I was probably buying five or so a month). Convergence I adored. However, the result was to simply announce the characters you love are dead...buy completely different ones with the same name.

I just don't have time for a weekly 2000AD, whilst Dredd has never really appealed to me as a character. Dr Who seems a bit juvenile for me and I can't see anything else to appeal unfortunately. I'd love a new Valiant, Warrior or MWoM (well, I guess there is a new one but with terrible strips like the new Silver Surfer or Original Sin).

With no comics really aimed at me anymore, I prefer to buy back issues and graphic novels that do appeal. I suppose this is how fans of the Eagle and Film Fun felt in the 70s/80s.
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by Lew Stringer »

Raven wrote:Should people be buying any title to "support the uk comics industry" rather than just buying whatever they like and enjoy, though?
I appreciate that but I'm assuming comic fans are more interested in the ongoing development of comics than the average reader would be. Presumably we all have some current artists and/or writers whose work we follow? There's a wide range of styles in UK comics these days, although to persue that train of thought we might be going off tangent into "Which creator's work do you follow regularly?".

On the other hand I do appreciate that some comic fans are only in it for their nostalgia. I can understand that to an extent (1960s comics are still my favourites) but there's been so much good stuff since that it seems a shame not to keep up with developments as well as seeking out the past.
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paw broon
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by paw broon »

Lew, you don't have to keep repeating the mantra about Titan and British comics. In my opinion, Doctor Who Comic and Tales From The Tardis are reprints of/from American comics. Doctor Who Comic is not American format, being of a size seldom seen in N.American comics since they started. If Titan were that good and keen on developing British product, perhaps they should have considered publishing the Who stories themselves, first, then leasing them for re-sale in N. America.
Despite all that, at least the reader has something to read, if he can find it that is. Although Mr. Pleece and his big head, Thunderbird puppet style of art is not to my taste.
As for the wide range of styles currently available, are they really available? If potential readers/fans don't attend marts and cons they will have a hard time finding or discovering any small press, Phoenix, Aces Weekly, Spaceships Away (now there's an entertaining read) etc. Many parts of the U.K. have few or no marts or outlets for comics of any sort. Where newsagents, for instance, stock comics, it'll be the moribund 2000AD, Beano, the DC and Marvel reprints and those horrendous kiddie titles which are simply vehicles for toys and bits of plastic. At the risk of doing what I'm asking Lew to refrain from, I'll say again, try finding Commando anywhere between the outskirts of Stirling and Edinburgh. You'll be lucky.

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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by Lew Stringer »

paw broon wrote:Lew, you don't have to keep repeating the mantra about Titan and British comics. In my opinion, Doctor Who Comic and Tales From The Tardis are reprints of/from American comics. Doctor Who Comic is not American format, being of a size seldom seen in N.American comics since they started. If Titan were that good and keen on developing British product, perhaps they should have considered publishing the Who stories themselves, first, then leasing them for re-sale in N. America.
Despite all that, at least the reader has something to read, if he can find it that is. Although Mr. Pleece and his big head, Thunderbird puppet style of art is not to my taste.
As for the wide range of styles currently available, are they really available? If potential readers/fans don't attend marts and cons they will have a hard time finding or discovering any small press, Phoenix, Aces Weekly, Spaceships Away (now there's an entertaining read) etc. Many parts of the U.K. have few or no marts or outlets for comics of any sort. Where newsagents, for instance, stock comics, it'll be the moribund 2000AD, Beano, the DC and Marvel reprints and those horrendous kiddie titles which are simply vehicles for toys and bits of plastic. At the risk of doing what I'm asking Lew to refrain from, I'll say again, try finding Commando anywhere between the outskirts of Stirling and Edinburgh. You'll be lucky.
You may have the opinion that the source material for those Doctor Who comics are American but if you look in the indicia you'll see that Titan's address is Southwark Street in London. (Why you consider that fact to be me spouting a "mantra" I have no idea.) Same applies to their Johnny Red comic and other titles they publish. Yes, they carry an American price on the covers but that's because they're also distributed in the USA. (I'd guess most of their sales may be to the states but I could be wrong.) Doctor Who Comic and Tales from the TARDIS are newsstand editions of Titan's comic shop comics. It's the latter I was talking about when referring to American format, not the one anomaly of Doctor Who Comic in its larger size.

I'm sorry you think 2000AD and The Beano are "moribund" now. I think they're still fresh and lively, personally.

True, most UK comics today are only available at the numerous conventions across the UK or in comic shops or by mail order. We've covered the reasons why before, with chains like Smiths and Asda charging far higher costs to stock titles than they used to making it nigh impossible for new comics to find a place on the high street.

However, yes, I would assume comic fans (as opposed to casual readers) would seek out what's happening in the UK comics scene, attend cons, read news sites, buy anything that interests them, etc. At least that's what comic fans usually do in my experience.

Two news websites that are essential for fans of current and upcoming UK comics:

http://downthetubes.net/

http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/

PaulTwist
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by PaulTwist »

At the moment:

2000 AD, Megazine, Viz, Doctor Who Comic, Tales from the Tardis, Astonishing Spider-man, Batman, Batman: Arkham, The Flash, Green Arrow, Supergirl.

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SID
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by SID »

Adding Tales from the TARDIS to my List of Regulars. Cannot understand why you cannot subscribe on the Titan site so looks like I'll be getting it from my local WHSmiths.
Last edited by SID on 04 Jun 2017, 20:34, edited 1 time in total.
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-).

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TwoHeadedBoy
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by TwoHeadedBoy »

Viz is the only one I get every issue of nowadays, and even that one I'm considering stopping... It hasn't been funny for about two years now (yes, THAT old chestnut!), but it's been a part of my life for so long now that I don't think I'll be able to stop.

Always on the look out for other new stuff, but anything I do find that suits my tastes is usually self-published so hardly counts as "regular".
http://twoheadedthingies.blogspot.co.uk/ - My comics blog, mostly lesser-known UK stuff from the 1980s and 1990s

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SID
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by SID »

TwoHeadedBoy wrote:Viz is the only one I get every issue of nowadays, and even that one I'm considering stopping... It hasn't been funny for about two years now (yes, THAT old chestnut!), but it's been a part of my life for so long now that I don't think I'll be able to stop.
That's how I feel about 2000AD. Luckily I still enjoy it. :)
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-).

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Digifiend
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by Digifiend »

starscape wrote:Dr Who seems a bit juvenile for me and I can't see anything else to appeal unfortunately. I'd love a new Valiant, Warrior or MWoM (well, I guess there is a new one but with terrible strips like the new Silver Surfer or Original Sin).
If you don't like the Doctor Who comics I can't say I'm surprised that you didn't like Silver Surfer either. Taking a companion on a tour around the universe? The Surfer may be a superhero but his storylines have been said to be very Doctor Who-like recently. Issue 1 of the 2014 run, which introduces the Surfer's companion Dawn Greenwood, is free on Comixology if anyone wants a look.

geoff42
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by geoff42 »

I subscribe to both 2000 ad and Judge Dredd and, occasionally, buy the Beano.

geoff42
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by geoff42 »

Many years ago, I used to travel to Forbidden Planet in Leeds and buy a variety of US and independent comics but now, with ebay, the cost of travelling just isn't worth it anymore.

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suebutcher
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Re: What Comics Do You Get Regularly

Post by suebutcher »

I buy Viz when I can find it, but that's not often. Perhaps Australia only gets the surplus stock? Anyway, it's the only British funny you see these days.

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