Are weekly comics doomed?

[AndyB]

Lew makes the perfectly valid point that one person in the target range liked it, which goes against your opinion.

One other thing. Please do not make multiple posts if you can help it - use the quote tag and cut and paste if you're replying to several people.

[Lew Stringer]

An insignificant sample, Kid. All you have is one likes it and one doesn't like it, which is reputedly pretty much also the case for Calamity James. Such a small sample size proves nothing.

That's what I said at the start, Andy - but try telling that to Lew. He seems to think it does.

Again, I suggested no such thing so please don't claim I did. We agree that the child's response was only representative of himself, not of children in general, yes? So why dismiss his response just because he's 6? Lots of Beano readers are that young. I was reading it at that age, weren't you? How old does a child have to be, in your opinion, to have a valid opinion of a children's comic?

[Phoenix]

these childish, pathetic and ridiculous attempts at harassment are clearly emanating from some deluded, obsessive and, frankly, unhinged individual on this forum

Well now, I have to admit that you have surprised me. We are all well aware of your sense of your self-worth, your self-aggrandisement, your self-importance, your vanity, as shown particularly in your recent post in which you seemed to be suggesting that not only might you see yourself, in general, as a one-of-a-kind special child, but, in particular, as solus inter plurimos (alone among many, I take that to mean), where the entire forum is concerned, (I have to accept that your phrase might be correct Latin. I only studied it to 'O' level, but I would have said primus inter multos for first among many.), but even I didn't expect you to be so self-centred that you would admit to this. Well done!

[Kid Robson]

Again, I suggested no such thing so please don't claim I did. We agree that the child's response was only representative of himself, not of children in general, yes? So why dismiss his response just because he's 6? Lots of Beano readers are that young. I was reading it at that age, weren't you? How old does a child have to be, in your opinion, to have a valid opinion of a children's comic?

Read what I wrote, Lew - "...seems to think it does" - I got the impression that's what you were suggesting. And I'm not 'dismissing' the kid's opinion any more (or less) than you are the opinions of the rest of his family.

[Kid Robson]

Well now, I have to admit that you have surprised me. We are all well aware of your sense of your self-worth, your self-aggrandisement, your self-importance, your vanity, as shown particularly in your recent post in which you seemed to be suggesting that not only might you see yourself, in general, as a one-of-a-kind special child, but, in particular, as solus inter plurimos (alone among many, I take that to mean), where the entire forum is concerned, (I have to accept that your phrase might be correct Latin. I only studied it to 'O' level, but I would have said primus inter multos for first among many.), but even I didn't expect you to be so self-centred that you would admit to this. Well done!

Perhaps the rest of the forum would be so good as to confirm or deny whether you're speaking on their behalf, as your replies seem to indicate? Yes, no doubt you'd have said 'first among many' as that's how you seem to see yourself. However, I said exactly what I wanted to say.

[Kid Robson]

Lew makes the perfectly valid point that one person in the target range liked it, which goes against your opinion.

Actually, Andy, it doesn't go against my opinion that one person in the so-called 'target range' might like it, as it's never been my opinion that one person (or any number) wouldn't. All I've been suggesting is that if DCT are interested in shifting more copies than they currently do, it would be more sensible to include parents who might buy the comic for their kids in the 'target range'.

One other thing. Please do not make multiple posts if you can help it - use the quote tag and cut and paste if you're replying to several people.

Andy, can you explain why the edit option is no longer available in this section?

[Lew Stringer]

That said, a lot of the time the printing wasn't that bad, and personally speaking it rarely spoiled the enjoyment of a comic for me when I was a child.

Not sure why, but it doesn't seem to be through runs, but individual issues. Almost as if the titles went to poorer paper for a week, or a few weeks, before returning to the slightly better stock. I can see it clearly on Battle Action Force (the slightly grey issues compared to the white paper issues), and it is really noticeable on Lion, which had the odd issue with terrible paper for some reason. (I spent a while trying to work out the dates, to see if paper shortages were causing the changes, but that didn't hold up to close examination)

Yes, Battle started out on better paper, and with better printing, in the web offset (I think it's called) format used by Tiger and Cor!! in the 1970s. Then it went to newsprint, and the quality had dipped even more by the time it was Battle Action-Force.

As you may know, for a very short time in 1970 or so, Lion and Buster used improved paper stock, but reverted to newsprint again after 3 or 4 weeks.

[Phoenix]

Andy, can you explain why the edit option is no longer available in this section?

I think your memory is going. It was made quite clear to us all that if any member wanted to raise any issue at all about the running or the organisation of the forum, they had to send their query by PM to all three Administrators, and then simply wait for a reply. I don't recall any concession being offered to any of our primus inter multos members. Do you?

[Shiner]

I just thought I'd pop in and say thanks to several of the contributors here before they're slung off the forum. Many of your posts have been informative and at times imaginative. However you all now seem to be bowing out in a blaze of sniping. I am guessing that I am not the only one looking forward to a return to the gentler forum of old. I won't name names here but every one of you will be missed by me as you have all brought something to the table. Good luck to you all.

[Phoenix]

I am guessing that I am not the only one looking forward to a return to the gentler forum of old.

I'm so with you on that, Shiner.

[stevezodiac]

If kids are no longer buying the Beano why not aim it at adults? I think Private Eye sells pretty well and Punch has never been replaced so why not make the Beano an adult humour/cartoon magazine? I know for a fact the Weekly News receives dozens of gag cartoons each week and can only use a fraction of them. There are plenty of humour writers in the media and in showbiz. I'm sure the likes of Jonathan Ross and Stephen Fry could contribute. Just the legendary Beano name would be sure to attract contributions.

No?

OK, continue the war of words. (sorry I spoke).

[stevezodiac]

Good job I didn't make any mistakes in that last post, some blighter has half-inched the perishin' edit button.

[Kid Robson]

I just thought I'd pop in and say thanks to several of the contributors here before they're slung off the forum. Many of your posts have been informative and at times imaginative. However you all now seem to be bowing out in a blaze of sniping. I am guessing that I am not the only one looking forward to a return to the gentler forum of old. I won't name names here but every one of you will be missed by me as you have all brought something to the table. Good luck to you all.

I wouldn't be surprised to find that one person in particular is being set up to take the fall for all this, Shiner, but modesty forbids me from saying who it is. I don't set the tone for these discussions (especially as regards some of the outrageous insults directed at me by one person), but I confess to responding to some of the 'button pressing' when perhaps it would've been wiser to ignore it. However, I feel I have stayed mainly within the bounds of propriety, and I trust it has been noticed that my recent replies to a certain person have been as brief as possible.

[Phoenix]

I feel I have stayed mainly within the bounds of propriety

Words simply fail me!!

I trust it has been noticed that my recent replies to a certain person have been as brief as possible.

An improvement, I will admit. But they are nowhere near brief enough yet. You must try harder. It's quite simple. You just need to pare them back, cut out more words, preferably most of them, or maybe even all of them. Then they will be as brief as it is possible for them to be. Job done!

[Lew Stringer]

If kids are no longer buying the Beano why not aim it at adults? I think Private Eye sells pretty well and Punch has never been replaced so why not make the Beano an adult humour/cartoon magazine?

Wouldn't that basically be Viz? All the Viz clones fell by the wayside, so that's not very encouraging for a publisher to venture into that market. Besides, despite the doom and gloom from some quarters, The Beano does still have thousands of kids who read it. Turning it into an adults-only comic would be quite a disappointment for those kids.

I know for a fact the Weekly News receives dozens of gag cartoons each week and can only use a fraction of them.

Unfortunately, the days of the gag mag such as Weekend Book of Jokes, Laugh Magazine, Carnival etc are long gone, and with jokes being zipped between phones these days the charm of the illustrated joke book seems a thing of the past.