Comics UK

Thanks for the positive comments on my Black Bob episode, guys. I'm glad that one went down well.

Another very funny madvertisment..love the recorder for the Wii..

I'm loving the covers front & back,ay the moment, they remind me of what the annuals used to do with their front & back,now perhaps they can start doing desperate dan or bananaman stories this way.

Definitely agree with you there Bri, it would be a fantastic throwback to the good old days if they could continue a story from the front cover to the back. I would accept it if they did this with Bananaman but would prefer it if it was done with Desperate Dan.

Good to see classic beryl the peril this week,its just a shame beano retro pages seems to have stopped,unless you count all the 80s & 90s reprints of roger,pup parade,germs no 13 etc,does anyone know what year the beryl strips been reprinted are from.

Before 1987, as she changed artist and became the Topper's cover star then.

I think Retro Beano's still running, but it's usually one of the first pages to go in issues where there are more adverts, including Wenlock and Mandeville.

I think it's good that Beryl is back in the Dandy, as she is an iconic character, but I'm somewhat surprised at the age of the reprints being used - they're not exactly in keeping with the style of the modern Dandy. I'd have thought Karl Dixon's Beryl would be the version that fitted in best with the comic today (although it was my least favourite of her various incarnations, so I'm not complaining too much).

Of course, these Beryl reprints are new to the Dandy, as they originally ran in the Topper. But unlike the Beano's equally old Bananaman reprints, they can't brag about them being fresh to the comic, since they don't want to admit to using reprints.

Those beryl strips do stand out in todays dandy like a sore thumb,but its a sore thumb pain that is great & we can live with. I hope its here to stay as i never bought any of the smaller size toppers or beezers & only have a couple of each now,& i wouldnt mind seeing a few more reprints.I know they wouldnt,especially since classics was cancelled,perhaps now they have been doing retro pages in beano & the kids are maybe enjoying them,they could start volume 2 or rename it classic beano or dandy.

Distribution was a massive problem for Classics from the Comics. If they ever revive it, they should definitely use the Beano brand, as retailers would be more likely to stock it.

I see next week will be the bumper gift issue again.

I wonder how many weeks The Dandy will go missing for this time?

It's a three-week issue.

I know I sound like a stuck record with this but I just don't understand how The Dandy going missing for a couple of weeks helps it with sales.

Somebody please help me with this?

Anyway on a lighter note another brilliant issue of The Dandy this week, like the look of the Blundercats. Also liked the fact that Desperate Dan was on the back cover again this week because it just seems a fitting slot for the main man.

"Mystery" Gift comparison time! I got a "Jokeberry" and "Bananaman's Fist of Fury". Anyone else?

Gilly wrote:I know I sound like a stuck record with this but I just don't understand how The Dandy going missing for a couple of weeks helps it with sales.

Somebody please help me with this?

Special issues such as this are promoted to retailers who, in theory, order more copies. With it being on sale longer, the hope is that it gives more kids/parents a chance to buy it. It's a similar theory used to sell Summer Specials in the past (although they were on sale longer of course). Apparently it works and gives the comic a sales boost, although none of us want to see it happen too often obviously as it'd means less work for us.

Toxic is also a bumper gift issue this week, and on sale for three weeks. 14 gifts, including a board game I did the artwork for. So that's another reason why Dandy and Beano do skip weeks/multi-gift issues, - to compete with their rivals. (And yes, as I work for Dandy and Toxic I'm my own rival in a way. The wacky world of freelancing eh? )