New look for Classics from the Comics!

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 02 Oct 2006, 14:17

The latest Classics from the Comics is out, with an eye-catching new masthead that's much more suitable than the rather pedestrian one of the past.

Some choice reprints in there too, including Dan, Korky, and Biffo strips that are over 40 years old and the continuation of The Black Sapper from Beezer!

It's definitely an improvement!

Lew

Peter Gray · Post by **Peter Gray** » 02 Oct 2006, 16:25

I like the old colours for the mast head..

Looking at the prices of 1960s Beanos and Dandys this is the only way to see them. Still love it to be fortnightly:)
Its so hard waiting every month.......then I read it too quickly...then read it again...

I think fleetway could do a similar thing with adventure stories mixed in.

1987 seems to be the cut off point. Classics started in 1996.

Nice to see earlier Bash Street kids....boy David Sutherland sure drew in detail....

I would have loved to have seen General Jumbo part 2 when he gets revenge on the boy with the rival toy army.

The seventies book is good fun........just a bit heavy on the edits...prefer to read the whole strip.....nice seeing the firsts...No Katie from Billy the cat..or Sweet sue...
Loved reading the complete Black Bob story..number 49..how many stories were there?

Maybe they could bring out a Classics from the comics annual
as well as the theme books with black and white reprints....

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 02 Oct 2006, 17:31

Peter Gray wrote: I would have loved to have seen General Jumbo part 2 when he gets revenge on the boy with the rival toy army.

Yes, that's my only criticism of CftC, that it sometimes runs only parts of serials. I'm sure it's very off-putting for some readers. While it's good to have stories come and go to keep the comic fresh, it does need some stability to "hook" the readers.

At least The Black Sapper seems to be in order so far. (Except for mixing up the order of the first three within the same issue!)

As for Classics' new masthead, don't you think it looks more appropriate to reflect the "old style" feel? It's not dissimilar to the original Dandy masthead. It also looks more "comicy" than the original unimaginative red on white Times font.

Interestingly, the vignette of Korky beside the masthead is exactly the same image Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury have chosen for the cover of their upcoming book on British comics (which I hope everyone here will buy):

http://www.paulgravett.com/articles/int ... ro_gbc.htm

Lew

Peter Gray · Post by **Peter Gray** » 02 Oct 2006, 19:58

I was looking for it in the shops today....

not out yet......just read an old post.....25th October...can't wait...

grumpy old man · Post by **grumpy old man** » 04 Oct 2006, 15:02

[Yes, that's my only criticism of CftC, that it sometimes runs only parts of serials. I'm sure it's very off-putting for some readers. While it's good to have stories come and go to keep the comic fresh, it does need some stability to "hook" the readers.]

I emailed Jim Richards about this the other week and the reasoning behind it is to utilise DCT?s back catalogue as much as possible. CftC is an anthology rather than a legitimate comic with lots of continuing strips; Hence the one off?s (Wooden Submarine etc) and out of sequence stuff. If they ran lots of serial stuff it would narrow down the space left for strips not featured previously (and presumably if you didn?t like those strips you wouldn?t buy next months CftC) [/quote]

Conor B · Post by **Conor B** » 04 Oct 2006, 19:47

Anyone got a scan? Can't find it anywhere...

Conor B · Post by **Conor B** » 04 Oct 2006, 19:48

CftC that is

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 04 Oct 2006, 20:24

Conor B wrote:Anyone got a scan? Can't find it anywhere...

I don't know how to upload images to this forum, but here's a cover photo at this link:

http://img169.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... icsvr7.jpg

Lew

Conor B · Post by **Conor B** » 04 Oct 2006, 20:36

Nice! Much better...but its ?2? I don't think I'll buy it, even if I see it!

PS Know by any chance who drew the cover?

Gary Northfield · Post by **Gary Northfield** » 04 Oct 2006, 22:21

What?! Ya cheapskate!

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 04 Oct 2006, 22:29

Conor B wrote:Nice! Much better...but its ?2? I don't think I'll buy it, even if I see it!

PS Know by any chance who drew the cover?

You'll have to buy it if you can't recognise the style.

Yes it's gone up in price by a staggering 20p. I'm surprised it didn't make the headlines of the FT.

Seriously though, what comics do you buy that are under ?2.00?

Lew

Peter Gray · Post by **Peter Gray** » 04 Oct 2006, 22:59

Still worth buying......

I didn't buy Classics for a 100 issues..

I bought number 1-2-3...I was annoyed that stories didn't always follow on....also I prefer the original comic.....

Now I've changed my mind.some 60's comic sell for ?10!...so to buy originals is no longer possible.......also some adventures stories do carry on like Black bob...Whizzers of Oz...Wulf of the arrow.....The Black Sa...

Also seeing the detail and super drawings of Ron Spenser, Dudley D. Watkins, David Law, David Sutherland (early Bash Street), Bill Ritchie (spoofer), Jim Petrie (Sparky People) Ken Reids Jonah (which is great as we are seeing loads)
Only artist who should be more in Classics is Leo Baxendale though I have a lot of Best of Beezers...

Another point is Beezer, Buzz and Topper are very hard to look after beccause of size.often get bent over and scrappy.......hard not to rip it when you read.....

Also its nice that he is using 2 extra pages with Biffo and Korky.....

I think putting Classics of the comics together would be my dream job....

I wonder how he works it out........so to avoid duplicates...seems tricky..

Jimmy Screw · Post by **Jimmy Screw** » 07 Oct 2006, 12:59

I too prefer the originals but often buy CftC anyway because we are very lucky to have a magazine in circulation that offers reprinted material at all. Also, it's a good read and I agree with Lew - what comcis can you get for under ?2.00 these days?

brisey · Post by **brisey** » 07 Oct 2006, 14:37

What comcis can you get for under ?2.00 these days?

2000AD

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 07 Oct 2006, 14:56

brisey wrote:What comcis can you get for under ?2.00 these days?

2000AD

Fair enough. There are several comics that are under ?2.00: Dandy, Beano (and their associated Fun-Size editions), 2000AD, Commando, Toxic, Spectacular Spider-Man, Action Man A.T.O.M. and others that are about ?1.99.

Then there's a load that are over ?2, such as Mighty World of Marvel, Batman Legends, Judge Dredd, etc.

But ?2 is still a reasonable price for a 68 page comic.

Lew

Comics UK