Dandy comic selling just 7000 copies a week
... disappointing ABC figures for The Dandy, which, as we previously reported, is now selling around 7,448 copies a week.
Commenting on the sales figures, a spokesperson for DC Thomson, who publish The Dandy described them as "disappointing.
"There is no getting away from that," they acknowledged, but pointed to success elsewhere for their comics titles.
“The Dandy is the one blot on an otherwise quite successful period for us," the spokesperson added. "We will be taking steps to address that, but we are not looking at radical surgery.”
http://downthetubescomics.blogspot.com/2011/09/british-comics-on-uk-news-stand-where.html
I guess it's hard for comics to appeal to kids when they've got the internet, iphones, social networking, looting, mugging to do etc.
The Dandy has been in publication for 74 years so it would be a great pity if it were forced to shut down.
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...and when the comic in question just isn't that good. Though to be fair, only tried a couple of issues. The Beano, on the other hand, is still pretty good.
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1520307
They're having a last throw of the dice, by making a few more tweaks, but if the situation doesn't improve, it'll probably be part of a merged The Beano and Dandy next year. I do hope it least makes it to December 2012 though, because of the 75th anniversary.
I think the way forward for the comic would be to make it naughty and more for adults, which would mean giving it an age rating, not that it would stop kids from being it.
Reminds me of that episode of the Goodies, set in the twenty-first century, and Bill says, 'Remember, when we were kids. We had Beano and Dandy. Now we've got Porno and Randy!"
rodger the dodger!!!!!
The Bananaman is drawn terribly these days.
The Dandy is pretty crap, the Beano, while it has its ups and downs in terms of quality, is much better.
This is the only time I have ever liked Desperate Dan.
And this is why comic sales are so terrible: nobody knows comics still exist unless they are specifically looking for them! In the case of many titles, including Dandy, distribution is terrible. And where they are distributed, the shops often clearly don't prioritize them highly so they will not be prominently displayed and in some cases can't even be seen because all comic titles are lumped together in a space too small for them; I've even seen comics 'displayed' upside down!
I used to love the Dandy but growing up it didn`t hold my attention as well as so many other things did, especially U.S comics which I still buy from time to time.
Erm, that's because that's who it's aimed at. You knew that, right?
You mean it was also humanoid? :eek:
It was much better when I was a kid and before - now it looks like it's drawn by monkeys
Yes, but it's drawn in a style intended to appeal to today's kids, the same sort of style as is used in other kids' titles and indeed in many modern animated series'. Look at stuff that's currently popular on the Cartoon Network: it doesn't look like the cartoons we had as kids, it's much simpler, more exagerrated. That's what kids like, now. If Dandy was drawn in the same style as it was twenty years ago, sales would not increase-they'd drop still further! Because the only people buying it would be nostalgiac adults!
If it's selling barely 7000 now, then no, it isnt what kids like.
No, the only difference was, it didn't stand on its back legs and talk. Just as well, really, because all it would have said is, 'Give me food!' as it was always hustling for something to eat.
Even when I was a kid, it was hard to find and even had the comic reserved by the local newsagent as he wouldn't order a copy for the shelf. Otherwise I'd have to go to WHSmiths.
Classics from the Comics was aimed at the nostalgia market. It failed, because the market wasn't big enough to support it.
Royce, good idea mentioning the iPad. Commando does an online version, DCT should spread this to their other titles.