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Quality of the Beano |
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#51 |
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I can see the Beano's future in branded spin-offs such as cartoons and games, rather than in print form. To put the 40,000 figure into context, a standard issue of a Batman or X-Men title is unlikely to shift more than 100,000 copies worldwide. Yet these properties remain absolutely massive in films, cartoons, toys, games and other spin-offs. |
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#52 |
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Dandy gets only 10,000 readers! That's why it had a major revamp last October, a last throw of the dice. If it fails (thankfully, it looks like it isn't going to) then it'd end up merging with The Beano.
By the way, don't forget that those US comics sell in a lot more countries than Beano does. 40,000 is probably MORE than Batman or X-Men sell in the UK. |
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#53 |
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What has happened with this comic recently?
I remember when it was good in the 90s, a little corny but readable, now its just seems very silly and some of the artwork is awful. Has it got worse or have I just got older? Ive read it all my life since the 70's and now Im 38 and the wife still buys me Dandy Beano Dennis the menace and bash st kids annuals every year but the artwork and general humour are of such a poor standard I think its a tradition thats going to stop. Actually in the 70's and early 80's it was so popular that it never used to carry any adverts, I guess the sales revenue alone was enough to sustain the comic |
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#54 |
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Its definately changed (partly due to political correctness)
Ive read it all my life since the 70's and now Im 38 and the wife still buys me Dandy Beano Dennis the menace and bash st kids annuals every year but the artwork and general humour are of such a poor standard I think its a tradition thats going to stop. Actually in the 70's and early 80's it was so popular that it never used to carry any adverts, I guess the sales revenue alone was enough to sustain the comic |
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#55 |
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Sadly, the Dennis and Bash Street annuals are already history. And Craigy's right, they didn't have outside advertising until 1988.
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#56 |
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What people call 'political correctness' is often just a change in social mores. While today's kids might take some weird and wacky elements of the comic strips in their stride, the idea of a child being constantly threatened with violence from parents and teachers - without these people being flagged as abusers - would seem utterly bizarre in the modern world.
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#57 |
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What people call 'political correctness' is often just a change in social mores. While today's kids might take some weird and wacky elements of the comic strips in their stride, the idea of a child being constantly threatened with violence from parents and teachers - without these people being flagged as abusers - would seem utterly bizarre in the modern world.
I loved the Beano in the 70s-but haven't read a copy since 1979, except when I saw a copy once in 1998. I noticed there were much fewer comic strips than before, and that Dennis the Menace and Bash Street Kids were two of the few old strips still running. Neither of them, nor the rest of the comic, seemed half as lively and fun as it used to in the 70s. If I recall rightly, though, the Numskulls had imported as a comic strip. They were originally in Beezer in the 70s, and I loved them-so I was quite glad they were still running. |
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#58 |
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I have been collecting Beano Annuals all my life and still buy one every year. the oldest one I have is from 1960 and I have every one since then apart from two.
I still read it every year, but it's not as funny or as good as it was in the 60s and 70s. |
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#59 |
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Simon Rodgers;50429346]Sometimes I wonder why can't they ever reprint past comica and annuals, with everything the same?
What a great idea. not a matter of nostalgia ,the writing was far better in the early Beanos.I read the Beano and Dandy every week + the annuals.from late 50s to mid 60s. I noticed i wasn't enjoying them as much as i got older, i thought nothing of it. there was a tv program a few years back on the main writer for the comic, he had a falling out with the Owner and left he comic.turns out i was not alone in thinking the comic was going downhill. Interviews show lots of kids thought the comic was not as good when he left. The early editions are considered the best period by the fans of the comic. |
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#60 |
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Sadly, the Dennis and Bash Street annuals are already history. And Craigy's right, they didn't have outside advertising until 1988.
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#61 |
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Dandy gets only 10,000 readers! That's why it had a major revamp last October, a last throw of the dice. If it fails (thankfully, it looks like it isn't going to) then it'd end up merging with The Beano.
By the way, don't forget that those US comics sell in a lot more countries than Beano does. 40,000 is probably MORE than Batman or X-Men sell in the UK. |
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#62 |
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Also, while Batman, Green Lantern and a couple of the X-Men titles do indeed sell very well, they are about the only US comis to reach those figures. A lot of second and third tier titles struggle to reach 15, 000 and even Superman isn't currently doing that much better.
The Beano and Dandy seriously need some successful spin-offs to prop them up and justify the existence of the ongoing titles. |
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#63 |
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I don't get the continued popularity of the Beano - its humour is dated ( see the Simpsons & Viz ) and the characters wear clothes fromn the '50s.
Is it a visual 'comfort food ' ? |
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#64 |
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Are they? There was a Dennis & Gnasher Annual published in 2010!
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#65 |
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If I recall rightly, though, the Numskulls had imported as a comic strip. They were originally in Beezer in the 70s, and I loved them-so I was quite glad they were still running.
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#66 |
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I don't get the continued popularity of the Beano - its humour is dated ( see the Simpsons & Viz ) and the characters wear clothes fromn the '50s.
Is it a visual 'comfort food ' ? |
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#67 |
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Well my 9 year old loves it, as do lots of his friends. So it must be doing something right!
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#68 |
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My son likes it too, dont buy it regularly though....always buy the annuals though, along with Oor Wullie/Broons.....braw.
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#69 |
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the characters wear clothes from the '50s.
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#70 |
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That made me smile as my mum does the same!!
![]() My collection probably goes back to the 1970s when I used to read it as well, you certainly couldn't see Dennis getting the slipper these days!! As an aside, I went to school with Leo Baxendale's son, Mark. Leo was the original creator of Little Plum, Minnie the Minx, and The Bash Street Kids so Mark was, by default, very cool at our school! ![]() Anyway, just to fill you in with a bit of info, Tom Paterson worked at the Fleetway comics "Buster" and "Whizzer & Chips" drawing strips like Sweeney Toddler, Robert's Robot and Watford Gapp. DC Thomson, who had a better quality of comics, grabbed him and got him to draw Calamity James for The Beano. Since then he has not become just a popular artist, but a comics legend, drawing strips like Fiddle O Diddle, Brain Duane, Fred's Bed and even getting to draw the main characters Dennis the Menace and Minnie the Minx. His style is immediately recognizable and features things like Squelchy Things, long noses, things written on them like "Wash here" and "Don't come, Dracula-I've got garlic sarnies!" and smelly socks. |
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#71 |
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Actually, most don't. The only characters who wear short trousers are Dennis and the Bash Street Kids. Ball Boy does too, but his are justified as they're football shorts. Dennis has an in-universe reason for keeping his - his knobbly knees wear holes through long trousers. Bash Street has had the same artist since 1962 (so they've hardly changed in 49 years!). I expect they'll be updated when Dave Sutherland stops drawing them (which will probably be when he dies, can't see him retiring).
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#72 |
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I don't get the continued popularity of the Beano - its humour is dated ( see the Simpsons & Viz ) and the characters wear clothes fromn the '50s.
Is it a visual 'comfort food ' ? And also, you say the humour is dated, (compared to Viz which is an adult comic anyway. But who cares in this context?) The Dandy's is not, their humour is very bright and new in strips like "Mr Meecher, the Uncool Teacher" and "The Bogies" but that's just some of them, another example of people thinking children's comics solely consist of The Beano. That's doing them an injustice, there's a far better comic out there called The Dandy. |
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#73 |
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I stopped buying the Beano in 2005/2006 but I always found it quite funny when I bought it. Maybe it has changed recently though. I always thought it was strange why the Bash Street Kids never really changed.
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#74 |
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It is very dull now.
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#75 |
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. A lot of second and third tier titles struggle to reach 15, 000 and even Superman isn't currently doing that much better.
American comics might not be selling great, but the vast majority, especially the ones with known characters, are selling much better than 15K. |
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