Need to be 18 or over to purchase the Prog in WH Smiths

[JayzusB.Christ]

True fans are over 40 so whats the problem?

I think Hawmumbler may have something to say about that...

[Hawkmumbler]

True fans are over 40 so whats the problem?

The fact I was but a wee fetus when the Stallone monstrosity was in production is probably an indication that 2000AD still has the ability 4 decades on to draw in long term fans.

[Emp]

I knew you'd say that!

[sheridan]

Irrespective of swearing/nudity/violence, I think some of you are overestimating the robustness of the newsstand in 2016. In the teen magazine sector alone (2000 AD comes under the teen comics category, in which it's the no 1 seller, thank you very much) the last year has seen the closure of Girl Pop, Bliss, Batman the Brave, Zoom, Sleepy Hollow, and DC Super Friends, amongst others. The circulation on Titan's Adventure Time has dropped by a third since it launched a year ago.

Total magazine sales across the board have dropped, year on year. The market isn't what it was three decades ago.

Thanks for sharing the inside info.  For the record, this 41-year-old Squaxx, who has been reading since he was eight years old, is both happy with the last few month's goings-on re: nudity and swears in the Meg, and would also like Tooth to be as all-ages friendly as possible.
p.s. all-ages friendly meaning no real-world swear-words, only slight nudity (remember John Probe's naked bottom in the very first prog?) and action for younger readers and a bit more depth for the older.

[SuperSurfer]

So 2000AD is a teen comic? Who'd have thought?

I guess the debate has run its course but I'm going to go against most of the grain.

I don't buy the notion that with a reduction of swear words and nudity then hey presto, 2000AD becomes an all ages comic.

There seems to be some sort of general consensus here (or quite a few have said) that private parts, swearing: not ok, violence: ok.

I often find 2000AD on the newsagent shelves alongside kids' comics. If a parent was to pick that up for their kid, at a glance, I would say it's the violence that would put them off. There isn't much nudity and swearing in 2000AD. There is a lot of violence. And it isn't Tom & Jerry superhero violence. Slaine chopping off countless Trojan heads? Do people seriously think many parents would be ok with that? Enough of them to make for a target market? For all ages, everything would have to be toned down. And I think toning down the violence would make the comic an entirely different product.

Yes, Drokk and Stomm were introduced as replacement swear words. (Works for perps, but would Dredd really be swearing?) But don't forget – aliens and robots were used to allow creators to get away with extreme violence.

If 2000AD was to become an all ages comic then surely it would have to be marketed as that. (And as a side issue I would say this forum would have to be heavily toned down in accordance with the repositioning of the comic – where much worse goes on than in the pages of the prog.) 

As for those who really want their kids to read it then surely they can cross out any offending swear words and pass the comic on.

[Fungus]

I think the prospect of passing the baton to the kiddies but scoring out the swearies makes the exact opposite point you're intending, and confirms what most seem to feel: excessive language is a bit lame and self-defeating.

[SuperSurfer]

I think the prospect of passing the baton to the kiddies but scoring out the swearies makes the exact opposite point you're intending...

I don't follow that comment.

and confirms what most seem to feel: excessive language is a bit lame and self-defeating.

I don't like swearing in the prog either. In case I wasn't clear, I am saying that I just don't accept that banning swearing (and nudity) would make the prog an all ages suitable comic because that still leaves some pretty excessive violence – which I believe would put parents off. 

If Rebellion intend 2000AD to be an all ages appropriate comic they would have to work at making it that.

In the past I think 2000AD could pull of being a kids comic that appealed to some adults. But being an adult/teen comic that appeals to kids is in my opinion a much harder trick to pull off.

Anyway, those are the reasons why I don't agree with the 2000AD forum comics code authority.

[IndigoPrime]

I think it depends on what's going on with default facing, and I suppose that's a battle Rebellion and/or its distributors will have to have with specific outlets. If 2000 AD is officially being positioned as a 'teen' comic, that seems perfectly fine on the whole. If it's being faced alongside 18+ material, however, that should set alarm bells ringing.

[Arkwright99]

WH Smiths doesn't carry 18+ material in store any more (hasn't done so for several years now afaik) but the Milton Keynes Ghetto branch always places the Prog and the Meg on the top shelf above the likes of Empire, SFX, Esquire, Kerrang!, etc. and alongside to Gay Times, Attitude, Star Wars Insider(!) and assorted Raspberry Pi magazines for some reason.

The fact that 2000AD is being placed out of reach of younger readers is probably a bigger cause for concern long-term since there's little or no opportunity for casual browsers to pick it up on the off-chance.

[Fungus]

the Milton Keynes Ghetto branch always places the Prog and the Meg on the top shelf above the likes of Empire, SFX, Esquire, Kerrang!, etc.

Maybe store managers get to use some discretion, round our way the progs & megs sit with the (burgeoning) set of Marvel & DC reprint mags.

[Dandontdare]

yes, it's usually the opposite problem in the big Smiths in town - you have to get down on your hands an knees to find the comics on the bottoms helf

[SuperSurfer]

A few weeks ago I struggled to find prog 1969 in the local newsagent. I finally found it next to/under some kids' comic that was bagged with a toy dinosaur. Prog 1969 is the one with Sensitive Klegg on the cover. I can't help wondering if the newsagent saw two covers with smiley cute dinosaur/crocodile type creatures and figured they are similar enough to belong next to each other on the shelves. If only Mr newsagent looked inside the prog and saw the image of the dead fatty, arse-up and stuffed down the bra wearing Klegg ambassador's face. 

[IndigoPrime]

More importantly, did you buy the toy dinosaur?

[I, Cosh]

WH Smiths doesn't carry 18+ material in store any more (hasn't done so for several years now afaik) ...

You might want to let the Glasgow Central Station branch know about this policy. It's not three months since I saw an enthusiastic onanist have his attempt at making a surreptitious purchase foiled by the self-service checkout and their need for authorisation.

[Arkwright99]

You might want to let the Glasgow Central Station branch know about this policy.

As per the link in my post, station and airport outlets are excluded from the policy, which applies to high street branches only.  What this says about the commuting classes is anyone's guess.

Interestingly my local newsagent, who still stocks his top shelf with its traditional publications, places 2000AD at knee-height alongside Angling Times, Fortean Times and other such niche market titles.