DC Thomson announces redundancies and possible title closures

[rogue69]

DC Thomson, has warned of title closures and redundancies, in a bid to plug a £10 million gap amid moves to "reshape" its portfolio.Various Scottish news outlets, including BBC Scotland, have reported employees were told of the upcoming title closures and job cuts at an all-staff meeting on Wednesday, but it must be stressed that no specific titles have yet been identified for closure at this time.Rebecca Miskin, who was promoted to the role of chief executive of DC Thomson's media business in 2021, the company then announcing ambitious growth plans, said "significant changes" were to be announced."We will be announcing the closure of some well-loved titles, as well as the cessation of some commercial activities," she said this week.

https://downthetubes.net/beano-and-commando-publisher-dc-thomson-announces-redundancies/?

[IndigoPrime]

DCT's an odd one. I've always found it strange how reluctant the company is to dig into its comic archives. Perhaps the reprint annuals alone are enough, in terms of income.

As for the broader market, I think we can see what's going on, and it'll be down to individuals to decide whether or not they can afford to support it. We're in a cost of living crisis that means less disposable income. But simultaneously, publishers are being hit from all angles. Wireframe recently winked out of existence because huge increases in printing and distribution costs made it unviable. The Phoenix sent an email explaining its struggles and put the price up. 2000 AD recently had its own price rise.

I imagine from a comics perspective that The Beano must be safe to a great extent (although perhaps strip pages might fall if costs are an issue). But the wider portfolio will presumably be cut back. It's also a bit sad to see publications as a whole being squeezed. Our local gigantic Tesco did a refurb that expanded the clothes section and saw games reduced to a single facing, magazine space cut to a third of what it was, and books cut to maybe a fifth of what it was. Our town's WHSmith also recently cut back the space for magazines, although it appears the titles being carried have been largely unaffected. One-way traffic, mind.

[Daveycandlish]

Hundreds of redundancies but at least The Beano has survived the cull. I was worried it would be put up against the wall.

[Jade Falcon]

I wonder if the Broons and Oor Wullie might be affected.  I stopped reading them years ago, I feel that they tried to 'modernise' them a bit too much.  Granted they could only keep reprinting the old Dudley D Watkins stories every so often, but that and I think the special hardback prints were not nearly as popular as they used to be.

[nxylas]

Hundreds of redundancies but at least The Beano has survived the cull. I was worried it would be put up against the wall.

I think it's their best selling title. I doubt it's under threat.

[rogue69]

Most of the redundancies are at the publishers Aceville in Colchester and the magazines they publish Living, Platinum, Evergreen, Shout, Animals and You, and Animal Planet are to end