Dandy on the brink?

[Proudhuff]

Wasn't A Beano a great big feast?

[James Stacey]

It was but it could also be used as stated. 'That's beano', 'That's (fine and) dandy'.
Beezer and Whizzer work likewise

[Proudhuff]

Top-hole!

[Pete Wells]

I always used to buy Top Hole Magazine before the Internet came along...

[Dunk!]

Just saw this cover on Bleeding Cool. First time I've looked at the Dandy in many years.

Is that the new Korky Cat below the Y in Dandy?

If it is that's a corking little redesign. If not it should have been.

[M.I.K.]

Yep. Korky.

[Mardroid]

So from that image, do I take it that celebrities aren't just cameoing in The Dandy (which is fair enough if done moderately) but they're actually characters with their own strips?

Dear me.

[TordelBack]

So from that image, do I take it that celebrities aren't just cameoing in The Dandy (which is fair enough if done moderately) but they're actually characters with their own strips?

A very long-established tradition in British comics, in fairness. 

My personal problem with this is that my kids don't watch kill-the-pig telly or soul-crushing soaps*, because we don't and we've only got the one telly, so most of this sort of celeb-humour is wasted on them** (of course Deadly 60 is another thing entirely - great show.).  I think this is a subtly different matter than the use of archaic situations and lingo, or even to the likes of TV21 or TV Comic of my distant youth.

Anyway, what I actually strolled over to this thread to say was that this is a sad, sad day for anyone who loves comics.  RIP Dandy, may your virtual existence be a fruitful one.



*Harry Hill now, that's another matter: that man can make me laugh myself sick just by raising an eyebrow.  He is to my funny bone what Kelly Brook is to my, erm, other bone. I know it's wrong, I know it's LCD and easy targets all the way, but I can't resist either of them.

** I do worry that I'm leading my children into social isolation by not sitting down in the evening to a diet of hateful shite, but fukkit, as a kid I had plenty of mates who didn't even have a telly in the house and it never did them any harm.  Indeed, one my best friends hardly ever lets her kids near the telly - remarkably her eldest (5 1/2) believed that Dora and Scooby only existed in books and comics until a recent weekend staying over with her slightly-less-patient uncle and aunt opened up the world of animation... and she's about the brighest most sociable little tyke I've ever met.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

If this is what a generation of kids think the Dandy is...

sigh.

It's certainly not how I'll remember it.

[starscape]

The Dandy dropped the celebrities a good while ago.  They brought them in as the 'lifestyle magazine' Dandy Xtreme wasn't working, which was brought in coz the relaunched Dandy with the new contemporary feel and Jak and Todd wasn't working, which was brought in coz the traditional Dandy with the line art we grew up with wasn't working.

DCT have tried everything to keep the Dandy a going concern.  These changes weren't for the sake of it.  Classics from the Comics finished a good while ago due to people not being interested enough in traditional line art.  The Beano probably just has some strong characters that kids can identify with, i.e. Dennis the Menace and the Bash Street Kids. I'm not sure Desperate Dan can compete with them, and it's not easy writing a winning character.

The annual still sells well, although I'm really not sure the web-Dandy will survive in any meaningful format.  Summer Specials might well be of interest but I don't think DCT will think it worth a risk.

BTW, some of us on the Comics UK forum are thinking of getting a Dandy-ish comic together.  Anyone fancies joining in, please let me know.  Either there, PM me or see the contacts on the Starscape website.  After all, there's 8,000 fans wanting a children's humour comic.  Anyone up for Whizzer'n'Chips meets the Dandy?  Profit share (if any) naturally.

[maryanddavid]

No decision yet according to this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-19248459
and as someone mentioned on the comics uk site, the 75th anniversary is in december, so it will hopefully be safe till then.
Anyone who hasnt got it for the kids it in a while, its worth a punt for the Jamie Smart stuff alone, and the celebs are all gone too.

[IndigoPrime]

No decision yet according to this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-19248459

That story was from a few days ago; even the BBC News website has a more recent take: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-19284222

[Trout]

John Wagner's tribute:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19293866

[maryanddavid]

That story was from a few days ago; even the BBC News website has a more recent take: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-19284222

Ill have to say Im really gutted. Surprisingly so, I was never an avid reader when I was a kid.
Kudos to DCT for keeping it going for so long, they have tried hard to keep it afloat and considering practically all of its rival comics from the eighties are dead over twenty years they have done a good job.

Its good to read that they are not letting the brand go altogether, be interesting to see what happens in digital Dandytown when it happens.

Makes me thinks of how lucky we are with Rebellion, like DCT  they seem to care about the comic. 2000ad probably wouldnt still be here but for them.

[shaolin_monkey]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this already, but there was an issue of the Dandy many years ago where The Jocks and The Geordies lampooned Judge Dredd.  It had one of the characters riding around in uniform on a bicycle/lawmaster, dispensing justice via the bike turnip cannons.  I saved that copy of the Dandy - its hidden away in one of my many boxes of comics.

Did anyone else read it?