2012
Disparate Dan
THERE ARE seven words guaranteed to strike fear into the heart of any fan of British comics, and those words are ‘exciting news inside for all our readers!’ Oh, how those seemingly innocent words would turn a child’s face a deathly white, as that phrase only meant one thing – your favourite comic was about to fold and be absorbed into a more successful sister publication.
If news reports published today are to be believed, that horrifying phrase could be about to appear on the front cover of The Dandy, as DC Thomson are apparently considering closing down the country’s longest-running comic as it nears its 75th birthday.
As the news broke the internet exploded into Dandy-based chatter, with many many people expressing a sadness about the demise of one of the country’s most iconic comic titles. What was interesting about a lot of the internet chatter, however, was that it did seem to give us hints as to why The Dandy has been struggling for so long.
The most common response appeared to be ‘I didn’t even realise it was still going’, which suggests that maybe the ‘highly publicised’ revamp in October 2010 wasn’t quite as highly publicised as we thought. Indeed, I saw at least twice as many newspapers cover this latest story than the revamp story, and saw much more in the way of TV and radio coverage. Ah, where were they all when we needed them, eh? Ah yes, bemoaning the fact that Desperate Dan looked different, that’s where.
Clearly, the revamp hadn’t permeated the public consciousness at large, and it’s difficulty to find it in newsagents across the land certainly didn’t help to keep the comic in people’s minds either, sadly.
Another response was ‘£1.99? I remember when it was 2d/4 pence/ 35p, as if prices changing over the decades was solely perpetrated by villainous comics publishers. It may not be the cheapest, but I’d say it was great value for a comic full of comics!
Then there were a handful of voices saying that they weren’t surprised, as The Dandy was either a) too set in its ways and needed to evolve or b) had evolved too much and needed to somehow resurrect artists from the past to produce new strips as only then would it ever work again.
I think this muddled point gets us to one of the major factors in The Dandy’s decline, that of what I like to call ‘apathetic nostalgia’. This is where people firmly believe that comics should remain vacuum-sealed as they were thirty or forty years ago, and not meddled with AT ALL. This is so when they do chance upon them again, they can look at them with wistful eyes and see everything just as they left it as a child, sigh contentedly, and then move on without, y’know, actually supporting or buying the comic that they claim to love. But as long as it is THERE somewhere, a little bit of the confusing, modern world makes sense. No-one really takes much notice of it, but are reassured that it still exists.
The trouble is, kids’ comics aren’t here to comfort 40 year olds, or 50 year olds. They’re here to entertain children, which is why I thought it was a brilliantly bold move by DC Thomson to revamp The Dandy as they did in 2010. No-one’s disputing that what came before was excellent, but sometimes things need to change to reflect the world we live in or changing tastes. ‘Expect poison from the standing water,’ as William Blake once wrote. I think he preferred fizzy pop.
New artists, a rich variety of styles, brand new characters – encouraging the NEW and the MODERN is precisely what comics should be doing, and I applauded The Dandy for doing so (and not just because I was one of those ‘new artists’ afforded an opportunity to work on the comic!) Some may have seen it as a step too far, trampling over their childhood memories of the comic, but I can honestly say that everyone who worked on The Dandy came to it with boundless passion for the title and its heritage. We wanted to play in that playground we loved as kids, to make it fun and friendly and fresh, and we were all deeply proud of what we did. And judging from the feedback from the kids who read it, they were enjoying the ride too. I’m not saying everything was PERFECT, but it was all done with respect and affection, and we all wanted the comic to not only survive, but thrive.
So we’re all on the same side, essentially – we all love comics, and we all want to see them succeed. Clearly something’s gone awry for The Dandy to now be selling under 8,000 copies a week, and for the more traditional Beano to be on 38,000 a week while Moshi Monsters Magazine enjoys a monthly circulation of 170,000 a month – is it all over for traditional, strip-based comics? I’m really hoping not.
The news reports suggest DC Thomson haven’t made a firm decision as of yet. If that’s so, then maybe a large groundswell of support as we saw today might yet save it. Tomorrow, the next issue hits the shelves. Why not buy it, or buy it for your kids, or a niece or nephew or whomever? Put it in the hands of children, and let them see what they think. It may not be The Dandy you remember yourself, but it’s time to let the kids start forming their own bonds with comics THEY might love, and which they’ll remember fondly as they grow up.
Let’s act now before we lose The Dandy and then other titles further down the line. Comics are great, are fun, encourage literacy and sometimes feature pictures of monkeys wearing hats. What’s not to love?
- Fanton.
Save the Dandy! Join in with the #savethedandy hashtag on Twitter, or by leaving messages of support on The Dandy’s Facebook page.
26 Comments
So, what do you think?
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The Dandy is basically the reason I draw. I have high hopes that tomorrow, many will walk down to there corner shop, buy a Dandy, and, by golly, enjoy the hell out of it. The artists are brilliant and I couldn’t face it’s closure.
Thanks Chris – it’s lovely to get messages of support from our wonderful readers! There’s been a lot of love for The Dandy over the past couple of days, good to see – let’s hope it saves the comic!
Andy, I’m gonna be honest. You were (well, actually are) possibly one of my favourite artists in The Dandy at the moment- and your characters are so unique & eccentric, thats why they fit so well in the comic. I loved George Vs Dragon when it first came out- and it was like nothing I’d ever seen before.
It was fun, exciting, new; the whole comic was- and continues to be so, every single issue (except Xtreme, you-know-who messed up big time!)
Anyhow, credit where credit’s due to Craig, Michelle and the whole sphere of artists/writers who did a amazing job in trying to make the Dandy modern.
I know it’s not up to the editioral what price the comic is, but it’s such a dramatic rise from when I discovered it in 1998 at the price of 45p.
The glossy paper makes it more expensive too, which undoubtably pushes away most kids, because you don’t have a lot of change left over from £2..
DC Thomson totally missed their main target audience which is the older generation, as a lot of them brought the Dandy in their prime.. they should’ve had a old strip pull-out similar to that of Whizzer & Chips called Our Dandy- tried pitching it, they didn’t listen.. another factor which was a kick in the teeth was the celeb based strips- I mean, we wouldn’t of had that about a decade and a half ago.. imagine Cliff Richard’s Living Doll drawn by David Sutherland, it wouldn’t have been right- maybe IF the celebrities promoted their cameos on radio or TV, it may have been successful, but alas- it wasn’t.
I wish DC Thomson would consider to start all over again- a fresh new comic, maybe called The D which comes out every month, printed on newspaper print, No.1 at 99p, no free gifts, no celebs, no competitions which have bits of plastic as prizes.
The D could have something for everyone- young and old.
But it’s a dream, I’m afraid.. I really don’t want to say goodbye to the Dandy yet, it could’ve been so much more. It could’ve had a billion copies sold around the world- there could’ve been a film or tv series.
I could’ve took part but THEY refused my ideas with something like “thanks, but no thanks”.
Believe me, I’ve tried and persuaded them that I could be good for the Dandy with the creation of the Support The Dandy Comic Facebook group.. it’s proving popular again in this hour of need.
So once again, thank you to everyone who are (and who sadly aren’t) still with us who created the Dandy- OUR Dandy, which survived through several generations and a world war. Now that’s a strong publication!
Yes, like I said, not everything about the new Dandy was perfect, but then what is? But I do truly believe that the intentions were good, the effort was huge, and the end result was a comic that looked revitalised, and which looked to be in very good shape for a 75 year-old!
I hope it will continue and not just be an online comic…
I hope kids will get back to reading and collecting comics again..kids grow up too quickly..
It wouldn’t survive as an online comic, if the current website is any indication.
I have to say, the web side of things has been less than stellar, in my opinion, which is a big shame.
Love the Dandy. Going up against the marketing might of the big boys is going to be an uphill struggle, but not an impossible one.
The £1.99 price is very competitive. Most comics retail for £2.99+ with less pages & a ‘Free’ toy.
Yes, the TV tie-ins certainly seem to have a bigger budget to play with, as well as in-built marketing from the television shows. BUT WE HAVE DESPERATE DAN!
My 10 year old Joss (a budding cartoonist) didn’t really like the Dandy til the new revamp in 2010. Seeing Harry Hill on the cover made him buy it instead of his usual Beano and now he really rates the new look and finds it really funny. I agree with Tattersky that £1.99 is pretty cheap compared to all the TV-tie ins and a sign of a good comic is that he never cares if there is a free gift or not. He’s rather a Beano or Dandy with no gift than something like Moshi Monsters (and as a parent I’d rather reduce the amount of plastic tat wallowing at the bottom of the toy box). I’ve set up a Facebook group to support The Dandy on Joss’ behalf and will be encouraging all my friends to buy a copy this week to spread the word!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/487019807974771
Hey, thanks for commenting – it’s always good to hear from those who have contact with the target audience! Glad your son is enjoying it, that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day, making kids happy.
I’ve joined the Facebook group and urge any folk reading this who wish to join the cause to do likewise! TO ARMS!
thanks! Joss has now pinched ipad off me to read all your comics on this site – apparently you are his favourite Dandy artist, esp Dave the Squirrel
Really? Aw, thanks – that’s nice to hear! And if it’s Dave that Joss likes, he’ll find a couple of his strips here: http://www.andyfanton.com/unseen-dave/
Thanks again!
Absolutely brilliant post. Well said Andy.
Thanks, Lew! I very much enjoyed your post on the subject too (which is here, chums! http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/desperate-times.html)
Just fixing the link, the ) broke it: http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/desperate-times.html
Whoops! Thanks!
Andy, I mentioned you a year or so ago the difficulty of buying the Dandy in my local WH Smith (Douglas, Isle of Man) Quite often if there was a copy available it was hidden behind a jumble of other titles, whereas the Beano had it’s own display box. Often also empty.
I think it is largely down to display and marketing. For children interested in comics The Dandy is just not visible. I have been trying to buy it each week from Harry Hill/George and the Dragon onwards and it really is a lot of effort. Children are likely to be put off after a couple of failures to find it. DC Thomson have the product, they need to push it.. They could easily double sales by sorting something out with WH Smith.
I hope you survive whatever happens – your wit and humour has been an inspiration since your Cuss Biffo days
Gawd bless you, Dudley! Yes, I think there has been a bit of a problem distribution-wise, the fact so many people seemed quite unaware that the comic was a) still running and b) had changed into something a bit more modern of late seems to confirm this. Which is a shame, as I still completely stand by the work I did, and think the comic itself was in the best shape it’s been for YEARS.
Such is life, I guess. Thanks again mister!
It’s confirmed, the Dandy is no more. The anniversary issue is also the last one.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=49862&c=1
It ain’t over ’til the fat cowboy sings.
I rediscovered the joys of the new look Dandy and buying it from my local newsagent is a weekly treat. My two daughters, 13 and 11, fight over it. It is laugh out loud funny … and completely invisible in the wider world. The problem is with the marketing, not the product.
Thanks for your message, Andrew (great name, BTW). I agree, I’m amazed how many people, upon hearing the news of The Dandy’s fate, didn’t even realise it was still going! And there was a rather depressing report on Newsround where kids were asked if they’d read it or even HEARD of it, the answer to which seemed to be a resounding ‘no!’
So yes, visibility has definitely been a problem. But I’m cheered by stories such as yours (of which I’ve now seen a fair few around the internet) where people have picked up the comic off the back of the news and found they really like it! Hurrah!
[...] And Dandy contributor Andy Fanton puts forward a hypothesis (expressed somewhat more forcefully by Brooker) that The Dandy failed because it changed, not because it didn’t. [...]
[...] since I blogged about The Dandy possibly closing for business, the news came that the comic would definitely end its life in print as of December 4th, to tie in [...]
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