Is Britain’s iconic comic book about to have it’s plug pulled or can future fiddling with the format keep it on life support? Does digital deployment or death face The Dandy?
Publisher D.C.Thompson created The Dandy Comic in December 1937. It became The Dandy from July 1950 and in it’s 75 year long life in the childish laughter provoking arena has survived the challenges of television and the internet - until now perhaps!
It was given a “radical format overhaul” ( tv related content, glossy paper and price hike) October 1970. Even more “radical format overhaul” ( from weekly to fortnightly, name change to Dandy Extreme, even more tv and personality related content, and price hike ) August 2007, and again a “radical format overhaul” in October 2010 ( back to weekly, Extreme dropped from title, all but some traditional content replaced, and price hike)
Now with sales having slumped, positively plummeted, from a two million peak to meagre eight-thousand The Dandy’s future is uncertain, in the balance, an open question and a closed book. A possible digital incarnation is spoken of. Cycling superhero Spokeswoman surprised sensation-seeking journalists with talk of ‘challenges’ and ‘opportunities‘ but it looks like last rites for our little lads and lassies laughter liberator, the UK’s oldest comic expected to be dropped once the perplexed publisher previews the pecuniary options. Of The Dandy or it’s characters going online there are some hopes.
Later that day - - - 22.49 Breaking news. The Dandy declared done for come December. Desperate Dan to be delegated digital duties.
Friday 17th. Responses flooding in. Brighton resident Phil Shrimpton reported as 'desperately sad" by local paper The Argus. Phil has every issue of The Dandy from 1948 to 1988.
Saturday 18th. The Scotsman reports John Wagner as saying" Millions will hear of your passing with regret" and Anita O'Brien,
curator of London's Comic Museum, " . . people . . want to buy The Dandy but they can't actually find it, "
Monday 20th. Controversalist Charlie Brooker, (aged 41) in The Guardian newspaper claims Dandy moving online is "clearly the best thing that can happen to" it. A view shared by Terry Prone in The Irish Examiner newspaper. Of Desperate Dan - "His best career move, ever, was ceasing to exist in print form".
In unrelated news The Dandy publishers D.C.Thompson announced plans to give all Scottich primary school children a free copy of their other property, The Beano.