About a year ago I emailed the editor of The Dandy, who have been my employers in children’s comics for over six years, and rather arrogantly told him some ideas I’d had about the comic. The main point – to bring The Dandy back to more of a comic than a magazine, building up a roster of characters, etc etc. I felt like a bit of a dick saying it all, but just fancied throwing out some (unasked for) opinions.
As it happens, all I’d done was told them what they were already planning.
The Dandy, Britain’s longest running childrens comic (since 1937) is relaunching this week. It’s losing the ‘Xtreme’ tag its had on its name for the last few years and returning to THE DANDY. The pages inside will now be, for the vast majority, comics once more, and these comics will be a ridiculously wonderful array of characters by an assortment of both established and new artists. It will be on sale WEEKLY, at all good newsagents. And it’s only £1.50.
As for my involvement, it started back earlier this year. They were looking to return to that aesthetic ‘feel’ of comics, and felt my wonky-eyed style would work as a theme. I was pretty honoured when they asked me to create a large Dandy style-bible of sorts, filled with typefaces, banners, page designs, headers, and a huge amount of random silly things. Not only that, but they set me to work on The Dandy logo, quite a buzz to see it on the comic, I can tell you.
And inside? Well for a brief while, Desperate Dan (who I’ve been drawing for about three years) was dangled into the wilderness, in favour of newer characters. I’ll confess I was gutted, Dan had become as important to me as my own characters and it was a bugger to think I was done with him. But then recently I got the news he was back in, and I leapt on it. Desperate Dan will remain in The Dandy, alongside new comics I’ve been working on. One is Pre-School Prime Minister, created by The Dandy but written and drawn by me. And I’ve another brand new strip starting sometime in the near future, one I’m very excited for people to see.
So there we have it. The DFC showed that you can create quality comics and stand strong (granted, it suffered from circumstance). The Dandy has its own unique history, loyalty, and is on sale in news-stands everywhere. This is the return to mainstream comics that we’ve needed for a long long time, the chance for children to read comics like we did, not just comicky-type magazines. And The Dandy should be applauded for their search for new exciting artists, and new ways to engage young readers.
Go and buy it now, please.
Huzzah! I’m going to look like a proper grooming paedophile again – small sacrifice i say.
OMG, I have to go get it to read Pre-School Prime Minister!!!
I thought Pre-Skool Prime Minister was a little too close to the truth! Good stuff.
I bought that two days ago! Just to read Pre-School prime minister xD
I think it’s completely excellent that you’ve had so much input into the new-look Dandy, Jamie! As a result the new comic looks and feels fresh and fun, as WELL as having two excellent comics by yourself within!
It’s aaaaalllll good, and I want to thank you for getting me involved as well, I cannot thank you enough, mister! YAY YOU!
I have to say I love the new Dandy, it reminds me so much of the comics I used to read as a kid, particularly Oink!.
I have two kids aged 4 and 8 and it’s been a bit of a bugbear of mine that there are literally no comics like this on the market for them to enjoy and I really couldnt understand why? I thought they were missing out on something that was a big part of my childhood. I showed them the new Dandy and they both loved it!
So, well done for having the guts to send that email, you’re playing a very important part in what looks like it could be the revival of UK mainstream comics.
Pre-School Prime Minister is amazing by the way.
[...] to editor Craig Graham and his team, including artists Lew Stringer, Nigel Parkinson and young turk Jamie Smart, for pulling off a stunning coup. A comic I can enjoy together with my [...]
[...] you saw my recent fumboo post about the Dandy relaunch (do check it out, Dandy is now weekly and FULL o’comics, it’s truly wonderful), you may [...]
Where can I buy iy?
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