...including a few strips by me. For Beano Annual 2023 I've written/drawn 8 Biffo the Bear mini-strips and really enjoyed working on that classic character. Yes, I made sure to put his best pal Buster in there too, meaning that I've now drawn both the D.C. Thomson 'Buster' and the Rebellion (IPC) 'Buster' characters in an official capacity.
For The Dandy Annual 2023 I've written/drawn 4 full page Keyhole Kate strips, plus 8 Postman Prat mini-strips. Kate is one of the oldest characters in comics, originating from The Dandy No.1 back in 1937. Prat is more modern, and first appeared in the new-look Dandy in 2010. Both are back in all-new stories.
I know a lot of people think annuals weren't published until December years ago but, nope, they've always been published this time of year. Most of the books are given as Christmas presents though so I've made sure to do Christmas episodes of all my strips in these editions.
Each book has a R.R.P. of £9.99. If your local bookshops haven't displayed the annuals yet you can order them directly from the publisher as I did. Here's the link...
https://www.dcthomsonshop.co.uk/books/annuals
just seeing the one panel has made me smile and chuckle... Keyhole Kate running like mad :)..look forward to seeing them...
ReplyDeleteWorking on the 2024 Dandy Annual at the moment!
ReplyDeleteWell, Biffo's comment about collecting every issue of Beano is intriguing, even if Buster doesn't look very impressed. I'll have to buy a copy now to see where this one goes.
ReplyDeleteI remember the release of next year's annuals being a big deal in WH Smith during my childhood. As you say, it was always around August Bank Holiday and it made the dreaded return to school a little more palatable.
Great work to all who made those two wonderful annuals with the biggest names in British comics.
ReplyDeleteI will say that (SPOILERS) Desperate Dan having just the one 8-page strip to himself (in the middle of the annual) is a bit of an odd choice seeing as he's literally the Dandy's biggest star, appearing in the comic's first issue in 1937 and sticking with it continuously right up to the last issue in 2012 (unlike most other long-time Dandy characters who made on-and-off appearances throughout the original comic's run). Still, great work from Steve "Brighty" Bright as always.
Great job as well to you (Biffo the Bear, Keyhole Kate, Postman Prat) Laura Howell (Minnie the Minx, Beryl the Peril), Nigel Parkinson (Dennis and Gnasher, Owen Goal), Nigel Auchterlonie (Corporal Clott + various scripts I assume), Wayne Thompson (Bananaman, JJ, Dreadlock Holmes) and everyone else involved for producing new strips for these enduring characters!
Desperate Dan was perhaps too dominant in some previous annuals but I like the idea of other characters having room to breathe. Dan is in the group story too so I suppose he's still well represented. The thing I miss are the adventure stories that gave the books variety but sadly they went out of favour with readers. I still think they could work if handled properly though.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I remember about annuals in Smiths, Tony, was the sheer volume of them. Piles of books on display and numerous titles. The space given to annuals now is much smaller, and they order far less. A real shame.
It looks fine but please don't tell me they're not sending you complimentary copies ? In my mind (maybe too hopeful) it should be the ABC of any publisher's policy to its contributors, especially for a large one like DC.
ReplyDeleteYeah, General Jumbo was a regular in the Beano Annual in the 90s and 2000s despite having long since stopped appearing in the weekly, but neither he nor Billy the Cat (who also appeared a few times in the 2000s) are used any more. I guess kids weren't keen. Makes me wonder about what kids think of Leopard of Lime Street in the revived Monster Fun. Billy the Cat is pretty similar to him after all.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid not all UK publishers send out complimentary copies, Roberto, of annuals or comics. Rebellion do (although sadly I'm no longer working for them) as do Panini and The77, but DC Thomson don't. Even Fleetway didn't years ago. I had to buy all my own copies of Oink!, Buster, etc. Marvel UK used to send out comps though.
ReplyDeleteI think young kids respond well to the adventure strips in The Phoenix, James, so it can be done. As with any kids' comic it's all about engaging the reader with exciting storylines and characters and making sure the story is clearly told. Some writers have their characters indulge in too much irrelevant banter and snarky comments, which distracts from the plot and can only confuse young readers. Keep it direct, lively, and exciting. That's how adventure strips worked for decades.
Yeah, it IS pretty neat to see the annuals experiment with which characters and strips they juggle around with and feature in-between each year's annual. Also, great to see the mini-strips back in both annuals from two years ago. A nice dose of quick fire fun!
ReplyDeleteYes, the mini-strips work well in the annuals. Help to give the pages some variety.
ReplyDelete