The end of the Dandy

One of the saddest things to happen in 2012 was the demise of the print version of the Dandy comic.  Sales had dropped from a peak of over 2 million copies sold every week to about 5000 sales per issue.  The end of the comic was probably inevitable.  It will live  on as a ghost of it's former self as an online comic.  It remains to be seen if the online version will be a hit but I am sceptical.

After a LOT of effort I managed to obtain a copy of the final print issue from an online scalper for six quid.  When I obtained my hard earned comic (that was in a slightly dog eared condition) I could see signs of illness within.  The reprinted strips from older issues retained the high quality of art and writing that I remembered.  The newer material was less strong in places.  I guess I'm probably seeing the older stuff through rose-tinted glasses but it did look a lot better.

I was a bigger fan of the Beano than the Dandy but I think these childrens comics were important.  I think they helped kids learn how to read and take pleasure in reading.  These comics were for kids and were affordable for kids.  Kids could rip them up, draw on them and swap them.  These comics had a physicality that was fun.  A child could create a comic themselves with pencil and paper.  Much of the experience of these comics is lost in the modern age.  Computers are great but not perfect for a boisterous 6 year old.

BBC Scotland screened a great documentary on the Dandy  on Hogmanay.  Dundee, Scotland, and the world have lost a great comic with an anarchic spirit.  I hope the Beano continues for the forseeable future.

RIP The Dandy - 1937 to 2012