Classics From the Comics

Classics From the Comics is DC Thomson's retro monthly, 68 pages crammed with comic classics from days gone by. The latest issue has a special feature on 1957 and also contains all the usual favourites-Dennis, Roger, Korky the Cat, the Badd Lads, Brassneck, General Jumbo...the list is endless. So if you fancy a trip down memory lane, pick up this month's Classics, now on sale!

Yep, I got it!

Spiff_B wrote:Yep, I got it!

Always a good read.

Issue #169 is out now, featuring a nice mix of strips including some that don't get a lot of exposure-included are, amongst many others, the Sparky People, Fred the Flop, the Badd Lads, Figaro, L-Cars, Kelly, PC Big Ears (yes, there is a bit of a cops & robbers theme going on) and the Truth about Wilson, as well as more predictable favourites like Dennis and the Bash St Kids. Well worth picking up, this month!

Even more importantly... a text story!! Hope this continues.

felneymike wrote:Even more importantly... a text story!! Hope this continues.

Nice to see them broadening their scope a bit, isn't it?

The new look Classics is out now, and well worth a look: aside from the usual eclectic mix of strips from DCT's past titles including Corporal Clott, Brassneck, Ghastly Manor and Harum scarum, there's also a look at five decades of Desperate Dan, the space kids (which looks like it'll be a continuing feature) and even a factual piece on nature study. This is actually starting to feel less like a 'best of' and more like a magazine in its own right, with a pleasantly retro feel!

Gosh I love the art style of these. whilst I love comics like Buster for being full colour you just could never beat the style of these.

Nice redesign! A definite purchase

I really like the fact that Garry is using material from the 'other' titles as much as from the big two.

It was always a selection of "other" titles from DCT humour comics right from issue 1 (which i might still have somewhere, i have a few early ones knocking around including 6 and 15) but they only started including Victor about a year or so ago, and now a text story from Adventure has appeared and i think i remember a (new) Hotspur tale too.
Girls comics are still missing but will arrive in time i hope. Oh and of course more text stories, especially from The Skipper which sounds like it had some really wierd ones. It'd be nice if they ran complete series' but they don't even do that with strips so i doubt they'd do it with text. However if it's turning into more of a magazine (perhaps like Judge Dredd Megazine except with actually intreresting stuff in!) maybe they could run "abridged" text series' (the ones i've read were often pretty repetetive in between the first and last story anyway) of 'key' instalments with "recaps" shortening what went on in between into a few lines.

tony ingram wrote:The new look Classics is out now, and well worth a look: aside from the usual eclectic mix of strips from DCT's past titles including Corporal Clott, Brassneck, Ghastly Manor and Harum scarum, there's also a look at five decades of Desperate Dan, the space kids (which looks like it'll be a continuing feature) and even a factual piece on nature study. This is actually starting to feel less like a 'best of' and more like a magazine in its own right, with a pleasantly retro feel!

Wow, that is a great cover ! I will definitely pick that up.

In the past Classics has always seemed a bit on the fence as to whether it is aimed at kids or teary eyed nostalgics. That cover suggests they are veering more towards the latter. If they targeted it a bit more firmly at vintage comics enthusiasts with more detailed articles / interviews etc then I would definitely pick up more than the occasional issue I buy now.

Whilst it's nice they include more obscure characters I actually prefer the more familiar ones that I remember from when I was a kid. I guess they keep the best stuff back for the hardbacks they put out for the Christmas market though.

Regular reprint titles for Fleetway's humour and adventure comics are a major gap in the market IMO.

I agree. I'd buy a regular Fleetway reprint title in the same format as the current Classics. Doubt we'll get one, though.

I must admit, I prefer the more obscure characters as, paradoxically, they're often the ones I have the fondest memories of. You can keep Dennis: give me Clott or Bing Bang Benny any day!

The best are the obscure characters you forget you remember! Such as Betty's Yeti, which began in 1993. I saw a reprint of the first one and could remember reading it and being all excited at a new story like it was yesterday!

How about Fiends Beans? They're in the latest issue. Bizarre...

Only time for a quick flick through the new issue so far.

Looks like the introduction from the editor has been dropped and a new letters page added.

Were the covers original illustrations before ? Having panels from a Korky strip on the front cover and then the whole strip reprinted in full inside seems a touch redundant.

ISTR General Jumbo as being from The Dandy but here it's referred to as "Classic Buddy" a title I've never even heard of.

Looking forward to getting stuck in later.

MLP* wrote:Only time for a quick flick through the new issue so far.

Looks like the introduction from the editor has been dropped and a new letters page added.

Were the covers original illustrations before ? Having panels from a Korky strip on the front cover and then the whole strip reprinted in full inside seems a touch redundant.

ISTR General Jumbo as being from The Dandy but here it's referred to as "Classic Buddy" a title I've never even heard of.

Looking forward to getting stuck in later.

Jumbo started life in The Beano, but later also appeared in Buddy and, I think, Nutty.

To answer your other question, until now the covers were specially drawn by Ken Harrison.

tony ingram wrote:

MLP* wrote:Only time for a quick flick through the new issue so far.

Looks like the introduction from the editor has been dropped and a new letters page added.

Were the covers original illustrations before ? Having panels from a Korky strip on the front cover and then the whole strip reprinted in full inside seems a touch redundant.

ISTR General Jumbo as being from The Dandy but here it's referred to as "Classic Buddy" a title I've never even heard of.

Looking forward to getting stuck in later.

Jumbo started life in The Beano, but later also appeared in Buddy and, I think, Nutty.

To answer your other question, until now the covers were specially drawn by Ken Harrison.

Ah, it's a shame if they've been dropped to save money. (Although understandable as the recent Fleetway titles all had reprint covers so I guess DCT might have been mindful of that.) Maybe I'll drop a letter of complaint to their new letters page !

I noticed Crikey gets a mention too.

Buddy was an adventure comic with longer stories of the adventure characters from Beano and Dandy (Billy the Cat, General Jumbo etc). It was supposed to be in between the funnies and serious adventure titles like Victor, but adventure comics were on the way out then so it was cancelled pretty quickly.

felneymike wrote:Buddy was an adventure comic with longer stories of the adventure characters from Beano and Dandy (Billy the Cat, General Jumbo etc). It was supposed to be in between the funnies and serious adventure titles like Victor, but adventure comics were on the way out then so it was cancelled pretty quickly.

Interesting. I guess that one must have slipped by me completely. And I used to buy a lot of British comics as a kid.

I do remember one of a similar vintage called Spike which I guess didn't last long either.

And Hoot. Must get round to writing to Classics asking for some reprints from that.

Spike, I have a few of somewhere. It had a deeply unfunny cover star called...predictably...'Spike'. Beyond that, it was pretty forgettable, really.

I love the fact that someone has found it neccessary to add a "Don't try this at home" message to the picture of Dan drinking petrol.

Didn't Spike have a story about the kids of a school trying to save it from demolition in a grange-hill calibre "strong stuff" tale? That was reprinted in a 1991 book called "The Golden Years of Adventure Stories" (which felt the need to add colour to stories not designed for it, but oh well)

I think it did, though I can't recall the title. I'll have to look it up...

I wonder if they are editing scenes of corporal punishment out of some of these old strips ?
The Dennis and Gnasher one on page 37 looks suspiciously like it's missing some "sound effects" from the last panel.

I'm loving The Space Kids. Pure cheese but great fun. Great artwork (as always) from Ron Smith.

Nice early Biffo strip on the back-I love that artwork. And next issue is dedicated to superheroes! Count me in!

The Brassneck strip is pure "Jack Black And His Dog Silver" from Viz stuff.

A "tramp" (ie no doubt very hungry homeless person) tries to steal a fish from Charley.
He winds up getting knocked into the river. As he crawls out Brassneck gives him a shoeing before he is led away by a copper.
Brassneck and Charlie then go and stuff their faces at the local fish and chip shop.

Hilarious, but for all the wrong reasons.

tony ingram wrote:To answer your other question, until now the covers were specially drawn by Ken Harrison.

Only since the last relaunch - I don't have a note of who drew the first ten years or so.

I think that yes, it's a cost-cutting measure. Still, the cover reflects how much work goes into each issue - the quality is much better than the Fleetway reprint comics a decade ago - and yet, while it is definitely trying to appeal to a more mature audience, it's also appealing directly to the kids, because the layout style is exactly the same as the Beano, give or take a little colour.

AndyB wrote:

tony ingram wrote:To answer your other question, until now the covers were specially drawn by Ken Harrison.

Only since the last relaunch - I don't have a note of who drew the first ten years or so.

I think that yes, it's a cost-cutting measure. Still, the cover reflects how much work goes into each issue - the quality is much better than the Fleetway reprint comics a decade ago - and yet, while it is definitely trying to appeal to a more mature audience, it's also appealing directly to the kids, because the layout style is exactly the same as the Beano, give or take a little colour.

It's a welcome change, regardless. Just goes to show, if something works, it works!

The latest issue is out now, and it's another winner by the looks of it-nice to see Biffo getting another cover! This is a special 'superheroes' issue, and features amongst others Jack Flash, General Jumbo, Bananaman and The Amazing Mr X.

tony ingram wrote:The latest issue is out now, and it's another winner by the looks of it-nice to see Biffo getting another cover! This is a special 'superheroes' issue, and features amongst others Jack Flash, General Jumbo, Bananaman and The Amazing Mr X.

Never been a huge fan of Biffo. He was being eased out of The Beano when I was a kid with his strip getting smaller and smaller.
I don't think the frame blow up on the cover helps the artwork much either.

Only time for a quick flick through so far. Souper Boy prompted one of those "OMG, I remember that !" moments which is the chief appeal of Classics.

Looks like they have gone all the way back to the forties for a couple of the strips this time. They are Rupert-style ie an illustration with text underneath.

Joe Soap - didn't 80s Eagle have a story with the same title ?

It did, in fact he was mentioned the Eagle piece in Crikey! #14. That Joe was a private detective though, one of their photo strip stars. I'd love to get the chance to speak to some of the people who appeared in those strips!

They goofed on Souper Boy. John certainly drew all the strips I remember, but Vic Neill created him, and drew the strip they printed.

Still great content though!

I shall pass that info on to Garry...

Garry's probably fed up hearing from me, poor bloke

AndyB wrote:Garry's probably fed up hearing from me, poor bloke

Must be-he's fled! His email says he's out of the office till Monday, lazy bugger.

I have to be fair to Garry - his commitment shows in every issue. Will Jim recognise it when (if?) he comes back to work and takes the chair back from Ann?

AndyB wrote:I have to be fair to Garry - his commitment shows in every issue. Will Jim recognise it when (if?) he comes back to work and takes the chair back from Ann?

I almost don't recognise it! It's a whole new magazine!

And to make that comment, with which I agree 100%, is no criticism whatsoever of Dave Torrie (the original editor).

As I recall, Jim Richards did set the ball for the changes rolling, although I suspect Morris Heggie had a hand in it somewhere along the way. What Garry Fraser and Ann Kemp have done is to take it to a whole new level.

AndyB wrote:And to make that comment, with which I agree 100%, is no criticism whatsoever of Dave Torrie (the original editor).

As I recall, Jim Richards did set the ball for the changes rolling, although I suspect Morris Heggie had a hand in it somewhere along the way. What Garry Fraser and Ann Kemp have done is to take it to a whole new level.

I've no idea who any of these people are but I'm sure they're all doing a marvellous job.

Looking through the new issue, I like the little facts that appear at the top of the pages. I had no idea that Billy The Cat and The Bash Street kids shared the same artist. Very different styles so I'd never have guessed.

I also like where they point out the different titles that a character has appeared in. With Bananaman now appearing in The Dandy Fun Size I assume this means that he is gone from Dandy Xtreme (ie the original Dandy). Shame.

Interesting the way the years have been kinder to some strips than others. Sunny Boy from the early sixties would not look too out of place in The Beano today. By contrast, Ginger from two decades later looks very dated.

Big Head and Thick Head is a new one on me. Looks like the work of the same artist as Faceache and Martha's Monster Makeup to me (Ken Reid IIRC). The Roger The Dodger looks like it might be one of his too.

Anyway, I'm off to read about the delights of Nuneaton.

Ken Reid is correct. I was being an anorak with my knowledge of DCT staff

Bananaman being in Dandy Fun Size doesn't mean anything. They're actually repackaged from issues of Dandy Fun Size originally published 9-10 years ago - funnily enough, this is done by the Classics from the Comics team.

I can never find Dandy Fun Size...

AndyB wrote:Ken Reid is correct. I was being an anorak with my knowledge of DCT staff

Bananaman being in Dandy Fun Size doesn't mean anything. They're actually repackaged from issues of Dandy Fun Size originally published 9-10 years ago - funnily enough, this is done by the Classics from the Comics team.

Oh, so they're reprints ? Figures, I guess.

I'm surprised that Commando is still publishing original stuff TBH. They could coast along on reprints forever at this point I'd have thought.
Mind you, I'm surprised Commando is still being published at all.

tony ingram wrote:I can never find Dandy Fun Size...

Never seen an issue on sale anywhere myself either. Those "comic library" formats must be a real anachronism in today's comics market where everything has to be full colour with a covermounted gift.

I gather Commando's sales have always been pretty stable, in fact. Seems there's still a market for good, uncomplicated adventure stories after all.

Reading through the current issue and it's interesting how much attitudes have changed over the years.

The Smasher puts his teacher in hospital. Not a storyline The Beano would sanction these days !

Space Kids has some casual size-ism : "Yah ! Jump for it fatty !"
(BTW, Barry Wallace might not like the Space Kids but I think they're great fun.)

Mr X offers "Back at his office, Len changed into a queer costume, black skin-tight trousers and a white jersey."
Which really needs no comment...

And Minnie the Minx pre-empts political correctedness by a few years.

That was not the last time the Kids would try ballet. I have one a few years later which was reprinted in one of the Kids books - they did the same toe touching gag, but rather than Plug's "looses" gag, Fatty said his tights were far too tight, and Smiffy tied torches to his toes to be light on his feet...

The ballet teacher looked the same, but probably had a different name.

I've remembered a little more in the last couple of minutes. After Head decided to introduce a little culture, Fatty, Plug and Smiffy became the stage hands for Swan Lake, and you can imagine the rest...

Light on his feet. Heh.
What can I say? I'm easily amused...

Billy The Cat is an insufferable show off isn't he ? No wonder the Viz parody was quite so savage.

I always preferred the Leopard from Lime Street anyway.

Any ideas who the artist is on Curly's Commandos ? Looks to have been heavily inspired by Baxendale.

The concept of the "readers voice" which crops up a couple of times in John Geering's strips is a bit strange when you think about it.

Curly's Commandos always looked reminiscent of Ken Reid to me, though it obviously wasn't...

I think it's Barrie Appleby