Starting tomorrow (Saturday 12th) and continuing for the whole subsequent week the Guardian (and on Sunday the Observer), will be giving away reprints of classic British comics, from sporty boy’s own stuff like Roy of the Rovers to girl’s faves like Bunty and perennial kid’s (and big kid’s!) favourites like the immortal Beano.
From the official release: “Remember how you were with seven classic comics for grown up boys and girls. We are printing an original issue of Jackie, The Beano, Roy of the Rovers, Bunty, The Dandy, Tammy and Whizzer And Chips every day in the Guardian and the Observer from Saturday 12 September.
It all starts on Saturday with the 1975 Valentine’s Day special of Jackie, featuring David Essex, Slade, the Cathy and Claire problem page and a Donny Osmond strip story! The Beano’s back on Sunday with the 2000th issue from 1980, featuring a Dennis the Menace front cover and all your favourites: Lord Snooty, Minnie the Minx and the Bash Street Kids.
On Monday it’s the one where Roy Race is shot in Roy of the Rovers from 1981, followed by the Bunty 1972 Summer Special on Tuesday. The Dandy, with the last Korky the Cat cover from 1984 is your comic for Wednesday, while Thursday sees the return of the very first Tammy from 1971. And finally, on Friday, catch up with Sid, Slippy and Shiner in Whizzer and Chips, two comics in one!
They don’t make them like this anymore.…”
The running order of the releases is:
Saturday 12th September – Jackie
Sunday 13th – Beano
Monday 14th – Roy of the Rovers
Tuesday 15th – Bunty
Wednesday 16th – The Dandy
Thursday 17th – Tammy
Friday 18th – Whizzer and Chips
The Guardian and Observer have been consistently good at covering comics and supporting creators (publishing strips, taking part in the Comica/Cape/Observer short graphic fiction competition, printing reviews) which I’ve been delighted to see (kudos to them), but there’s something rather touching about this nod to our Great British comics heritage, drawn from the once huge array of weekly comics which we all used to read from childhood right through to teens, most now largely gone. (thank to Hayley at the Guardian for the heads-up)
September 11th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
That’s fantastic. Definitely going to pick up the girls’ comics – for the early Pat Mills stuff, obviously.
Wonder if they’d be interested in putting out some original material, next year…
//\Oo/\\
September 11th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
There’s also going to be an article on UK comics in The Guardian on Monday.
September 12th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Correction: the article on comics is in today’s Guide supplement to The Guardian. I’m misquoted in it unfortunately. (As if I’d say the genre was dead when I’m still earning a living from working in kids’ comics! I hate it when the media pretend that UK comics are gone.)
September 13th, 2009 at 9:39 am
London town BST 10:39. The joy of newsprint comics: this morning the Beano free on the Observer http://tinyurl.com/pmnc5x Cool! #comics
September 13th, 2009 at 10:10 am
RT@ernestopriego ernestopriegoLondon town BST 10:39. comic free on the Observer http://tinyurl.com/pmnc5x Cool! #comics
September 13th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I always preferred Monster Fun :-(
September 18th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Just caught up with events in time for today’s Whizzer & Chips, a particular fave! It’d be great if there was a dramatic demand for another round of such beauties but quite a bold series in the first place, I suppose.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:14 am
Anyone know why the Guardian did this?
It got me to buy all seven issues.