Friday saw the last DFC comic published. Today I thought I’d just showcase some of the lovely images and messages we’ve gathered up from various creator’s sites with them saying goodbye…
What’s important is to remember that the DFC did not fail. It achieved so much and, if economy hadn’t stuck its smelly nose in, would have continued to do so. We never planned on a rocket journey for the magazine, but a gentle cycle ride, gathering followers and reputation as it went….it was expected to take time. The world economy, it seems, did not have time to give. Random House can’t really be blamed if they just don’t have the money to support the DFC any more…and the team certainly can’t be blamed for anything as I’ve never worked with a more enthusiastic, fun, awesome bunch of editors, creators and publishers. While it was here, the DFC was true to David Fickling’s vision – and what a vision it was. Pure comics. No ads, no cutbacks on quality – just well produced and high quality fun. The feedback and support we’ve seen from readers and their families, and -hell-from the creators ourselves have proved beyond doubt that the DFC was a success….and who knows what will happen from here. Friends and contacts that were made won’t be lost. And I can’t see many of those stories burying their heads forever….and David Fickling himself? Something tells me he will bounce right back with ten times more awesome.
Thank you to everyone who supported us and the comic. You’re all wonderful.
So that’s that. Despite the best efforts of all concerned the DFC will be bowing out with issue 43, wrestled into submission by the Economy From Hell. Reactions so far seem overwhelmingly positive and sympathetic, with even the most cynical of commentators commending this admittedly flawed but incredibly noble venture.
For the moment I’ll be holding on to the things that went right – the wealth of amazing new comic material it launched into the world, the opportunities and alliances it offered to so many creators, and just the sheer bloody BALLS it took to do what it did. Truly a Dream Followed Courageously.
The saddest thing is all those kids lucky enough to have just discovered it, who relish Friday mornings when the comic arrives through the door, are now left with very little other options. – Beano and Dandy ‘Extreme’ are fine at what they do but are all full of adverts,- Simpsons comics are well done but the whole thing seems like an advert – kids have very little left that’s not a TV, film or commercial tie-in. That was one of The DFC’s greatest strengths – 36 pages and no adverts. Not to mention the incredible diversity of great stories.
Some will argue it was trying to be too many things at once – attempting to entertain too large a cross section from 8yr old girls to 14yr old boys. Yes, in a more buoyant time it might have existed as 2 or 3 different titles, more specifically targetted.
I was always somewhat frustrated by the subscription model they adopted – it relied on benevolent (and fairly well-off) parents to commit £12 a month on your behalf, rather than being something you could simply purchase, with coins, from a newsagent. But then how do you launch a new title onto the shelves when the very priviledge of being in WH Smiths swallows up 35% of the cover price? Or the stability of the shelves is not as predicable as a year ago (loss of Woolworths)?While really depressed that this brave venture hasn’t been able to gather the momentum and subscriptions it deserved, I’m proud to have been amongst all the other creators, and feel grateful to the editorial team for the opportunity and their honorable treatment of those slaving away on the drawing boards and computers. My own competance has come on leaps and bounds thanks to their encouragement, enthusiasm and deadlines.
E-mails have been flying and phones have been ringing, mostly contributors expressing how sad they are about it, but also saying what a wonderful thing the DFC has been, how we made some amazing comics, some great friends, and that we will always be proud of it.
I’m not looking forward to the inevitable flock of British naysayers, those guys who sit around on internet blog sites and say ‘I told you so’. Yes, David Fickling took a huge risk with this comic. But he also started up a lot of careers in comics that are going to go far and got us really excited with his enthusiasm and dedication. And I respect him so, so much for that, and want to say that I am proud of him and fond of him and I hope the rest of the comics community will be supportive to all the people who put so much of themselves into this project. Thanks so much to my editors, Ben Sharpe and Will Fickling, who helped me along from my first comic, when I wasn’t sure what I was doing. Everyone on the DFC team was lovely, I would say I’ll miss them but I think many of us are going to stay in touch.
All this doesn’t mean it’s completely over! Just that the DFC, as it is now, will only run to Issue 43. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be seeing your favourite characters again, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Creator’s links: Some of these very talented people will be contributing to the new Super Comics Adventure Squad blog.
John Aggs (The Boss, Adventures Of John Blake)
Adam Brockbank (Mezolith)
Kate Brown (Spider Moon)
Neill Cameron (Mo Bot High)
Faz Choudrey
Jason Cobley (Frontier)
Wilbur Dawburn (Bodkin & The Bear)
Robert Deas (Spectrum Black)
Etherington Brothers (Monkey Nuts)
Garen Ewing
Ben Haggerty (Mezolith)
Julian Hanshaw (Chicken Caesar Jnr)
Laura Howell (Mighty M, Sneaky)
Simone Lia (Sausage & Carrots)
Sarah McIntyre (Vern & Lettuce)
Jim Medway (Crab Lane Crew)
Dave Morris (Mirabilis)
Gary Northfield (Lil’ Cutie)
Dave Shelton (Good Dog, Bad Dog)
Jamie Smart (Fish-Head Steve)
James Turner (Super Animal Adventure Squad)
Emma Vieceli (Violet)
John Welding (Will Scoggin’s Skull)
Andrew Wildman (Frontier)
Dave Windett (Lazarus Lemming)
And finally, from James Turner’s blog, a little letter from a fan. She’ll be just as sad as Molly right now:
March 29th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Thanks, guys! You’re the best.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
My kids are reeling. They cannot believe that the DFC will be no more. It was a centrepiece of our week; I read it with them a lot and they got into the habit of spending hours every week themselves surrounded by all the back issues of the DFC spread around them on the floor going back over their favourite stories. I could see it becoming a major part of their lives and could tell that they would remember the time spent with the comic forever. And I just can’t accept that so soon after it began it is to end. Is there nothing that can be done? Could we not organise a massive independent buyout by the readers? Something? ANYTHING?