Collecting The Dandy & The Beano


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My mum & day used to buy me The Dandy Book every Christmas from 1958 until 1964. I'm not sure why they opted for The Dandy over The Beano perhaps it was because my cousins who we visited every Christmas had The Beano.

I also had the comic delivered from 1960-61. I accumulated them until we moved and I gave them away to a neighbour who was stuck in bed following an asthma attack.

The Dandy was launched in 1937 a year before The Beano but it was The Beano that became more popular over the ensuing years. I think the reason was probably down to Leo Baxendale the artist who originally drew The Bash St Kids, Minnie The Minx, Little Plum and The Three Bears all for The Beano in the 50s and 60s. The strips in The Dandy just couldn't compete with his hilarious work.

The Dandy ceased publication in 2012 but The Beano is still going strong albeit in a very changed form.

I started collecting the comics and annuals again in the 1980s but later confined myself to the pre-decimal stuff because I was running out of room.

I thought they would make a good investment along with my wife's Rupert collection but the prices seemed to fall back during the recession as people had less disposable income. I would seem however that things are on the up again.

Check out: http://www.compalcomics.com/marketreport/autumn2015.htm

Sadly I don't have any stuff that early in my collection. I have concentrated on the 50s and 60s which was when I used to read them.

I really enjoy the Christmas issues of The Beano. The covers are so evocative.

There's an example here: http://www.comicvine.com/the-beano-1118/4000-277569/user-reviews/

And if you didn't know Biffo The Bear was drawn by Nottingham artist Dudley W Watkins who worked for Boots in the early 20s. He contributed a massive volume of work to The Dandy, Beano, Topper and Beezer as well as drawing Oor Wullie and The Broons for The Sunday Post. He was a giant in the world of comic strip artists but sadly died from a heart attack in 1969 aged just 62.

I think it would be fitting for NCT to name a tram after him.

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I had a paper round on the Highbury Vale estate in the 1950s. The Dandy came out on Tuesdays, and the Beano on Thursdays, I seem to remember, and there was a correlation between the comics and the papers; the houses which took the Beano also took the Evening Post, whereas Dandy households took the Evening News.

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I can remember these comics back in the 50's.......

We always had the Dandy and Beano, (Tuesday) they were 2d each and the Topper (Friday) which was 3d.......delivered with the Daily Mirror which we had everyday from Allsebrooks at the bottom of Station Road/High Street, Hucknall every day plus Sunday Pictorial...........My dad always read them first....... My mum paid into the Christmas Club and we had Beano, Dandy and Topper books every Christmas along with the Selection Boxes........I can remember that we collected and saved them for years as my dad said that one day they might be valuable, they all disappeared in a house move.........

Christmas wasn't Christmas without the Annuals which were passed down to friends and cousins later.........Oh happy days.......

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I always preferred the Beano myself.

Leo Baxendale produced a book about his time drawing for the comics called 'A Very Funny Business'. Published in 1978, but Amazon are listing second-hand copies as still available. It's well worth getting hold of.

He has praise for Dudley Watkins who also drew Lord Snooty, and Desperate Dan in the Dandy. Also Ken Reid who drew Roger the Dodger and - my favourite of all - Jonah, who featured on the back page in my time. But he considers the best of all was Davey Law who was responsible for Dennis the Menace - arguably the Beano's most famous character of all.

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Merthyr, I've read and very much enjoyed Leo Baxendale's excellent book " A Very Funny Business" and was fascinated to learn about the other comic strip heroes mentioned.

It seems D C Thomson were a difficult and demanding company to work for. I've checked and see Davey Law died at 63 whilst Ken Reid made it to 67. Leo Baxendale is now 85 so he may well have extended his life by leaving D C Thomson when he was 32.

I too love Jonah but my favourite is George Martin's Greedy Pig from The Dandy (http://spleenal.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/greedy-pigg-2011.html) although Leo Baxendale's Three Bears is a very close second.

Blondie, Annuals and selection boxes are amongst my fondest memories of Christmas. As a kid I would wake very early on Christmas morning (what kid doesn't?) and after opening my presents would get back into bed to keep warm (no central heating) and read my Dandy Book whilst eating chocolate from a selection box. The chocolate was always nice and hard because it was cold. Eating cold Cadbury's chocolate always reminds me of Christmas morning. Just like the tubs/tins of Christmas sweets now the selection boxes have shrunk considerably. They used to seem huge. It used to take me all Christmas and Boxing Day to get through one. My mother was amazed I was never sick.

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As a child I had a copy of 'Kidnapped' Told in Pictures, which sadly was lost but I managed to find a copy in later years on an antiques stall. The book is beautifully illustrated by Dudley D. Watkins who as already mentioned #4 also did illustrations for the 'Dandy' and 'Beano'. I believe he similarly illustrated a copy of 'Treasure Island'. This copy of 'Kidnapped' is one of three I have of the excellent book.

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I still have my Dennis the Menace fan club badge from the seventies. I can remember reading my Beano in bed scoffing tuffees at night time, happy days indeed.

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I loved most comics as a kid, Beano and Dandy every week, graduating to the Victor, Hornet and Hotspur. Used to get the little Commando comic book as well. I think my sister had Romeo, ugh!

In terms of investment, the Dandy is tops, The first edition with a free train whistle sold quite a few years back for about twenty grand. Beano first edition with a free mask sold recently for about £17k. Both a great return on an outlay of tuppence!

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#1 Mess. I have the first 52 issues of the Eagle comic. I can remember when it first came out; had it every week and kept them.

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As a child I had a copy of 'Kidnapped' Told in Pictures, which sadly was lost but I managed to find a copy in later years on an antiques stall. The book is beautifully illustrated by Dudley D. Watkins who as already mentioned #4 also did illustrations for the 'Dandy' and 'Beano'. I believe he similarly illustrated a copy of 'Treasure Island'. This copy of 'Kidnapped' is one of three I have of the excellent book.

There were four titles in the "Told in Pictures" series. Kidnapped, Treasure Island, Oliver Twist and Robinson Crusoe all beautifully illustrated by Dudley Watkins.

See: http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-us/auction-catalogues/keys-aylsham-salerooms/catalogue-id-srkey10075/lot-1d34d7ac-0247-49ed-950a-a49e00fbe68f

All highly collectable especially with their dust wrappers.

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#1 Mess. I have the first 52 issues of the Eagle comic. I can remember when it first came out; had it every week and kept them.

I'm bet you glad you did. Issue No 1 changes hands for around £75 now.

The Eagle was designed to have an "educational" content. I was given the first three Eagle annuals by my mum's friend. They belonged to her son who went to Nottingham High School and he was quite "brainy". A bit like you Chulla lol

I enjoyed the annuals they certainly help to educate me.

The cutaway drawings in the centre pages were brilliant. I'm sure many successful engineers began with The Eagle.

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There were four titles in the "Told in Pictures" series. Kidnapped, Treasure Island, Oliver Twist and Robinson Crusoe all beautifully illustrated by Dudley Watkins.

See: http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-us/auction-catalogues/keys-aylsham-salerooms/catalogue-id-srkey10075/lot-1d34d7ac-0247-49ed-950a-a49e00fbe68f

All highly collectable especially with their dust wrappers.

That is very interesting. Sadly, they are rarely seen in second hand book shops.

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My gran used to visit us Sat mornings when I was very little, maybe 4-5, she brought me and my brother the Dandy and Beano and a Mars bar each !

Late she included the Topper and the Beezer ! she must have spent a fortune on them over the years.

She came from St Annes on two buses to see us, then back home again, as we didn't have a car then. Must have been 1952-3. onwards. In 55 we moved from Lenton up to Mapperley/Woodthorpe, after dad built our new house there.

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