It's Not The End Of The World

Today is supposedly the Earth's deadline, so instead of us all perishing in flames (or however you picture the planet to end) let's sit here and enjoy some comic strips about the end of the world! First up is this excellent Fred's Bed strip from the 2012 Beano annual, illustrated by the incredible Tom Paterson!

Next up is this Captain Contacts strip from Fizog issue 2! I'm unsure of the artist, the little smiley face above the 'NKM' in the title box doesn't mean much to me and a google search reveals nothing. A possibility is Nicholas Schwab - thanks TwoHeadedBoy!

James Turner's Beaver and Steve, quite possibly the greatest webcomic ever written, destroyed, or nearly destroyed, the Earth on multiple occasions. Here is one of them:

Oh no! The END! What could these aliens possibly do? Read on...

As I said, this wasn't the only time Beaver and Steve faced (or created) ultimate destruction, another is shown at the top of this post, where they destroy humanity with a giant shoe! How did it happen? To find out, head over to 'The Archive' on the Beaver and Steve website and read 'Revenge Of The Shoe Goblin', which starts at episode #208!

www.beaverandsteve.com

Here is a strip that appeared in The Dandy earlier this year. It's the final episode of Cavemen in Black, written and drawn by Andy Fanton!

My webcomic Graham's Onions returns for a third series as of today, and the first strip (actually episode 10) is based around the apocalypse! The style is based on Ken Reid's stuff, can you guess who Graham himself is based on? Here is a sneak preview, but to read the full thing go to:

www.grahamsonions.com

A Wacky First Year!

A year ago today, I decided to start the very blog you are reading now! Not only have I generally discussed comics, but have met some great and intresting people along the way! Plus - just a few weeks ago I reached my original goal of 10,000 views! Wow! So a great big thank-you to everybody who has supported me through this first year - if you like the blog please let others know!

Some great (and supportive) blogs to check out:

http://cheekyweekly.blogspot.com/

http://petergraycartoonsandcomics.blogspot.com/

http://wizzkid97.wordpress.com/

www.andyfanton.com

And a whole host more can be found on the right <- and left -> hand side!!

Cheers!

George!

www.wackycomics.com

EEEK! It's The Dandy!

Boo! It's that time of year again! The latest issue of The Dandy is out now and it's spooktacular! (Amazingly, it comes with no 'free gift', I'd have thought that last week's ones would have come with this issue?) So we kick-start this fightingly funny comic with a title page with Boo! Yes - that's right! He's back, but, unfortunatly, it's only for the one issue. BUT (yes, theres a but!) Andy Fanton does give him a two-page spread AND theres a small cameo of a certain squirrel in his strip... (And Grampire - can you spot him?)

So, what else are you likely to find lying within the petrifying pages? Well, you may spot Bob the skull's missing eyeball, 13 dragons, some evil marshmallows and discover just what is down at the centre of the Earth!

Postman Prat makes a special delivery to Doctor Dork at Crackpot Castle! Just what is it inside that blood-curdling box of his? In the the second box (shown below) I thought that Prat would be saying: "Gulp! On Halloween night? But there could be ghosts, goblins and... and Darth Voldemort!"

Nigel Parkinson delivers some of his best Harry Hill art to date, In this weeks adventure entitled Harry Chill's terrifyingly funny real life adventures in TV land! Just look at that brilliant title box! Beautiful! I was kind of hoping that the whole comic would have art and colours similar to that...

Best Dandy ever? Maybe...

All that and much, much more only in this spine-tingling special issue! Only a scary £1.50, in shops nationwide!

We now await the halloween Beano.

Help support the Dandy!

Ever since the revamp of The Dandy back in October last year many nasty comments from bored and mindless critics all over the world have been popping up on this thing we call the internet. I'm not here to rewrite what Desapeate Dan artist Jamie Smart wrote here - http://www.fumboo.com/blog/an-open-letter-to-the-internet/comment-page-1/#comment-5826 and here: http://www.fumboo.com/blog/criticisms/, or what Lew Stringer, artist of Postman Prat, wrote here: http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2011/09/days-of-thrills-and-laughter.html, but it'll probably end up as pretty much the same message. As we all know the Dandy sales have dropped dramatically since last year, but personally (and I know I'm not alone here)I'm fed up of hearing: "...The Dandy will fold..." or "..It will merge with The Beano..." etc. because there is currently no evidence towards this and before that happens D.C. Thomson will probably do their best to save the much loved title anyway.

Another revamp perhaps?

But what they did was a very brave and bold move - removing all the free gifts, having 100% comic strips and making it come out weekly! Surely they deserve something for that? Oh, and Desperate Dan did NOT start being drawn by Jamie Smart at the revamp as many state - it happened four years ago! If readers hadn't liked it I doubt Thomson would have kept good ol' Jamie for that long! No, comics aren't like they were back in the 1960's, but these days they have to make themselves heard above the charm of iPods and video game explosions! Just walk into your local Tesco's today and if your lucky you'll probably find The Beano or The Dandy hidden somewhere behind a hoard of girls and baby comics. Visibility is another problem! It is often very hard to find comics in shops with crammed shelves (I've read that many WHSmith stores rarely have The Dandy and Beano). There was a useless author in a recent Sunday Times who made up facts and stole artists comments from their websites. Surely newspapers should be helping to support Britain's comics - not making up nasty comments. I'm going to stop moaning now, it wont help anything!

So, on a lighter note...

Over on The Dandy facebook page some artists and fans have been posting "Save The Dandy!" posters. I thought they were quite nice, so I've downloaded them to share with you here!

Steve Beckett

Steve Beckett

Wayne Thompson

Conan McPhee

Andy Fanton

Stu Munro

Wayne Thompson

Karl Dixon

Keep it up guys! I'm loving these an I hope you post many more!

So, help the Dandy (and the Beano) by buying a copy (or two) every Wednesday, reccommending to your friends and family and sharing your copies around to get others intrigued! Cheers!

Dandy Subscription!

(Me trying to scan as much of the Dandy cover as I can!)

HOORAY! I finally have my subscription renewed! This is the best thing thats happened so far this week! So, what do I think of it?

Well, as I already knew, the covers were a been done differently (only for summer, I think) by Chris McGee. Sure, they're oookkkaaayyy... but does it really have to have celebrities crammmed into every corner of it? It would be nice to see a celeb' free issue again! I hope that the people at Dandy H.Q. aren't thinking of completely filling up the comic with them! I counted four comic strips devoted to them, not including cameo appearences in a few other strips.

Another nice suprise (even if I already knew it was there) was the 'Dave the Squirrel' comic strip, drawn by Andy Fanton! I love this - especially since I created the Dave the Squirrel facebook page, which, if you haven't already, you should go now and like like like! WOO-HOO! www.facebook.com/DavetheSquirrel

And finally - I was glad too see that Lew Stringer's Postman Prat was back! According to Bruce Laing - Prat reappeared in Dandy #3545.

Well, that pretty much sums up this weeks Dandy (which now has the issue number back on the cover! #3548), out now for £2.50! Ooh! And it comes with a free Jokeberry (and a Monkey Bar for the kids)! If you have no idea what that is (and I'm pretty sure you don't), pick up this weeks issue!

Bruce Laing's website: http://toonworks.brucelaing.com/comicblog/

The Carrotty Kid Is Back!

Hooray! He's back! We haven't seen a new Carrotty Kid strip since Harry Rickard's story was posted waaaaaaaaay back in March - but Mr. Fanton has FINALLY posted a new one! Im not going to reveal too much - but here's a sneak preview:

You can read the whole comic strip over at www.carrottykid.com!

HIYAAAAH!

Dave the Squirrel - On Facebook!

Andy Fanton's critty creature Dave the Squirrel now has a facebook page! You all know who Dave is - that miserable mammal who makes cameo appearences in Andy's stories, sometimes angry or confused (sometimes both)! Make sure you go to Dave's Page and like! Like! Like!

https://www.facebook.com/DavetheSquirrel

This Dandy has 51 gifts! (Updated)

This weeks Dandy, #3531, has 51 free gifts, if you count every single sticker as a free gift. The other gift is a mystery, I got a water pistol (Hurrah!), was that the mystery free gift, or are there others?Harry Hill's story this week is all about apples, cramming as many apple jokes as you can into one story! How many did you count (we spotted 6)! Amazing artwork by Nigel Parkinson!After Bone-o was launched last week, a lot of people are wondering who drew it. Well, this weeks story was signed, revealing that it is drawn by:I was really looking forewards to this weeks Arena of Awesome story, after all, it had so much advertising. But, after all that, it was a let down! In my opinion. So, I decided to spoil it for you and show you part of the last box! Well, here it is!And for this week only, 3 New 'shorts' were inside! Springwatch and Mad March hare by Andy Fanton, and The Eggheads by Nigel Auchterlounie!
Farmula one ends this week to be replaced by, I'm not sure, possibly Thor? As usual, another fantastic Justin Beaver - I couldn't spot Korky this time Stu, but is that Odd ball from Whizzer and Chips and Brassneck in box 8? And Dave the squirrel makes another appearence in George vs Dargon! Oh, and yes, that was me who sent that photo to the mailbag!

(UPDATE)

Well, it's now been confirmed! There were many different free gifts, including a Marvo the wonder chicken gun and a Xtreme Splatapult. Also, a hidden detail I didn't notice - Brassneck is also hiding somewhere in one of Andy Fanton's comic strips.

HIP HIPPO HOORAY!

Harry's Hippo has officially won the poll over on the Dandy website. They actually claimed he'd won it before the poll had closed, but oh well. Origianlly drawn by Ken Harrison in the 80's, Andy Fanton brought the cabbage loving lunk back as part of the comics poll! The results were:

Phil's Finger: 110 (110 more than I though it was going to get.)

Daredevil Dad: 809

Tag Tastic Team: 2396

Harry's Hippo: 2841!

Well done Andy, keep up the good work!

UPDATE - 26/04/2011: Strangely enough, you can still vote!

Dandy #3530 is full 'o fun!

The latest Dandy is out now, with a free set of "snapping teeth"!And 44 pages... but snapping teeth! Unlike previous bumper issues this one has a 4 page Bananaman stroy (and it's even continued into next week), drawn by Wayne Thomson. Also, this issue has 4 brilliant new stories, Britian's not got talent, Knock-Knock, The space dogz and Bone-o!Good to see a little celebrity story again, Little Cheryl this time. Simon Cowell (who features in Jamie Smart's Arena of Awesome as well)wears his trousers up to his armpits, as usual drawn by Nigel.Justin Beaver is better this week, especially the second half. And Stu also put Korky in again! Yey! When I first saw the story advertised I thought it would go like this: Justin is singing, then pest control come along..... (I hope you read this Stu!)And for the first time in a while a step by step drawing guide in the Dandy, see below.George Vs. Dragon is back! Hooray! Replacing Boo after his 8 week run, George comes back from the Himalayas, with a beard! Once again, he hopes to slay that ice-cream eating dragon (see this issue)! Fanton's Grampire only appears once, however.Finally, as readers of this blog would know, I would not like this strip:Until box three, that is!

Next week's Dandy is also a 44 pager with two free gifts! Make sure you vote, you have until midnight on 16th. You can vote here!

Carrotty Kid in the Dandy??

He's back? But we never saw him... did we? Actually, he is back, online (as I wrote about in the previous blog, but you can just click here because I'm nice), AND in the Dandy!Yep, Andy Fanton brought back Carrotty Kid for a so far one off appearence in #3522. The reason that I'm writing this now and not back then is because, to be honest, I din't notice. But I wonder how many people did... So where was he? Read the comic strip below...

Now, just in case for some reason you missed Dandy #3522, I've scanned in the Boo from that issue and uploaded it here. Hopefully you can spot him now! If not, try looking next to the baby in boxes two and five! But don't stop there! Eagle eyed readers will notice that Marley's other cuddly toy is the Dragon from George vs Dragon!

Will Andy do this again? Only time (and Fanton) can tell!