2007...
and 2010...
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Socks Edfringe diary - Laughing Gnome & Arthur Smith
More Edinburgh Fringe flashbacks from the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre. From 2008...
2007...
and 2010...
2007...
and 2010...
More on the state of comics
We continue to debate the decline in sales of The Dandy and other British comics on the various forums. Here was my latest two penn-orth, re The Dandy on Comics UK.
I honestly think the discussion of the styles of artwork here is a red herring. Personally I like the newer innovative creators like Jamie Smart and the parody strips spearheaded by Nigel Parkinson's Harry Hill, and believe they are much more attractive to young readers than old-fashioned styles of strip, but I could well be in a minority.
The important factor is that we're discussing which comic strips will thrive in the comics market - when there isn't a comics market!
It's not like it was when we were kids, when comics publishers had a captive audience of kids who had to buy comics because there was nothing else of equal quality competing for their attention. In the 1960s and 1970s when there were a couple of hours of TV a day, which you could watch live and not record, or there were books without pictures, and that was it, comics were the most visually exciting entertainment available to kids (short of going outside and actually playing with actual other kids, but that's another story).
Since the advent of VHS & video games in the 80s, cable & satellite in the 90s, and the internet & CGI superhero movies in the last decade, we have seen the comics business lose the battle for kids hearts, minds, eyeballs and pocket money. In the UK.
In Japan comics have stayed vital and big business, for reasons we all wish we could work out and repeat ourselves. Black Butler, one of the few current manga titles with which I'm au fait (having helped present it with an Award at the Stan Lee Excelsior Awards in Sheffield this year) sells over half a million copies per volume and was adapted into an anime series within a year of release, but it made its name purely as a comic book. That suggests to me that kids will buy and read stories told in pictures on a printed paper page, if that comic strip story connects with them and is better than anything else around.
Quite why we've let comics die is a subject I debate endlessly. Was it just because movies and games are better and cheaper than comics? Then how do we explain Japan? Or even the French and American markets which, while smaller than their heyday, still manage to make a lot of creators a lot of money.
And how do we explain books? How do we explain the success of Harry Potter? Surely since the introduction of the radio 90 years ago, books have been obsolete. And since the BBC started adding pictures with this Television thing, doesn't it stand to reason that both books and the radio should be a thing of the past? And newspapers?
But somehow these obsolete forms of media cling on. It's only comics that have given up the ghost. And then only in the UK.
I do wish I knew the answer. And talking of changing the subject, Captain Clevedon No1 is on sale now (now from anywhere in the world via Ka-Blam).
Kev F
I honestly think the discussion of the styles of artwork here is a red herring. Personally I like the newer innovative creators like Jamie Smart and the parody strips spearheaded by Nigel Parkinson's Harry Hill, and believe they are much more attractive to young readers than old-fashioned styles of strip, but I could well be in a minority.
The important factor is that we're discussing which comic strips will thrive in the comics market - when there isn't a comics market!
It's not like it was when we were kids, when comics publishers had a captive audience of kids who had to buy comics because there was nothing else of equal quality competing for their attention. In the 1960s and 1970s when there were a couple of hours of TV a day, which you could watch live and not record, or there were books without pictures, and that was it, comics were the most visually exciting entertainment available to kids (short of going outside and actually playing with actual other kids, but that's another story).
Since the advent of VHS & video games in the 80s, cable & satellite in the 90s, and the internet & CGI superhero movies in the last decade, we have seen the comics business lose the battle for kids hearts, minds, eyeballs and pocket money. In the UK.
In Japan comics have stayed vital and big business, for reasons we all wish we could work out and repeat ourselves. Black Butler, one of the few current manga titles with which I'm au fait (having helped present it with an Award at the Stan Lee Excelsior Awards in Sheffield this year) sells over half a million copies per volume and was adapted into an anime series within a year of release, but it made its name purely as a comic book. That suggests to me that kids will buy and read stories told in pictures on a printed paper page, if that comic strip story connects with them and is better than anything else around.
Quite why we've let comics die is a subject I debate endlessly. Was it just because movies and games are better and cheaper than comics? Then how do we explain Japan? Or even the French and American markets which, while smaller than their heyday, still manage to make a lot of creators a lot of money.
And how do we explain books? How do we explain the success of Harry Potter? Surely since the introduction of the radio 90 years ago, books have been obsolete. And since the BBC started adding pictures with this Television thing, doesn't it stand to reason that both books and the radio should be a thing of the past? And newspapers?
But somehow these obsolete forms of media cling on. It's only comics that have given up the ghost. And then only in the UK.
I do wish I knew the answer. And talking of changing the subject, Captain Clevedon No1 is on sale now (now from anywhere in the world via Ka-Blam).
Kev F
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Dandy sales plummet
As John Freeman has just highlighted on Down The Tubes and they're discussing over on Comics UK, The Dandy has just recorded an awful drop in sales, suggesting its brave move to drop the toys from the front cover, raise the strip content, and feature Harry Hill as the star attraction has failed.
The figures are:
The Dandy : 7,448 ; -48.1%
The BeanoMAX : 24,438 ; -15.9%
Spectacular Spiderman : 28,003 ; -1.8%
Disney Tinkerbell - 29,016
Doctor Who Magazine : 30,682 ; -13.3%
World Of Cars - 31,532
The Beano : 37,145 ; -20.4%
Toxic : 40,503 ; 0.7%
Toy Story - 42,294
Doctor Who Adventures Magazine : 50,013 ; -6.6%
Barbie - 53,013
Disney Princess - 63,238
VIZ - 67,851
Dr Who's blip can be explained by there being fewer episodes on TV this year.
Titan titles and 2000AD don't appear in these figures, nor do the Marvel & DC
reprints. But all in all, not good news, wouldn't we say?
On the plus side, my local comic Captain Clevedon's selling quite well at
Clevedon Pier and the shops in town. We're still over 7000 sales short of giving
the Dandy a run for its money, but I bet we've outsold it at Alexandra Road News in Clevedon this week :(
The figures are:
The Dandy : 7,448 ; -48.1%
The BeanoMAX : 24,438 ; -15.9%
Spectacular Spiderman : 28,003 ; -1.8%
Disney Tinkerbell - 29,016
Doctor Who Magazine : 30,682 ; -13.3%
World Of Cars - 31,532
The Beano : 37,145 ; -20.4%
Toxic : 40,503 ; 0.7%
Toy Story - 42,294
Doctor Who Adventures Magazine : 50,013 ; -6.6%
Barbie - 53,013
Disney Princess - 63,238
VIZ - 67,851
Dr Who's blip can be explained by there being fewer episodes on TV this year.
Titan titles and 2000AD don't appear in these figures, nor do the Marvel & DC
reprints. But all in all, not good news, wouldn't we say?
On the plus side, my local comic Captain Clevedon's selling quite well at
Clevedon Pier and the shops in town. We're still over 7000 sales short of giving
the Dandy a run for its money, but I bet we've outsold it at Alexandra Road News in Clevedon this week :(
Monday, 22 August 2011
Scotpop part 2 - Youtoobling continues
On Saturday night I sat at the computer and Youtoobled, finding video after video featuring top Scottish pop music. Since which time I keep thinking of all the acts I didn't get round to. So here are some more...
Barbara Dixon, January February
Kenny, The Bump
Belle & Sebastian, I'm A Cuckoo
Del Amitri, Always The Last To Know
Biffy Clyro, When We Collide
BA Robertson, Saint Saens
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, Perfect Skin
Travis, Why Does It Always Rain On Me? unplugged
Gallagher & Lyle, Breakaway
Ivor Cutler, I'm Happy
Teenage Fanclub, Ain't That Enough?
Nazareth, This Flight Tonight
Kelly Marie, Feels Like I'm In Love
Al Stewart, Year Of The Cat
Sheena Easton, 9 to 5
The Average White Band, Pick Up The Pieces
Surely that's enough for now?
Barbara Dixon, January February
Kenny, The Bump
Belle & Sebastian, I'm A Cuckoo
Del Amitri, Always The Last To Know
Biffy Clyro, When We Collide
BA Robertson, Saint Saens
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, Perfect Skin
Travis, Why Does It Always Rain On Me? unplugged
Gallagher & Lyle, Breakaway
Ivor Cutler, I'm Happy
Teenage Fanclub, Ain't That Enough?
Nazareth, This Flight Tonight
Kelly Marie, Feels Like I'm In Love
Al Stewart, Year Of The Cat
Sheena Easton, 9 to 5
The Average White Band, Pick Up The Pieces
Surely that's enough for now?
Socks vs The Hamiltons & the Phone Book Edfringe flashbacks
It's the third and final week of the Edinburgh Fringe, when things can get even more silly than they have been until now. For example this is about the time the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre find themselves appearing on Neil & Christine Hamilton's chat show...
...reading The Phone Book...
... or shooting videos on staircases...
And the week's only just begun.
...reading The Phone Book...
... or shooting videos on staircases...
And the week's only just begun.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Scotpop - Youtoobling
As always, I love a good night's Youtoobling. Just start playing YouTube videos and see what comes to mind next. Last night I found myself pursuing Scottish pop music, and found these gems...
Hey! Elastica, This Town Scotpop #youtoobling #edfringe
Garbage, Only Happy When It Rains Scotpop #youtoobling
The Rattler/Rattling Boy, Goodbye Mr Mackenzie Scotpop #youtoobling
Magic, Pilot Scotpop #totp1975 #youtoobling
Wishing I Was Lucky, Wet Wet Wet Scotpop #youtoobling
Paolo Nutini, Pencil Full Of Lead Scotpop #youtoobling
Delilah, Sensational Alex Harvey Band Scotpop #youtoobling
Chelsea Dagger, The Fratellis Scotpop #youtoobling
Jesse Rae, Over The Sea Scotpop #youtoobling
The Proclaimers, Throw The R Away on The Tube with Paula Yates #youtoobling Scotpop
Hipsway, The Honeythief Scotpop #youtoobling
The Skids, TV Stars Albert Tatlock! Scotpop #youtoobling
Walk Out To Winter, Aztec Camera Scotpop #youtoobling
Young At Heart, The Bluebells Scotpop #youtoobling
Patience Of Angels, Eddi Reader Scotpop #youtoobling
Promised You A Miracle, Simple Minds Scotpop #youtoobling
Party Fears Two, The Associates Scotpop/ Weekending #youtoobling
Dignity, Deacon Blue Scotpop #youtoobling
The Welly Boot Song, Billy Connolly Scotpop #youtoobling
Baker Street, Gerry Rafferty Scotpop #youtoobling
Goodbye Stranger, Supertramp Scotpop #youtoobling
Labour Of Love, Hue & Cry Scotpop #youtoobling
Kandy Pop, Bis Scotpop #youtoobling
Rip It Up, Orange Juice Scotpop #youtoobling
Hogmanay, Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre Scotpop #youtoobling
Tinseltown In The Rain, The Blue Nile Scotpop #youtoobling
Mary's Prayer, Meet Danny Wilson Scotpop #youtoobling
Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, Middle Of The Road Scotpop #youtoobling
Feels Like Heaven, Fiction Factory Scotpop #youtoobling
Digging Your Scene, Blow Monkeys Scotpop #youtoobling
Requiem, Slik Scotpop Top Of The Pops 1976 #youtoobling
Loaded, Primal Scream Scotpop #youtoobling
Just Like Honey, Jesus & Mary Chain Scotpop #youtoobling
Fitba Crazy, Robin Hall & Jimmy MacGregor Scotpop #youtoobling
Dananananaykroyd, Muscle Memory Scotpop #youtoobling
Since Yesterday, Strawberry Switchblade Scotpop #youtoobling
I Saved The World Today, Annie Lennox Scotpop #youtoobling
S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night! Bay City Rollers Scotpop #youtoobling
Donald Whaurs Yer Troosers? Andy Stewart Scotpop #youtoobling
Big Country, In A Big Country Scotpop #youtoobling
Rhythm Of My Heart, Rod Stewart Scotpop #youtoobling
Pif Paf Pof, Air Scotia Scotpop #youtoobling
And there are hundreds more I didn't get round to before bedtime. Notable omissions that I just failed to get round to include Del Amitri, BA Robertson, Travis, The Average White Band, Teenage Fanclub, Gallagher & Lyle, Ivor Cutler, Nazareth. Any more for any more?
Hey! Elastica, This Town Scotpop #youtoobling #edfringe
Garbage, Only Happy When It Rains Scotpop #youtoobling
The Rattler/Rattling Boy, Goodbye Mr Mackenzie Scotpop #youtoobling
Magic, Pilot Scotpop #totp1975 #youtoobling
Wishing I Was Lucky, Wet Wet Wet Scotpop #youtoobling
Paolo Nutini, Pencil Full Of Lead Scotpop #youtoobling
Delilah, Sensational Alex Harvey Band Scotpop #youtoobling
Chelsea Dagger, The Fratellis Scotpop #youtoobling
Jesse Rae, Over The Sea Scotpop #youtoobling
The Proclaimers, Throw The R Away on The Tube with Paula Yates #youtoobling Scotpop
Hipsway, The Honeythief Scotpop #youtoobling
The Skids, TV Stars Albert Tatlock! Scotpop #youtoobling
Walk Out To Winter, Aztec Camera Scotpop #youtoobling
Young At Heart, The Bluebells Scotpop #youtoobling
Patience Of Angels, Eddi Reader Scotpop #youtoobling
Promised You A Miracle, Simple Minds Scotpop #youtoobling
Party Fears Two, The Associates Scotpop/ Weekending #youtoobling
Dignity, Deacon Blue Scotpop #youtoobling
The Welly Boot Song, Billy Connolly Scotpop #youtoobling
Baker Street, Gerry Rafferty Scotpop #youtoobling
Goodbye Stranger, Supertramp Scotpop #youtoobling
Labour Of Love, Hue & Cry Scotpop #youtoobling
Kandy Pop, Bis Scotpop #youtoobling
Rip It Up, Orange Juice Scotpop #youtoobling
Hogmanay, Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre Scotpop #youtoobling
Tinseltown In The Rain, The Blue Nile Scotpop #youtoobling
Mary's Prayer, Meet Danny Wilson Scotpop #youtoobling
Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, Middle Of The Road Scotpop #youtoobling
Feels Like Heaven, Fiction Factory Scotpop #youtoobling
Digging Your Scene, Blow Monkeys Scotpop #youtoobling
Requiem, Slik Scotpop Top Of The Pops 1976 #youtoobling
Loaded, Primal Scream Scotpop #youtoobling
Just Like Honey, Jesus & Mary Chain Scotpop #youtoobling
Fitba Crazy, Robin Hall & Jimmy MacGregor Scotpop #youtoobling
Dananananaykroyd, Muscle Memory Scotpop #youtoobling
Since Yesterday, Strawberry Switchblade Scotpop #youtoobling
I Saved The World Today, Annie Lennox Scotpop #youtoobling
S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night! Bay City Rollers Scotpop #youtoobling
Donald Whaurs Yer Troosers? Andy Stewart Scotpop #youtoobling
Big Country, In A Big Country Scotpop #youtoobling
Rhythm Of My Heart, Rod Stewart Scotpop #youtoobling
Pif Paf Pof, Air Scotia Scotpop #youtoobling
And there are hundreds more I didn't get round to before bedtime. Notable omissions that I just failed to get round to include Del Amitri, BA Robertson, Travis, The Average White Band, Teenage Fanclub, Gallagher & Lyle, Ivor Cutler, Nazareth. Any more for any more?
Saturday, 20 August 2011
Facebook Riot pages, an update
The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre's new video, London Riots, is finally viewable, after a long wait in processing. Meanwhile here is the first reassuring story about the repealing of some of the excessive sentences the above video satrises:
Riots: mother jailed for handling looted shorts freed on appeal - Guardian
And here are some more of those inflammatory Facebook pages inciting violence, whose authors have not had their pages taken down:
F*** london riots! kill the looters! this aint the far east ths is england - Contains racist posts including "Bak to fuckin africa!" (sic), and "none of them are actually white haahha".
Shoot to kill policy on looters and rioters!
The government should adopt a shoot to kill policy for looters
Lynch a Looter, hang him high,shoot his comrades passing by.
Like this page to instantly kill one rioter
I'm sure there are many more. Anyhoo, dust's settled, moving on, here's the nearest the Socks have ever come to inciting violence, from this time last year:
Riots: mother jailed for handling looted shorts freed on appeal - Guardian
And here are some more of those inflammatory Facebook pages inciting violence, whose authors have not had their pages taken down:
F*** london riots! kill the looters! this aint the far east ths is england - Contains racist posts including "Bak to fuckin africa!" (sic), and "none of them are actually white haahha".
Shoot to kill policy on looters and rioters!
The government should adopt a shoot to kill policy for looters
Lynch a Looter, hang him high,shoot his comrades passing by.
Like this page to instantly kill one rioter
I'm sure there are many more. Anyhoo, dust's settled, moving on, here's the nearest the Socks have ever come to inciting violence, from this time last year:
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