The Beano and The Dandy 1937 - 1988 Classic Comic Covers

The Beano and The Dandy 1937 - 1988 Classic Comic Covers (Phil Comics/£19.99)

One of my great childhood memories was getting hold of the latest Beano and /or Dandy. Certainly I was more of Beano Boy than a Dandy I was more than happy to sit down and have a chuckle with Lord Snooty, Dennis, Korky, Desperate Dan and the rest every time I turned a page.

Then there were those misbehaved and anarchic schoolboys down at Bash Street. Those were the days!  Both comics were already old but far from tired when I started reading them sometime in the early sixties. Can't remember exactly when.




The Dandy was the first of the two comics appearing on Dec Ist 1937 with a much more scrawny Korky the Cat adoring the front page. Sadly The Dandy is no longer with us having finally succumbed to falling sales back in 2012.




The Beano is still with us of course and is now the longest running British comic and sales are on the increase I understand though nothing like they were back in the fifties and sixties. The beano began publication on July 30th 1938 with Big Eggo (an ostrich) on the cover.




Like others of my generation it's Biffo the Bear that was the cover feature growing up. Biffo took over the cover in The Beano on January 24th 1948.



This excellent book brings you some of the cover from both comics many of which will bring back memories of your youth, it certainly did mine. Like many I continued reading both the comic and the annuals way past the age group it was supposedly aimed at. Some still collect it today though I don't find it the same.  Different  generation me!

My only criticism is that they removed a character Peanut because of "racial stereotypes" from a number of issues. I don't approve of historical censorship. These were different times and literature including unsavoury language and imagery has to be understood in the context of the period.



I would imagine no one will ever release a collection of The Sparky covers. Most would have to be blank!

With that caveat this book is well worth picking up. Recommended as a coffee table read!