The DFC Comic - What Does Everyone Think?

[John Freeman]

Just posted my review of the new DFC comic on the downthetubes blog, but here it is for your views...

The first issue of The DFC - Britain's first, subscription-only weekly comic, combining humour and adventure strips in one smashing package, has just arrived in the post -- and it's a terrific start for the new title.

While an anthology title is always going to engender favourites and not-so-favourites, I'm mightily impressed with the comic as a whole -- and when I say comic, I don't mean the kind of thing you generally find on the UK news stand masquerading as such, with three comic strips and the rest of the title full of cheap features and puzzle pages. The DFC is the kind of comic I grew up with -- pretty much cover to cover comic strip action, combining some great looking adventure material with equally enjoyable humour pages. Where there are "puzzle pages", they're all geared to encouraging drawing, which is definitely a good thing.

The DFC never forgets its audience, either -- two of the initial strips, The Boss (by John Aggs & Son) and Mo-Bot High (Neill Cameron) are set in schools, while the adventure stories set up or feature young protagonists, including the eagerly-anticipated Philip Pullman story The Adventures of John Blake, which is a really stunning looking first chapter. Neither have the editors forgotten this is a weekly comic, even though it's inevitable many of these strips will be collected into books at a later date -- all important "cliffhanger boxes" are used to talk up next week's episode for example.

As a long time fan of James Turner's Beaver and Steve webcomic, I was delighted to discover he's one of the contributors, delivering a hilarious one page Super Animal Adventure Squad, who are starting out on a mission to prevent the "Teatime of Doom". David Shelton's Good Dog, Bad Dog is another lively gem.

Some of the strips are inevitably slower than others, such as Kate Brown's gorgeous looking Spider Moon -- but that said, it provides a "breather" sandwiched between strips that are positively frenetic in comparison.

The editorial also comes with a sense of fun, including a challenge to readers to come up with what DFC means (this issue it's Dracula's Favourite Cardigan). There's a frisson of excitement to the introduction that definitely reflects the excitement I'd hope readers will have on receiving their copy.

My criticisms are really, really minor as an editor: the designer isn't using the "I" in the comic font editorial pages correctly and I think the strips should perhaps have more of a border to them than they do at present as there's a danger the pages can merge into one.

For someone who grew up reading comics that combined humour and adventure strips it's great to see that format being given another try in The DFC. I'd say it is well worth while signing up for a subscription, especially when they're offering quite reasonably priced "starting points".

Oh, and the web site is one of the best complements to a print comic so far, and titles like The Beano and TOXIC have set that bar quite high.

With so much incredible British talent packed into its pages you'd be mad not to give The DFC a go -- so subscribe now!

• Visit The DFC web site
• Subscribe to The DFC Comic

[Nigel Dobbyn]

Just got my second copy of the DFC and it's shaping up nicely. Favourite strip is still Monkey Nuts, but Spider Moon is coming a close second. Mo-bot High is also starting to be very engaging. The gag strips tend to be weaker than the action adventure stuff - the 'New at the Zoo' strip is very weak, although Super Animal Adventure Squad is genuinely funny and Vern and Lettuce very cute, if groany. Good Dog, Bad Dog takes a lot of space to tell very little story, although it looks very nice. Let's hope the characters gain a bit more depth or it becomes funnier.
One issue I have - the language in the Philip Pullman strip seems to sit very uneasily with the rest of the strips - the words 'bloody' and 'bastards' both stick out like sore thumbs. Maybe that's just me...

All in all, shaping up very nicely

[Graeme Neil Reid]

No its not just you Nigel, I've only just got my second issue today and I'm quite concerned about the language in the strip.

So to be honest I'm not having the greatest experience with the DFC so far. I had to e-mail twice to get my first issue a whole week late and then again to receive the second issue the day before the third issue is due out. While I know this may have nothing to do with the people behind the comic and more to do with the subscription service company they are using its still a source of great annoyance to me. I'm expecting to not see the third issue tomorrow and to be back on the e-mail to them on the following Monday to complain again.

Now for the comic itself Im finding the standard an impressive high. All the strips are holding my attention well and the standard of art is wonderful. Favourites for me are Good Dog, Bad Dog and Mo-Bot High.

BUT... I am very concerned about the language in the first strip by Mr Pullman. I'm sure most of people who have subscribed to this comic and beyond the age range of the intended audience and are most likely overlooking the "hells", "bloody's" and "bastards" but at what age is this supposed to be acceptable in a childrens comic? Although I'm enjoying the comic myself one of the reasons I've subscribed is for my son's to be able to read it for themselves when they are old enough, now what age is that going to have to be?

Seeing as the rest of the comic doesn't have any of this kind of language can we assume that the DFC have allowed Mr Pullman to get away with it based entirely on not upsetting the 'star' writer?

I'm disappointed and this problem along with the shocking delivery that I'm encountering leaves me contemplating canceling my subscription. A great shame indeed.

Graeme

[Neill Cameron]

Hi Graeme,

really sorry to hear about the troubles you've been having with your subscription. I can only hope that it was just teething troubles and that it is all sorted out ASAP. I keep thinking my copy hasn't arrived and then it turns up with teh rest of the post at whatever godforsaken hour our postie manages to crawl along his route. (He set a new personal record last week, delivering the post at 5pm on a Friday afternoon... useful!)

Anyway, glad you're enjoying the mo-bots and hope you do stick with it as there is lots of really great stuff coming up. And - for my part at least - NO CUSSING!

[bambos georgiou]

Read the positive feedback from most people about the DFC, unfortunately it's aimed at kids not potential contributors. But I can understand, and agree with, enthusiasm for a possible new market for our "talents". Does anyone else find it strange as a business model that the DFC's customers, kids, can't actually purchase the comic. Or do kids have their own credit cards now? Can't comment on the actual comic as I haven't seen it, but I wish it all the best. From what I hear the comic can't fail as Random House are going to keep it going at least until they have enough material for the graphic novels. I would imagine that it's the performance of these graphic novels which will decide the future of the DFC.

[Nigel Dobbyn]

I haven't had any problem with the delivery, apart from my first issue being a bit battered, but then I have this problem also with 2000AD, especially if it's raining and the envelope gets wet. Will back issues be available I wonder?
As to purchasing the comic: As a parent of a child who is about the right age for the comic (11), I find that at that age, the parent is generally the one paying for their comics anyway. It's very rare that a child that age will go into a shop and buy a comic of their own volition.

[Ian M. Cullen]

Hey Nigel,

Getting off topic for a short while. What's 2000AD like now. It's been years since have read an issue. You can asnwer me in E-Mail if you like.

[e-mail]

[Garen Ewing]

The thing to remember about the subscription model (which seems to be the biggest criticism of the comic going by the reviews I've read), is that without it, The DFC would not exist. It may not be a perfect solution, but it's the best option there is to start with. WH Smith (etc) distribution costs are prohibitive for a new title, especially one that doesn't want to be full of licensing and advertisements. With such a model, it's going to be a slow-grower.

I also don't believe that graphic novel collections are the main target for the publisher - from what I know, the weekly comic is the main thing, the focus. Collections will be a bonus, no doubt, but the comic is not seen as a loss-leader and a route to graphic novels. That is my understanding having been involved since September 2006.

Lastly, I did hear that conversations have been had at editorial level concerning the language in 'John Blake'!

[bambos georgiou]

I started buying my own comics at age 9, Daredevil 66 and Aquaman. I'm not slagging DFC, it's just that I've seen an awful lot of "great white hopes" turn into "white elephants". Time, and time alone, will tell if it's a success. I hope it is. I thought DFC was reliant on the graphic novels to give the creators decent page rates.

[John Freeman]

I've been in contact with the DFC PR office who tell me the language issue has been "under discussion" editorially.

While I'm aware even TV soaps have gone the route of dropping swear words into the scripts of late, bad language remains a major issue and both the BBC and ITV hav had their knuckles rapped for doing it.

[Ian M. Cullen]

I heard about this last week on the news and have to admit that some of the strips on display in the comic looked pretty good.

Funnily enough when I saw in on news last week I was looking in stores following day. Figured I would get a copy and try my neice or nephew on it, though my nephew maybe a bit old now.

Perhaps the BBC should have said it was sub only for the moment at least.

I only hope that DFC is a resounding success. I mean these teenagers now are to lazy to type when on MSN and the like. They all use text speak. I hate text speak. I hate my own bad spelling and grammar just as much though.

[Ian M. Cullen]

I think swearing is ok, so long as in moderation and justified.

It's too easy to have a character swearing every other word which would take away from the story and make a mockery of the character and idea behind it.

I have a pretty dark and emotionally messed up character in mind for a comic book - and will likely want to occasionally have him use certain naughty words - but where I choose to place them is what the issue should be. I think it's all in the context of how you use them and how often.

It's pretty funny this whole censership thing. I mean in America it's ok to show a TV series where a guy blows someones kneecaps out with a semi automatic rifle. Yet in the same country they cringe when the 'F - Word' is used on national network television - and go to the point of making slang terms up such as frack for BSG which I know was invented back in the 70's or they just say damn or darn it.

You should count the amount of times Jack Buer uses Damn it in a single episode of 24. It's kind of funny.

I don't think we should have swear words in kids comics though. I mean the first time I cussed someone out was when I was been given a bad time in foster care. Back then kids didn't swear half as much as they do now.

It's kind of worrying how many kids near where I live will quite happily cuss you out because they haven't been shown any different.

[John Freeman]

Well said, Ian. No-one's saying swearing isn't okay in comics for older readers: but the DFC is aimed at eight year olds and up, which is a totally different market.