A comic's Target Market

[Captain Spod]

Happened to be discussing kids' comics with Mrs Spod today and I asked if she remembered Beano. 'Never read it, it was a boys' comic'. I could not have been more surprised. There were, of course, gender specific comics (Eagle, Shoot, Twinkle, Bunty), but Beano? Really?

What's your view?
Also, should this have been under Arts and Literature?

[jno]

yes, Beano was basically male. Their females were mostly token - Beryl the Peril to balance Dennis the Menace and so on, but it was generally the male ones who came first. Almost everyone I knew who read it was male.

[mccfluff]

i used to read it

[notasyoungasiwas]

Beano wasn't just a boys comic, my brother and I read it equally. (It was unisex !).

[Mosaic]

Beano.....hmmm. I read and enjoyed it, but it did not appear to pander to archetypically girly interests. I also enjoyed Eagle and got it right up to its dying days.
Was Minnie the Minx in Beano, or was that Dandy? If Beano, I suppose it says it all about the gilries that read it. I've ner been a frilly girly and found reading Bunty etc was OK for a bit but then got boring.
Which one had 'the Four Marys', the most strangely drawn comic strip I've ever seen....

[Mosaic]

That's it! Beryl the Peril!

[carrot99]

I read both the Beano and the Dandy each week - I think it was more an age thing than a gender thing. I think I was a bit older when I read Bunty each week. I remember `the Four Marys' - do you remember a teenager called something like Valma or Valda - she was a bit mystical and went into a flame to regain her powers - in one series she was an ice-skater and in another some other sporty type - maybe a skier?

[B00]

I wasn't keen on Beano, I always thought it too boyish, instead like you said i preferred Twinkle then Bunty as I got bit older.

Anyone else (I'm guessing more girls) remember Misty?

[piggynose]

i was a spiderman comic fan myself,
i vaguely remember Whopper and dandy

[notasyoungasiwas]

I don't remember Misty, but I remember Judy. I'm older than you though BOO!

[B00]

Was doubting I used to read it, or at least id got the title wrong NAYAIW, but nope, here it is :-)

http://www.ebay.co.uk...T&hash=item2315eecb66

[JMR27]

I read the Beano, Dandy and the Topper. Then Judy and Diana - was in the Bluebird Club.
Trying to remember the name of a comic for younger children - it was brightly coloured - reds and yellows - was it called Jack and Jill?

[notasyoungasiwas]

Yes there was a comic called Jack and Jill - started in the 50's.

[Euphemia]

My weekly fix was The Girl

[JMR27]

Thanks notasyoungasiwas I can vaguely remember it - I thought it was wonderful.

[cathfromsaron]

despite the fact that my grandfather strongly disapproved of comics, i had 'twinkle' delivered weekly, plus had loads of old annuals from my mum and aunty's era to read! school friend a particular favourite!

used to love famous five and all enid blyton's books! i did have 'beano' annuals but never the comics per se! yes they seemed more boy orientated to me!

moved onto 'whizzer and chips' from twinkle and had a joke published and won a t-shirt!

progressed to' jackie'! discovered boys and now read 'easy living' and 'country living'! still love magazines!

cath x

[cathfromsaron]

yes i remember jack and jill, and bunty!!

[shaneystar2]

I used to read The Dandy and Beano then progressed to The Girl ,Judy ,Bunty and Schoolfriend .Then it was Jackie and Honey .
Things have gone downhill fast ..It's Womans Weekly these days :)

[cazzz1975]

I used to like the beano, twinkle was bought for me when I was very young, my sister used to read jackie and diana

[cathfromsaron]

i also read women's weeklies passed down to me for the knitting! i'm only 44!

[Answerprancer]

I used to get Beano (and Dandy) and later on Whizzer And Chips then Shiver And Shake - I think they were all aimed mostly at boys. The only comic I read these days is Viz, I think their target readership is probably male too.
That's not to say that these publications *should* be exclusively for boys.
I wouldn't think that there is anything wrong with girls reading them.