History Comicbook / TheDandy

* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: Monkey Business.

''The Dandy'' was a long-running {{British|Comics}} children's comic, first published in 1937 by Creator/DCThomson, and was the world's third longest running comic, after ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' and ''Il Giornalino''.

After issue 3282 (October 16th 2004) ''The Dandy'' underwent a radical format change, reflecting a more television-oriented style, and now printed on glossy magazine paper instead of newsprint. In August 2007 (issue 3426), The Dandy had another update, becoming the fortnightly comic ''[[XtremeKoolLetterz Dandy Xtreme]]''. It cost £2.75 (with some issues costing up to £2.99 depending on how many gifts there were). It then reverted back to its original comics form, albeit retaining the more glossy paper, in November 2010 and cost £1.99 a week.

The print version of the comic ceased publication on its 75th anniversary in December 2012; an online version lasted just 13 issues before the comic ended for good in July 2013. However the ''The Dandy Annual'' will continue to be published for the foreseeable future.

* SpoiledBrat: Molly. Who has doormat parents.

** The Smasher looks ''really'' suspiciously similar to [[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUK Dennis the Menace]] from supposed rival comic ComicBook/TheBeano, even though his personality is different.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Cuddles and Dimples were originally neighbours before they were changed into brothers.

* WhatIf: One Desperate Dan comic featured him making a major blunder by accidentally dumping the town's Christmas presents in the river, leaving him shunned and disgraced. Upset over this, Dan wishes that he wasn't even born. He's then shown an alternate reality where this is true, but it's absolutely worse. Aunt Aggie is lonely without any company, and the town itself is mostly destroyed and uninhabited due to Dan himself not existing to stop a great number of natural disasters which left Cactusville in ruins. Back in his own reality, Dan saves all the presents and the townsfolk forgive him.

* BlatantLies: The 2013 summer special was called The Last Ever Dandy Summer Special, it's release coming six months after the weekly comic's demise. However, The Dandy Summer Special 2014 would later appear. Last Ever? We don't think so!

** While it didn't merge with The Beano, Bananaman joined the comic even before Dandy breathed it's last (his merchandise was on the online Beano Shop), while Corporal Clott also transferred over in 2019. Most characters have been kept out of the Beano because of the continued existence of the Dandy Annual. The Annual is nowadays produced by the Beano editorial team.

* UglyGuyHotWife: Cuddles and Dimples' parents after their 2004 redesign.

* SuddenlyVoiced: Desperate Dan in the digital title. Surprisingly NOT ComicStrip/{{Bananaman}}, even though he once had a TV series.

* DeconstructiveParody: Early Hitler satire, Addie and Hermie.

* HeroicDimples:
** [[http://www.johnbarber.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/desperate-dan.jpg Desperate Dan]] has dimpled cheeks, which adds to his BewareTheNiceOnes goofiness.
** Implied with Dimples from Cuddles and Dimples, since his character design doesn’t show him with dimples, unlike Desperate Dan’s.

** Desperate Dan has dimpled cheeks, which adds to his BewareTheNiceOnes goofiness.

* GenerationXerox: Dan's family tend to be rather hale and hearty, as well as having an UncannyFamilyResemblance.
** This gets exceptionally disturbing when you meet Desperate '''''[[BrainBleach Gran]]'''''.
* GentleGiant: Desperate Dan.
** Also CharacterizationMarchesOn - in the early strip, he was a desperado (as his name implies) and willing to use violence. Nowadays, he's a much better-natured guy (although [[BewareTheNiceOnes you do NOT want to make him mad]]).

* {{Nephewism}}: Dan had Katey and Danny, whilst Korky the Cat had The Kits: [[{{ThemeNaming}} Nip, Lip and Rrrip]].
** PutOnABus: None of those nephews appear any more, even though both Dan and Korky remain in the comic.

The first issue, under the name ''The Dandy Comic'', was published on 4 December 1937. It was published weekly until September 6th 1941, when wartime paper shortages forced it to switch to fortnightly, alternating with The Beano. It returned to its weekly schedule on 30 July 1949. From 17 July 1950, the magazine changed its name to just The Dandy.

After issue 3282 (October 16th 2004) The Dandy underwent a radical format change, reflecting a more television-oriented style, and now printed on glossy magazine paper instead of newsprint. In August 2007 (issue 3426), The Dandy had another update, becoming the fortnightly comic ''[[XtremeKoolLetterz Dandy Xtreme]]''. It cost £2.75 (with some issues costing up to £2.99 depending on how many gifts there were). It then reverted back to its original comics form, albeit retaining the more glossy paper, in November 2010 and cost £1.99 a week.

The most popular characters to appear in The Dandy are [[WorldsStrongestMan Desperate Dan]], [[FunnyAnimal Korky the Cat]], [[HeroicDog Black Bob]], [[BoardingSchool Winker Watson]], ComicStrip/{{Bananaman}}, [[EnfantTerrible Cuddles and Dimples]], [[Series/HarryHillsTVBurp Harry Hill]], [[BratsWithSlingshots The Smasher]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}} The Jocks]] and [[UsefulNotes/NorthEastEngland The Geordies]], [[TheBully Bully Beef]] and Chips, [[{{Tomboy}} Beryl the Peril]], [[RobotKid Brassneck]] and [[ThePeepingTom Keyhole Kate]].

See ComicBook/TheBeano, The Dandy's partner-in-mischief.

After issue 3282 (October 16th 2004) The Dandy underwent a radical format change, reflecting a more television-oriented style, and now printed on glossy magazine paper instead of newsprint. In August 2007 (issue 3426), The Dandy had another update, becoming the fortnightly comic ''[[XtremeKoolLetterz Dandy Xtreme]]''. It cost £2.75 (with some issues costing up to 2.99 depending on how many gifts there were). It then reverted back to its original comics form, albeit retaining the more glossy paper, in November 2010 and cost £1.99 a week.

* AnimatedAdaptation: ComicStrip/{{Bananaman}}

''The Dandy'' was a long-running {{British|Comics}} children's comic, running several different stories and characters. Published by Creator/DCThomson. The first issue was printed in 1937, making it the world's third longest running comic, after ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' and ''Il Giornalino''.

''The Dandy'' was a long running children's comic published in the [[BritishComics United Kingdom]], running several different stories and characters. Published by [[Creator/DCThomson D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd]]. The first issue was printed in 1937, making it the world's third longest running comic, after ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' and ''Il Giornalino''.

The print version of the comic ceased publication on its 75th anniversary in December 2012; an online version lasted just 13 issues before the comic ended for good in July 2013. However the ''The Dandy Annual'' will continue to be published for the forseeable future.

Tropes associated with ComicBook/TheDandy:

** Depending on who you ask, Hector Spectre is either an expy or a SpiritualSuccessor to an earlier character called Edd Chumley, who appeared in a strip called ''Meet Edd: He's A Ghost'' in ''ComicBook/TheBeezer'' and ''[[ComicBook/TheTopper Topper]]''. Both strips involved [[HeadlessHorseman headless ghosts]] in Elizabethan get-up with rural dialects and accompanied by a grey cat, both drawn by David Mostyn. The main difference was that Hector haunted a stately home, whereas Edd's home was said to be long since demolished. It's likely that a different main character was created as Edd looked very much like a [[DistaffCounterpart male version of Molly.]]

* BlatantLies: The 2013 summer special was called The Last Ever Dandy Summer Special, it's release coming six months after the weekly comic's demise. However, The Dandy Summer Special 2014 would later appear. Last Ever? I don't think so!
* BoisterousBruiser: Desperate Dan. In his early days he was something of a {{Jerkass}}, but he's quietened down over the year.

* RageAgainstTheAuthor: Korky's strip in the final issue involves him going up to "The Dandy editor" (represented in this strip by a ginger cat) and asking why he never appears in the comic anymore, although it's really more of a whine than a rage. Also features a hilarious parody of WereStillRelevantDammit when Korky is told he can only be a star again if he becomes "cool" with the addition of a robot arm, laser eye, face tattoo and skateboard.
* TheRival: Since TheEighties, Desperate Dan and Bananaman have had an on-again, off-again (i.e. whenver the writer for either strip can't think of anything and needs to spin a story out for a few weeks) rivalry to see who's the [[{{WorldsStrongestMan}} Dandy's Strongest Man]].

* StubbornHair: Desperate Dan is always depicted with very tough stubble which in extremis he can use to file or grind metal. He has to shave with a blowtorch and a sharpened spade when he needs to tidy up.

* TakeThat: ''ComicBook/TheBeano'' and ''ComicBook/TheDandy'' have a friendly rivalry which often involves taking popshots at each other (e.g. characters being threatened with the possibility of getting sent to the other comic).

''The Dandy'' was a long running children's comic published in the [[BritishComics United Kingdom]], running several different stories and characters. Published by [[Creator/DCThomson D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd]]. The first issue was printed in 1937, making it the world's third longest running comic, after Creator/DetectiveComics and Il Giornalino.

* CerebusSyndrome: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]: early on, it featured short stories (usually illustrated) as well as comics, and these tended to be serious and dramatic rather than humorous. They vanished over time to be replaced by GagSeries, but the new digital version promises to bring the drama back with a resurrection of ancient superhero character Mister X and a NancyDrew-inspired take on Keyhole Kate.

** In fact, in both this comic and ComicBook/TheBeano, almost all of the characters seem to crave large meals (often referred to as a [[AntiquatedLinguistics "slap up feed"]]). Traditionally, such a "slap up feed" (often depicted as a massive pile of mashed potatoes with sausages sticking out of it, but sweets, pies and cakes are also popular) was the usual reward at the end of a strip if the characters won whatever contest or outsmarted whichever opponent appeared in the plot that week, and it still crops up today. There's a fascinating historical context to this: WorldWarII happened early in the development of these comics, when rationing and hardship meant that the idea of being able to gorge on large meals or piles of sweets actually ''was'' something for the children reading the comics to dream of.

* BoisterousBruiser: Desperate Dan. In his early days he was something of a {{Jerkass}}, but he's quietened down over the years

After issue 3282 (October 16th 2004) The Dandy underwent a radical format change, reflecting a more television-oriented style, and now printed on glossy magazine paper instead of newsprint. In August 2007 (issue 3426), The Dandy had another update, becoming the fortnightly comic ''[[XtremeKoolLetterz Dandy Xtreme]]''. It cost £2.75 (with some issues costing up to 2.99 depending on how many gifts there were). It then reverted back to its original comics form, albeit retaining the more glossy paper, in November 2010 and costs £1.99 a week.

The print version of the comic ceased publication on its 75th anniversary in December 2012; an online version lasted just 13 issues before the comic ended for good in July 2013. However the ''The Dandy Annual'' will continue to be published for the forseeable future.

** The new Dandy has also seen more than one AffectionateParody of some BritishSeries, such as DealOrNoDeal and DragonsDen

''The Dandy'' was a long running children's comic published in the [[BritishComics United Kingdom]], running several different stories and characters. Published by [[Creator/DCThomson D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd]]. The first issue was printed in 1937, making it the world's third longest running comic, after DetectiveComics and Il Giornalino.