Summer Special 2026

Last week was badd...very bad for the super hot drying up conditions we endured as we went over 30 degrees and felt by Thursday night really off so Friday's cooler temperatures, fresh breeze and even some thunder was welcome.

And that was Spring!

Now this month we enter Summer officially where you might it expect it to be warm, where in the past we looked to Summer Vacations and no school for seven or so weeks before we got crazy, stomping our feet saying "I'm bored!" 

We didn't bother with the Dandy Summer Special as like last years it another set of Jamie Smart era Desperate Dan reprints from 2007-2010 not a proper Dandy Summer edition that we've had since 2013 and the ending of the weekly print edition.

Okay, you could play with your Chromebook, Tablet or Smartphone all day which isn't that good for for other reasons, run about like crazy playing weird games which is what I did with mates or read a comic or book.

That's where summer special comic editions with more pages came in coupled with puzzle books that remain big with modern children.

While the world of children's comics and magazines has changed a lot in forty odd years - and not necessarily for the better - The Beano Summer Special, today styled as a Summer Activity Special remains available and is out...NOW!

This years plot revolves around the notion the Beanotown children think they’ve bagged the perfect getaway, a dream holiday to a seaside caravan park in Beanotown-on-Sea. 

However this is Beanotown so of course nothing is what it seems! Their hoped for R & R (rest and recreation) turns out to be more like run-down and rotten - and the weirdness doesn’t stop there. Something fishy is happening both at the seaside and back home… and the kids are determined to uncover the truth!

Packed with mysteries, mayhem, jokes and puzzles it takes you back to those times even if the world is very much the modern one with enough to keep you occupied indoors or out and doesn't require a connection nor recharging.

With this weeks weather recharging is what I need!

I loved rope climbing and exploring back then so that kind of adventure is so so relatable.

Beano Summer Special 2025

We're into June which means we are officially into summer  that for most of us means mentally at least the whole off school summer holiday period and the memories of going away with your family year on year with all the rituals that involved such as getting new summer cloths for playing on the beach or camp to take with you.

 Back then comics as distinct from magazines often of a commercially exploitative nature ruled the roost so when we landed we made a beeline to the newsagent for some reading matter in case of rain and back then most comics also had summer specials in colour with more stories.

Today that's different so really it's the Beano summer special most go for in in 2025 we run very much the notion of everybody going on their holiday in Beanotown in much the same way that industrial areas the town shut down for a fixed period.

Thus the adventures feature all our comic heroes and heroines often working together to get out of situations in one big adventure and we love adventure don't we?

This year's is up to the usual high standard.

2024 Comic Summer Specials

 The good thing about being a little sissy gurl is you get to enjoy little life all over again as you really were

What's that Temptations song?

It's Summer.

As sure as eggs are eggs Summer comes around after things like year Exams and things like GCSE's (or O levels in my day) and your A's we work through before the six weeks or more before the start of the next term.

Unless your folks are the sort that pulled you out school for a week before, which happened then, and sure enough does today but soon what started of as "Yay freedom" soon turns to "I'm bored" and then if you were away the day you wanted to go to the beach, it was raining over Bill's mothers too so that was off.*

You needed something that didn't just occupy the time, you needed a good laff to bring a smile back on your face after that disappointment and for many of us it was the special Comic Specials.

Specials that had exclusive new stories were it and back then their were loads such as Tammy, Jinty and The Dandy which you might of taken with you or bought as soon as you got to that resort or camp site.

We lost the Dandy way back at the end of 2012 as weekly comic but an experimental Summer issue in 2013 proved successful and today we get one a year and an annual.

Thing is, us old-young at heart readers are slowly reducing so it's not enough to just cater for the retro adult market, you need to reach out to actual modern children so you can't just keep old cartoon strip series in, you need to add new ones that exist more in the modern world and so we continue with last years Dandytown Scouts, modern but easy for us older readers to relate to as much as todays youngsters.

Then D C Thompson have reimagined Dina Mite  as Dinah Mo as a ecological activist caring about the environment (and we should) and had Lew Stringer draw her with both new strips with a more diverse range of children from we had in 1977 or even 88 reflecting how society has changed.

This is being cross promoted by another long standing comic - The Beano.

Unlike the Dandy despite both having a trouble identity crisis driven period around 2007 to 2010, this still continues and is last man standing of the old school weekly comics although the revived monthly Monster Fun can join it.

There's no denying it has changed, somethings such as more inclusion, more ethically diverse characters more welcome for reflecting the world and addressing poor representation of girls, disabled children (something that irritated me back then) and so on.

Being a weekly the setting needs more to reflect the world as it is now with internet and smartphones in it even if grown ups rightly are debating how much of children's time should be spent with such things.

Because Rodger, Minnie, Dennis and the Class of 2B are still ten they're still around but in that world and they go on super summer adventure that has a common theme - pranks and pranking - and they guest in each others comic strip series in the summer edition with a common story.

They are joined by newer strips that have none of the baggage older comic strips have some of which tend to work a bit better than others so it's a little less of a retro experience but if you enter the headspace  of a ten your old  today it makes lots of sense and is quite funny.

It just isn't 1974 but this isn't typewritten then but posted online in 2024!

Out now at major newsagents, Amazon and thank god this year D C Thomson's own website.

Around comics and stuff

Weekend was rather busy here so I had a a few things partly planned out .

First off, May 31 saw the Schools Out bi monthly edition of Monster Fun come out which as the title suggests has the majority of the stories being centred around that ritual where school takes a break while (hopefully) we do get away.

The resurrected comic continues to bring in a actual child base which distinguishes it from other more retro for adults attempts at doing  new specials such as those for the girls comic Jinty and clearly Rebellion Publishing are putting a lot into building up a new audience.

It relaunched in time for Halloween last year and resumed in April following a bi Monthly cycle which makes for a better quality comic given comics aren't 70p or  1.50 anymore given printing costs going up and the now standard full colour rather than muted colour newsprint we had.

Given many must be tossed away I do wonder if that was a misstep in a digital age of read and toss aside for the next weekly edition.

Meanwhile in The Beano it has reported Pup Parade, the cartoon strip that featured dogs many of Class IIb's pet dogs is set to finish in July after Lew Stringers excellent work in a new mini strip from April without official explination.

One thought I have is given how in some communities Dogs are seen as "unclean" to the point they would not be allowed to be pets or to be say cars and the continuing additions of often new children from the Indian Sub-continent to IIb's class as part of the attempt to diversify and make more inclusive that series that originally debuted in 1954, if it may be seen the dogs get in the way and so axed.

It wasn't as if every child in that class had one Cuthbert Cringyworthy for instance was never given one way back in 1972.

We'll see what replaces it in due course.

Christmas 2019

Sleighbells are ringing, the lights are on the artificial tree so I'm up and out of jim jams and into my uniform for a touch of breakfast ready to open these presents that are just in the corner of the room in a pile. 

Although this came out in March of twenty nineteen it was a highlight of this Christmas which is why it's at the top of the mast for this entry.

It's a special compilation not like the Beano and Dandy one about a theme but one of an entire comic strip run from the girls comic Jinty and Lindy from the mid nineteen seventies with a ecocentric sci fi story.

That was the original comic front cover that introduced it.

Due to increased climate change, the sun starts to melt the ice caps and evaporates the world's oceans, causing an onslaught of never ending rain. At first young Hazelford resident, Fran Scott, finds the whole thing amusing, but as the town begins to disappear underwater, the desperation of her predicament becomes all too clear.

After losing her parents in the chaos, Fran decides to seek out her sister June, who recently moved to Scotland. But as the situation gets worse and society begins to crumble around her, Fran must overcome a vast array of dangers, including disease, wild animals, marauding gangs of vicious thugs and most bizarre of all, the self-proclaimed king of Glasgow!

This is a scan from page twenty that shows Phil Gascoine's talent who was a British comics artist, best known for his work in comics such as Jinty, Bunty, and Battle Action, for which he drew The Sarge.

The entire story clearly indicates that children back then we're far more mature in mindset, as they easily handled such hard hitting themes as survival, starvation, illness, and even death.

Comics such as Jinty were a forbidden fruit to boys, something you could only borrow from a girl you trusted not to blab to your mates about it  and yet here is a story that would not of been out of place in any "boys own" comic showing fortitude and resilience so to have this compilation now is just lovely. 

The Beano today is different than what it was even in 2005 never mind how it was in the 70's and 80's the top comic for boy and girls as I recall well so rather than buying the new annual in the modern rather PC world, I had this 1976 edition, a year from the one I had last year which more as I remember it.

It takes me back to that time and the childhood I had.

I did have this years Christmas special edition of the comic though.

No Christmas could be complete for me without a link to Christmas pasts so I had the Dandy 2020 Annual with all my favourite Dandy characters in it not least Winker Watson, Korky the Cat and Desperate Dan.

I got the compilation in the "Classic" series entitled Chortle With Chums with stories on that theme from the Dandy and Beano archives printed very much as is.

Rupert The Bear was a love of early boyhood so in with the stocking fillers is his 2020 annual which really is a reprint of stories from the past complete with original illustrations which is as well as many years ago things like Rupert annuals were just removed.

I don't need Rupert annuals from the past as a grown up collecting thing in the way some do so much as I need that connection from him to the Eternal Gurl.

I do like to read but good new stuff is hard to find however this Adventure story for 9-13 year olds is just the thing for little me being written more for those of us who like a gripping adventure with no signal virtueing.

I think most children have what you might call a  "big present", the main and usually more expensive one and for me it is one that builds on last years, namely the Lego 11004 "Classic" Windows and doors set that adds those items and more lego bricks to last years classic set.

Playing with my Lego was what little sissy gurl me needed and still needs, enjoying making and using my imagination in play.

While I am a Brownie, my childhood exposure was very much with Cubs I had this past annual to both remind me of girls at that time did to inspire me working towards our own objectives .

When it comes to more of the "Stocking Fillers" one advantage of this current year being very much "The Year of The Gurl" is a lot of the ambiguity of recent years just went and so people went more with what they saw and what in the past it always was.

Traditionally made and fitting into the tradition of what Aunts brought me, it was fitting to be given something useful to wear, a sign of the distance travelled in the last couple of years.

My neighbour knitted me a grey hat with black trim apart from giving me some chocolates also seeing very much me on the streets talking to them.

Outside of the literal stocking fillers a specifically girls own colouring book that ties into that passionate interest of mine to help with my hand-eye co-ordination and some nice frilly knickers.

If the year began as "The Year of The Gurl" it ends with a suitable adult free Christmas that from love contains within it a very gurlish  feminine feel that I'm most comfortable nay happy for.

Christmas was the great mix for the adult little gurl me.

Christmas 2014

It is a few days past it as unlike last year the publishing schedule didn't align with Christmas day so I'm doing the entry today in my red sweatshirt, grey pleated skirt with matching grey socks with a pussy bow on them.

The first thing to say is Christmas for me is first and foremost a littles affair, practically a children's one starting with the great anticipation, the week before and building up on Christmas Eve where I sat with Mommy watching the Carols from King's concert on tv in one of my Pinafore Dresses before eating.

I was wake around Half past  Six Christmas Day with anticipation about which list of Santa's  I was one, hoping it wasn't the naughty one, getting washed and dressed  to comedown stairs (in our family you absolutely never come down stairs without being properly dressed, ever) before getting my breakfast.

It wasn't long before the sacks were found so with breakfast things away and washed up, I started on opening my present sacks neatly.

There were a number of Annuals, those perennials from my childhood where you got a softback book featuring cartoon strips from your favourite comics, extra features, quizzes  and games.

As the initiated know, I do read this comic a lot loving the adventures of Minnie The Minx, Dennis The Menace and the Bash Street Kids so here's this years annual.

A comic I used to love as a boy but has folded from weekly publishing was the Dandy with Korky the Cat and Desperate Dan of Cow Pie fame but they do specials such as this years annual so I was mighty glad to get that one.

 An author of books I love to read is Jacqueline Wilson and every year there's an annual out about her, the many stories she's written featuring Tracy Beaker (a heroine of mine) with tips on writing and drawing. I also got the Hello Kitty annual with stories and pictures you can colour.

Talking Kitty, I got a note pad and pencil from my Brother and partner who understand my feminine boy side which was pleasant surprise.
But the biggest surprise was yet to come.

Yes, my parents actually surpassed themselves and bought me this Grafix Build your own Teddy Bear kit that you stuff, sow the back and badge onto and fill out the Birth Certificate for!

I mean, you couldn't get so little with me me if you tried as this suitable for anyone over the age of five  bear you can carry around with you hugging after completion.

After going out for lunch, I got changed into a Tartan skirt coming down the stairs in the late afternoon watching tv for a bit before we had a light evening meal as I was feeling a bit full.

A Christmas where I could be open about my feminine side was just great.

Christmas 2013

It's Christmas which for me means it one that is back in the past even if its Twenty thirteen which means we have comic annuals from the past in them such as the Beano.

It is the 75th anniversary of both the Beano and Dandy this year which is a mighty long time in history of comics and in the Beano remains many of the characters I loved such as Dennis the menace, Minnie the mix, Roger the dodger and of course the Bash Street Kids.

The Dandy ceased regular weekly publication this time last year but had a Summer Special this year which was a pleasant surprise.

This years annual leads off with Desperate Dan on the front but includes favourites such as Keyhole Kate who's always nosy, looking into other peoples business and the great Korky the cat.

My copy has a poster included.

Also included was Diamond, a new hardback novel by Jacqueline Wilson continuing the Hetty Feather story. I like her books loads.

Mummy bought me a new and very feminine pink pair of pull on fur lined slippers and some cute socks.  By the way that bell is old and loud!

I also had this Hello Kitty hand towel and face cloth set for when I go away with friends.

The trouble with being a sissy gurl tends to be less the boy stuff you get but the lack of anything feminine even when people know you are so things like gloves end up being converted to smaller girls gloves that do fit and ditto the socks as my feet are child sized and not man sized.

So while I'd rather that kind of stuff didn't happen, there's no point obsessing over it as you can deal with and anyway not everyone is fortunate to receive presents at all.

Christmas 2012

If you have just come to this blog you probably did not expect me to publish a Christmas edition as I had said elsewhere I wasn't doing one before Christmas as I was going to be very busy organizing stuff for other peoples Christmas's, visiting and the like.

A Christmas for me is unapologetically a little affair, simple, very childlike wrapped around some groan up parts such as being with relatives so while they may do sophisticated things and talk about groan up stuff, I don't cos I'm the child.

I woke up, got dressed and spend most of the morning  in full school uniform and I see I wasn't the only one in our community that spent at least some of our time like that today.

We went out for Christmas lunch where apart from having some lovely well cooked food, I played a small springy man with a sucker that holds it down for a minute before it goes pop and jumps up in the air landing all over the place. I had loads of fun doing that and Mummy was okay with it too. Having a Mummy that'll let you do this in public is so awesome.

 As well I had this the 75th Anniversary annual of the British Comic the Beano with special stories, jokes and other things in them that make me happy.

I also had the Dandy annual too which in way is a bit sad as it finished a few weeks ago for good.

In a Christmas for me, new children's books feature as I love reading about people and their adventures so there's Emerald Star, a follow up to Hetty Feather by Jacqueline Wilson in their hardback editions.

A borderline adult little girl colleague bought me this cos it reminded them of me which was just lovely.

I love Jacqueline Wilson, having a good number of her books which appeal to girls and boys like me plus the uber cool and kawaii Hello Kitty annual.

Mum bought me some cute girly socks and Scottish shortbread. I had a tin of chocolates to share cos well sharing is a 'very good thing tm' although Ill have to change some gloves as my hands are small, the fingers are smaller than Mummy's even and these are way too big

.

I have record coming just after Christmas too as it was in the Christmas Eve sale too.

Now the funny thing is people this is so similar to the Christmas's of of the past and you know what? It just feels so right.

Christmas special

 

Ho ho ho! This wasn't the kind of Christmas entry you would of expected a year back don'tcha think but it says a lot about how I feel about me that it's here

This year was a load of fun as got to know a number of others online who have this more still a child thing about them and I had found ways of letting that out at work too which made things less of a problem than they had been in the past.

The other crazy thing was my sister in law came on over and both of us were singing and making actions to along to that great rockin' number Wombling Merry Christmas by the Wombles as it was on the local radio station as she arrived! This didn't phaze her partner either.

One thing I missed for long time was a tradition of boxes containing a selection of candy usually chocolate children always have presented to them and this year the Hello Kitty selection box put in an appearance.

As well we had annuals and this year I had the Beano annual a comic I grew up with remaining a barrel full of child like fun I could sit on the floor and read. I like Minnie The Minx and the Bash Street Kids.

I also like the Dandy with Korky the cat, Bananaman and Desperate Dan and had this years annual too.

The initiated know I love reading not withstanding the difficulties I have with both holding books and also with my reading abilities and so I had this years Jacqueline Wilson annual which apart from having some drawing sections, also has some new short stories to read and I adore her books loads.

After going out to eat, I watched Ratatouille on the tv which was fun as for some reason I'd missed seeing it at the local movie theatre and made a note to get the dvd as anything that funny could help on either rainy days or when I'm not well.

The Beano: Pup Parade

The Beano always was a staple of my boyhood, being read by both boys and girls as it appealed unlike many to both and over the years a good number have either been merged into other comics or just gone completely.

We still have the Beano with us, a little altered from when I was younger with it moving from A5 newsprint exercise book size to a much bigger and glossy form.

Many of the original series run still and that includes Pup Parade which is based on the lives of the dogs of the Bash Street Kids.

This was a recent edition as drawn by Lew Stringer.