I get a little bid sad when I see the comic racks for kids these days.
None of them are real comics, just a few strips, a bunch of puzzles/activities and a crappy gift in a cellophane bag.
When I were a lad there were dozens of titles, packed with comic strips (and free gifts were a rarity, something to get excited about). I understand why they’ve gone (video games, phones, internet, tv etc) but I still think its sad that the market can’t sustain a couple of titles.
Yeah I remember those comics they all had fantasicly old fashions (nowadays) sounding names. Obv yer Beano and Dandy (and the little ‘comic library’ long stories books) but there was stuff like Beezer, Wizzer and Chips, Buster etc. And you’d get big collated holiday special editions. I loved those.
When I see how little green space there is for kids to play in. When I go home pretty much every little area of scrubland or woodland or whatever that we to play in has been built on. Also we could always get in to the school grounds which were quite near by and play football or whatever. (as long as we didn’t annoy the caretaker) Now these are all secured too.
My daughter who is three is well into those type of comics - I don’t buy them for her (I’m a well mean dad) but whenever she goes anywhere with my mum she’ll pressure her into getting her one. They’re more activity packs than a replacement for the comics of yore, and she enjoys the colouring and stickers and gets a couple of days enjoyment out of the plasticky piece of crap toy…
I pity kids these days. They seem to have utterly insane levels of homework, everything they do at school seems to be vitally important as it goes towards some assessment or other.
And everyone seems to be afraid. Either you daren’t let kids play unattended because they’ll be snatched and murdered or you’ll be accused of neglect. Any gang of more than three kids can’t be let into a shop in case they rob the place blind, and groups of more than four will inevitably start stabbing each other to death. If they do have any free time it is taken up with cyber bullying each other or sexting.