BRITAIN’S longest running comic is set to make the leap into the digital era.
The Dandy’s digital edition will launch on the publication’s 75th anniversary, with characters such as Desperate Dan entering the digital age in an interactive motion comic.
The new issue – available worldwide – will be released online on PC and Mac, and later via tablet and smartphones, and will feature interactive gameplay.
Craig Ferguson, editor of the new Dandy, said: “We all know how popular digital devices have become with children so we’re drawing on our traditional heritage and updating our product to make it relevant for today’s children.
“With this weekly digital edition, The Dandy is once again blazing a trail by launching a unique, interactive, motion comic. We’re giving The Dandy a whole new dimension and bringing a new lease of life to our characters.”
David Bain, Head of Digital Development, said, “The ‘Digital Dandy’ will pave the way in a new era for comic books in the UK, utilising the latest technological advancements and bringing the much-loved comic to a new generation of fans with technology that will work across different platforms.”
Ellis Watson, chief executive of DC Thompson said: “I appreciate it’s almost a deliberately naive venture into the unknown for a publisher that’s been cutting down trees for 75 years, squishing them flat and smearing ink all over them.
“We’re not super slick, we’re not Silicon Valley, but what we are is some pretty talented animators and story tellers that are really excited about seeing if we can introduce these wonderful characters to another couple of generations.”
Household names appearing in the new format include Desperate Dan, Bananaman, The Numskulls, Keyhole Kate, Blinky and Brassneck.
Each week there will also be fun interactive games embedded within the stories. The launch issue includes a Bananaman game and Dandy Dollop – a digital pet that you can feed, dance and play with.
As The Dandy goes digital, the final print issue hits the shelves, with a special fond farewell from Sir Paul McCartney. In 1963, at the age of 21, he claimed his personal ambition was to appear in the Dandy. Now this wish is set to be fulfilled nearly 50 years later.
The comic is available initially from www.dandy.com and later, will be downloadable online and as an app for tablets and smartphones.