Desperate Dan could team up with Dennis the Menace as The Dandy faces closure

A HOST of well-known Scots, including First Minister Alex Salmond, have pledged their support to a campaign aiming to save the Dandy – amid fears over the future of Britain’s longest-running children’s comic.

A HOST of well-known Scots, including First Minister Alex Salmond, have pledged their support to a campaign aiming to save the Dandy – amid fears over the future of Britain’s longest-running children’s comic.

The Dundee-based publication, beloved by generations of readers for cartoon characters such as Desperate Dan, is subject to a review by its publisher in the wake of declining circulation numbers.

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Yesterday, enthusiasts of the comic urged the public to halt the demise by purchasing a copy for themselves or their children.

The plea has been echoed by the current writer and artist of the famous Desperate Dan strip, who hailed the comic as a “shining light in what is a shrinking industry”.

Mr Salmond expressed hope that the comic would continue in its printed form, claiming it has been enjoyed by children and adults alike.

He said: “I would have to say that Oor Wullie and Broons annuals were more my favourites rather than the Dandy or the Beano. But I hope the Dandy continues in publication.

“I think it would be a sad day if it wasn’t to be a printed publication, and I hope a way is found to keep it as a printed publication because it has given great enjoyment to generations of children of a small size and some children of a larger size over the years. I am united behind the Save the Dandy campaign.”

Launched in 1937, the comic enjoyed a widespread readership thanks in large part to the acclaimed illustrator Dudley D Watkins, and by the time it reached its post-war peak, the Dandy was selling more than two million copies per week.

Now in its 75th year, the comic’s fortunes have declined in spite of a series of relaunches in recent years. According to

the latest figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulation, it has a

circulation of just 7,489.

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Publisher DC Thomson, which also produces the Beano, said it was reviewing all of its magazine titles due to the “challenges” being faced by the publishing industry, but stressed that no final decision has been taken about whether the Dandy will continue to exist in print.

An iPad version of the comic was released last November, and it is possible that even if the Dandy is taken off the shelves of newsagents, it will continue to be available in digital form.

Nonetheless, fans of the comic have taken to social networking sites to rally against its closure, among them prominent figures from Scottish comedy.

Robert Florence, the writer and performer behind BBC Scotland sketch show Burnistoun, wrote on Twitter: “Let’s all buy the Dandy this week. You with me? Let’s see if we can save something worth saving.”

Greg Hemphill, co-creator of Still Game and Chewin’ the Fat, asked people to “get it saved”, sharing the hashtag #savethedandy, set up as part of the ad-hoc campaign.

Graham Linehan, the co-

writer of Father Ted, added: “Very sad. UK’s longest-running comic, Dandy, to close.”

Their sentiments were shared by politicians. Tom Watson, the Labour MP, wrote: “How do we save the Dandy? It’s worth fighting for.” His SNP counterpart Angus MacNeil stated: “UK in a bad way – Official!! The Dandy could close.”