Some details of this year’s Beano Summer Activity Special and The Dandy Summer Special are now live on AmazonUK, both soon to arrive in newsagents.
Both Specials feature new material. Here’s what we know about both so far…
Beano Summer Activity Special 2023
On sale from Wednesday 17th May in WHSmith, other retailers to follow | £6.99
• Order The Beano Summer Activity Special 2023 here from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
What could be better than no school for ages? Your summer holidays filled with fun from the Beano Summer Special 2023, that’s what!
With 68 pages of the funniest comics, jokes, pranks, puzzles, adventure and more, it’s perfect for Beano fans of all ages!
Includes free stickers!
• The Beano Summer Activity Special is on sale in WHSmith from Wednesday 17th May and AmazonUK here; and will be available in major Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Co-op and One Stop stores from 28th June, then major Waitrose and Sainsbury’s stores from 20th July.
The Dandy Summer Special 2023
On sale from Wednesday 17th May in WHSmith only on the high street
• Order The Dandy Summer Special 2023 here from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
It’s that time of year again – the sun is shining, school’s finished for ages and the Dandy Summer Special is back!
Rain or shine, indoors or outdoors, the Dandy’s favourite characters will keep you entertained all summer long!
With loads of awesome activities, it’s the only holiday souvenir you need! Includes brand new and exclusive stories!
These should include a “Dandytown Scouts” strip drawn by Mychailo Kazybrid and inked by Bambos Georgiou. Mychailo created the design for these characters and the characters feature can see on the cover. There should also be a couple of strips starring the characters in the Dandy Annual this year.
The Dandy Summer Special will only be available from select WHSmith on the high street, subject to availability; and AmazonUK here.
The DC Thomson Web Shop has previously offered discounted “bundles” for past year’s Specials, but have told downthetubes they do not have an availability date, as of 16th May 2023.
Previously, responding to queries, a spokesperson told one fan, “We no longer sell products or gifts on any of our websites. We will only be offering magazine subscriptions going forward.
“My apologies, the economic downturn has caused us to lose staff.”
• Order The Beano Summer Activity Special 2023 here from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
• Order The Dandy Summer Special 2023 here from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
• BEANO is online at beano.com
• The online BEANO Shop is currently still selling a wide range of products online – but not single issues
This item was updated on 16th May to add firm on sale dates and distribution details
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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While as a long term Dandy fan and enjoy a subscription with D C Thompson for the Beano it is nice to see there will in fact be summer specials this year given the deafening silence, the evolving will they, won’t they stock for sale on their own site these specials does rather leave me wondering if collectively they’ve drop the ball a little around this.
Children who are used to getting their Beano fix with subscriptions are not so likely to traipse the aisles of W H Smith looking through the forest of publications for their age group for a copy.
Having religiously ordered my copies of the special directly, I regret to say the publishers in their inability to say categorically if and when they will be available have lost my order to Amazon and leave me concerned as to we’ll have the same poor communication when it comes to the upcoming Annuals later on in the year.
I sincerely hope these issues can be resolved as one who has loved both comics for many a year.