Dare versus Dredd

By John Freeman on 2 January 2008

No, not a new comic from Virgin (although I’m sure it’s been considered somewhere): this is the result of my first test opf google.com/trends, which offers a snapshot of web searches, comparing the number of search results for specific terms.

The results don’t indicate just how many searches have been analysed, but it does let you know from where searches have been taking place. The snapshot above compares 2007 searches for “Dan Dare” with 2000AD‘s “Judge Dredd” and you can see Virgin Comics PR machine played its part in boosting the space hero’s web popularity with launch of their new comic last month.

Of course, compared with the number of searches for Marvel characters our Brit heroes still have a long way to go, but as a general guide to what comics fans are looking for this new tool should provide hours of endless fun for marketeers…

— and talking of marketing, just a quick addition to this: Virgin Comics is promoting their new Dan Daretitle with a free episode online twice a week: www.virgincomics.com/dandare.html

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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as 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.