A RESPONSE TO JAMIE SMART'S OPEN INTERNET LETTER...

Beano's Dennis giving Dandy's Dan a thumping - a prophetic example of life imitating art perhaps?
Copyright D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd

Recently, artist Jamie Smart posted an open letter to the internet over on his blog.  I felt obliged to respond.

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 An open letter to the internet.

"When The Dandy relaunched last year, it caught a lot of attention.  As Britain’s oldest comic institution, it had the weight of history behind it and any attempts at revitalising the form would naturally take some punches.  What it did was quite daring, it scrapped the magazine format it had been slowly creeping towards, and instead declared itself a bona fide comic once more, filled to the gills with a variety of cartoons.  Initially it also did away with the cover-mounted freebie toys, a risk in today’s market.  What it wanted to be, was a modern version of the comics we grew up with.  Unashamedly silly.

Recently the response came back - sales had dropped by a half.  What a crushing blow to such a noble attempt.

Inevitably, sensing blood, the parasites have come out.  Sensing a wounded animal they’ve pounced, picking at it from a safe cowering distance.  In this canyon of the internet, the wretched scabby vultures don’t waste a second.  Forums and blogs, suddenly filled with the barely-concealed glee of a thousand old, bitter, failed cartoonists who declare they KNEW it wouldn’t work.  I say they’re failed cartoonists because you can usually follow the trail of bun crumbs back to their own portfolios, as they’ve clearly tried to infiltrate the world of children’s comics but obviously never quite made it.  Instead of crying salty tears into their own pisspoor efforts, they bitch and whine their stupid opinions online, content that there’ll always be some other bitter tit who feels the same."

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What Mr. Smart apparently fails to realize is that absolutely nobody is happy with the current predicament The DANDY is in.  If the attempt to breathe new life into the comic was noble - and bold - it was also almost certainly misguided and misjudged, at least in the way it was handled.  At a stroke, D.C. THOMSON eliminated any last remnants of the "feel-good" nostalgia factor which, for many years, was probably the primary reason for the comic's longevity.  It reminds me of when COCA COLA changed the taste of their iconic brand and, such was the resistance to it by consumers (sales apparently plummeted) that they had to reinstate the "classic" recipe.

For Mr. Smart to call anyone with an opinion different to his own a "vulture" or a "parasite" is as shocking as it is inaccurate.  Although I do not like his current version of DESPERATE DAN, I devoted a post on my blog to a positive critique of his art on his own blog.

And as for his ridiculous comments about failed cartoonists, let me remind him that, as far as failure goes, his brief (and that of others also) was to revive the comic.  In that respect, those involved have singularly and spectacularly failed!  It's probably partly because of this realization that he's on his best "whiny bitch" defence-mode.  The simple fact is that many people said that the new Dandy was a mistake and wouldn't sell.  Looks like they were right.  I think they've proved their point - or, rather, poor sales have done it for them.  Seems that some people just can't live with being wrong and feel a need to lash out and attack others, which is rich, considering what comes next.

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"Worse is the personal attacks they make on the art.  The Dandy was bold in allowing new, unexpected artists to take the reigns (sic) on some of their popular characters, to try new things and shake the medium up a bit.  The range of material inside was a joy, and should be applauded.  But the criticism coming back at it was unfounded, and purely subjective.  I’ll say this now, I can take it.  I’ve been doing this long enough, and had enough whiney criticism thrown at me that it swiftly stops being hurtful and fast becomes funny.  When you realise you’re being criticised by the angry, bitter internet, with all its confused rationale and hypocritical vitriol, it becomes more of a trophy - the fact you’re invoking such a reaction means you’re doing something right.  But I’ve seen the attacks on the other artists, some of them brutal, and it’s nothing but childish jealousy.  It dismisses all the years of work someone’s put into their craft in one sentence."

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"The criticism... was unfounded, and purely subjective."  Likewise, Mr. Smart's opinion to the contrary is equally subjective - and therefore doesn't have any more validity than (according to him) those of his critics.  As for his assertion that "the fact you're invoking such a reaction means you're doing something right." - total nonsense!  I rather think it proves he's doing something wrong and confirms - along with drastically decreased sales - that the criticism was very far from being "unfounded" indeed.

And to call criticism "nothing but childish jealousy" and to presume it comes from those with unachieved artistic aspirations merely demonstrates an elitist attitude.  I'm willing to bet that the majority of criticism comes from ordinary people who have never even considered a career in comics, never mind pursued one.

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"It’s pathetic.  An opinion is one thing, and an informed critical opinion can often be very helpful.  But a snide, bullshit swipe at something that was trying to do good is callous.  The Dandy was standing up for British comics, and the artists were chosen because their artwork delights children.  And it did, any naysayer can say their kids didn’t like The Dandy but they’re not taking into account the thousands that DID, and the untapped audience that would if they could just be reached.  For every grown adult who says I draw comics like an idiot monkey, there’s a score of people who love what I do.  Complaining that someone’s style is wrong is like saying custard is offensive - it means nothing.  It’s your opinion.  Instead of frothing it up with the nastiest words you can muster, try not thinking about it.  Try getting on with your own life. Try doing something constructive instead of whining like a bitch."

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To paraphrase one of his above statements and cast it in a far more realistic light - "...any yaysayer can say their kids love The Dandy, but they're not taking into account the thousands that DON'T!"  (As testified to by the fact that half its recent readership has abandoned it.)

Face facts.  Of course there are other factors involved in the circulation decline of all magazines, but such conditions have existed for years.  The main reason that The Dandy's sales have deteriorated so drastically in such a short space of time is that readers have simply abandoned it because it failed to deliver.  For that, those responsible should accept their fair share of culpability in the situation, rather than posture as misunderstood geniuses whose efforts and talent are unappreciated.  That's like saying it's the fault of the audience.  We see such petulant, childish, arrogant behaviour on our TVs every week, whenever the X-FACTOR judges tell some social inadequate that he or she can't sing, dance, or whatever.

Simply put, just like them, Mr. Smart lays the reasons for The Dandy's shortcomings at the door of his critics.  As for his assertion that "For every grown adult who says that I draw comics like an idiot monkey, there's a score of people who love what I do." - really?  That's the verdict arrived at as a result of a stringent, scientifically-conducted survey on the matter, is it?  Talk about being subjective.  He needs to remember that for every person who still buys The Dandy, there's another who doesn't, but used to.  (Not counting the fact that the few thousand who buy the comic are outnumbered thousands-to-one by those who never have and never would.) 

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"The reasons for The Dandy audience slide could be many (distribution, advertising, competition etc).  I thought they were doing something really right, you can say I’m biased because I work for them, but I would have applauded it even if I had not. Even if they’d rejected my work, I would have promoted the relaunched Dandy.  It deserves a huge amount of respect for trying, and I really hope it can find a way to keep going.  I’ve a few suggestions but hey, I’m sure they’ve a few plans too.

Instead of hiding in your dark corners, internet critics, seeping out at the first sign of trouble, you could have been cheering on a bold move in children’s comics.  You could have stood up for the greater cause, you may even have enjoyed some of the work inside if you’d made the effort to look past your own bitter opinions.  But you’d rather criticise someone else’s work, than do something constructive yourself.  Because it’s far easier to destroy than it is to create."

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It's also far easier to create stuff that people don't want, and then blame the audience for not wanting it.  If the comic is "destroyed" (and we all surely hope it isn't) then it was the misguided and ill-advised new direction which is responsible for its destruction.  That's something Mr. Smart would do well to consider, as he hurls his bad-tempered, vicious and vitriolic insults at the backs of a rapidly departing and decreasing audience.  The Dandy destroyed?  Then he had a hand in doing it!  Something he should remember as, with thumb in mouth, he sulks under the blankets of a bed of his own making.

He describes anyone who has been vocal in their criticism of the recent incarnation of The Dandy as "whining like a bitch".  People in glass houses perhaps?  For one who isn't shy about using his own blog to vent his frustrations, how dare he berate anyone else for doing the same thing.  The words pot and kettle spring to mind.  And as for "personal attacks" - when he's been told that "cancer is too good for you" and "you've only ever f****d your mum" (as I was on his site) then he'll know just what a personal attack is.

Why not simply follow his own advice?  "Instead of frothing it up with the nastiest words you can muster, try not thinking about it.  Try getting on with your life.  Try doing something constructive instead of whining like a bitch."  Indeed.  Now why not trying drawing a strip that will increase The Dandy's sales, instead of driving the readership away in droves?

That'd be a good start.