Doctor Who Annual tops publishing charts!

[Milky Tears]

Over 271,000 sold so far! It was mentioned in today's Guardian:

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/art...978042,00.html

Dennis the Menace meets his match at last as Doctor Who annual tops the publishing charts

Beano beaten as TV series spin-off sells 271,000 copies and rakes in 1.2m

John Ezard
Saturday December 23, 2006
The Guardian

It had been a mere wild glint in a headline writer's eye, but yesterday it officially came true. Doctor Who has exterminated Dennis the Menace - for this year at least.

Moreover, he has sent the nine fashion-obsessed little Bratz packing and trounced the once awesome Desperate Dan. For those unfamiliar with the world of children's comics and accessories, this means that the Dr Who annual with its Daleks has unprecedentedly blasted the Beano annual, which stars the junior school thug Dennis the Menace, out of the number one spot in the publishing charts this Christmas.

It has pushed the Bratz dolls annual - once confidently forecast to dominate the market this year - into distant third place, according to Waterstone's latest figures from all UK bookshop tills.
And it has left the poor Dandy annual, which stars the Wild West strongman Desperate Dan and was in the top two with its stablemate Beano for decades, floundering in eighth position.

The revived doctor's book, in partnership with the hyped BBC series, has broken the million pound barrier by so far selling 271,000 copies, worth 1.2m.

This the first time the Beano annual has been beaten since accurate electronic sales figures began to be collected in 1998, and indeed, the book trade believes, the first time since soon after it was initially published in the 1940s.

For anyone born before the second world war the supremacy of the Beano book, produced by the Scots publisher DC Thomson, was one of the few unchanged aspects of British life. That continuity has now gone. It gave the annual immense pulling-power, with grandparents and even great-grandparents buying it for children.

But Doctor Who, which as a series dates from the 1960s, benefited from similar factors, according to Waterstone's children's buyer Sam Harrison yesterday. "You have the new fans who watch the show from behind the sofa. You have the parents who watched old shows from behind the sofa themselves and buy the annual for their children. And you have all the hardcore Doctor Who fans."

The boost from Doctor Who's two prime time Christmas Day specials in a row is envied by all other publishers of annuals. But Mr Harrison believes the book has also achieved classic status.

The Bratz book, he said, has no adult appeal, but is still immensely popular with children. The annual is a merchandising spin-off of California's Bratz doll empire owned by MGA Entertainments.

Mr Harrison said: "Manufacturers have never been more conscious of their ability to tap into the pocket money and pester power of the young. You need a craze for toys to reach a certain level before it can sustain publishing. In the next few years I think we will see serial publishers pick up the rights to do books to sell a toy."

DC Thomson has two other titles in the top 15: the Oor Wullie annual and The Broons and Oor Wullie annual. It can boast an 80-year creative record in comics and annuals publishing, but it lacks hype, merchandising or pester power. Last month, when the first tentative forecasts of Beano's extermination were issued, the company said the annual would be around a lot longer than any old time lord.

Sales figures

1 Dr Who Annual 271,551

2 Beano Annual 187,172

3 Bratz Annual 112,044

4 Match Annual 110,076

5 Disney/Pixar Annual 80,703

6 Thomas and Friends Annual 80,557 (train engines)

7 Disney Princess Annual 78,627

8 Dandy Annual 76,886

9 Oor Wullie Annual 73,096

10 WWE Annual 70,141

11 Shoot Annual 68,078

12 Star Wars Annual 63,053

13 The Broons and Oor Wullie 56,902

14 Rupert Annual 52,215

15 Manchester United Annual 50,851

David Brunt isn't happy about it.

[Pip Madeley]

*cough*

PS News Page

*cough*



(I just like to plug it every now and then when we get there quicker than you )

[Milky Tears]

I've been out all day and haven't checked the news page yet. Thought you'd be as slow as usual!

I always check the forums first.

[Pip Madeley]

We're slow because it's Ant's responsibility and he's got too much of a life

[Milky Tears]

I was just checking that you knew I was joking about the "slow" stuff. The PS News Page is a thing of beauty. 10/10 (no joke)

[Anthony Williams]

We're slow because it's Ant's responsibility and he's got too much of a life

I wholeheartedly apologise for having a life. I was out seeing Iron Maiden and Trivium (again!)

Ant x

[Pip Madeley]

I wholeheartedly apologise for having a life. I was out seeing Iron Maiden and Trivium (again!)

You youngsters, chuh.

[Andrew Curnow]

It's quite amazing isn't it, especially when apparently last year's only sold about 80,000 (or was that partly because they didn't publish so many?). It just shows that the success of the new Who has not only remained, but has increased, this year.

Quite apart from that though, even ignoring the Who bit, there's a huge gulf between the Beano and its closest rival Bratz isn't there. The Beano is clearly very much like the Sycorax, in that it rocks!!

[SiHart]

It's all the more surprising too when you consider just how awful the wretched book is too! It's not a patch on The Storybook.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

Oh! Is it the one that DWM said was rubbish that has sold so well? I assumed it was the other one (with the artwork cover)!

[SiHart]

No The Annual is the one with the lenticular Eccleston/ Tennant cover. the artwork one is the Storybook, which didn't make it to the list, sadly.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

I'm confused.

[SiHart]

So's the TARDIS. Haha.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

I just knew you were going to say that...

[SiHart]

You set it up beautifully for me Andrew!

Si xx

[Pip Madeley]

Get a room.

Use the Mods office.

[Andrew Curnow]

Oh my!

[Larry]

It's all the more surprising too when you consider just how awful the wretched book is too! It's not a patch on The Storybook.

Si xx

oh you've not gone and bought one have you Si..

[Fatso the wombat]

I'm waiting until after Christmas when it'll be 99p in the Waterstones sale. Like last year.

If it turns out it isn't... well, it's not the end of the world.

[Dave Tudor]

Both WH Smith and Waterstones had every annual you can think of going cheap - except the Who one.

I never bought it this year, but would still like to. Do you think I should expect to pay a tidy sum on eBay to get one, or should I just not bother trying?

[Fatso the wombat]

Waterstones in the Oracle Reading had the DW one at 99p on Boxing Day - but there were only something like 5 copies left. So I bought two copies, one for me, and one for my daughter.

The Broad Street shop one didn't have it at all.

I'd say try ebay, but with the sheer number of copies out there you shouldn't have to pay a tidy sum for it, I wouldn't have thought. And, really, 99p is probably all it's worth!

[Anthony Williams]

Teresa (who works in Waterstones) said that the Who annual sold so well that in her branch they didn't have any spare for after Christmas!

perhaps its the same in your local branches, Dave?

[SiHart]

I managed to get the Storybook for 99p, which was very pleasing but we haven't seen the Annual in the sales at all.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

I got the storybook on Christmas day, and it's really good (so far). One of the stories has a character called Lissa in it, which rather made me smile!

[Pip Madeley]

I'd like to get the Storybook for 99p. I'll have to keep my bargain hunting wits about me.