Comics outside the US

Fredrik Martinsson

Formerly known as Ultimate Warrior
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Dec 1, 2004
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Well I have thought that I would make this thread for awhile since we have members from all over the world here. This thread is about how the comics we all love is handled in the country we live in and it appears that I go first :wink:

So here in Sweden we have the same comics as in the states but not all of them. Comics based on action and detective tales is not a very good seller here. It is mostly comics that are based on comedy that sell. The top seller(s) that we have is Kalle Anka & co, which is Swedish for Donald Duck and company, and Bamse which is a comic from Sweden that is mostly for children 3 to 8 (no violence in it whatsoever). We don't really have a big group of teenager that reads comics, it's more of video-game and computer game magazines that sell instead.

Well, so how are the DC and Marvel comics in Sweden then?
First of we don't have many comics of the same hero(s) (as in Amazing spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man) but instead they have been put together as one comic (Spider-Man for short or as we call him Spindelmannen (but that has change in the last years when it became "the cool thing" to name the comic in the English name)). That means that we don't get one adventure in every comic but rather two and in some instances three by the same price as you pay for one. And that goes for ALL our comics. It wasn't until I started reading comics directly from the US that I knew that it was only suppose to be one adventure in every comic.
As I said adventure comics isn't very well liked in Sweden and some stores doesn't even carry them (as in supermarkets and such). Spider-Man and Batman doesn't sell good but there is still one action/adventure comic that sell fairly well here (and possible ONLY here) and that is the Phantom (or Fantomen that we call him) but other than that...
Comic-stores is VERY hard to find and you would be lucky if you find one the same area as you so a subscription is the best way to go. The best part with that is that if you have a subscription you get the comic BEFORE it hit the store (usually by two or three days). The bad part is that we are years, or in some cases months, behind the US in comics since it has to be translated and reorganized for the Swedish market and it's also the reason I started getting the comics directly from the US instead.

Comments?

And please write something about how it works in your country.
 
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Pretty Much the same thing here in Finland as it is in Sweden. The biggest selling comic by far is Aku Ankka (out version of D. Duck). Along the DD comic magazine, we have what is called Aku Ankan Taskukirja (D. Duck's Pocket Book) which is a digest-size book published every month. The magazine has been published continuously from the 50's and the digest came along in the 70's. And btw, Finland is the country where Donald Duck sells the most per capita.

Also, I think the french stuff, Tintin, Asterix and Lucky Luke, sell pretty well here because they're sold everywhere and there are always reprints.

Marvel and DC stuff are hard to find here in Finland, they're only sold in the biggest chains and there are no specialised comic shops here. I've seen Spider-Man (Hämähäkkimies), X-Men (Ryhmä X = "Group X") and Fantastic Four (Ihmeneloset which roughly translates as "Wonder Quadruplets") and they always collect three or four issues in one here. I skimmed through Spider-Man the other day and I think it was the beginning of the Sins Past arc, so we're a little behind the times here as well.
 
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Over here, comics aren't really popular. The American comics and Manga comics are fine, but the UK doesn't really produce any comics save kids comics such as the Dandy or Beano which come with a lollipop.
 
Only in every major city is there a comic store. Which means I have to travel for 3 hours if I want to find one.
 
Bass said:
Over here, comics aren't really popular. The American comics and Manga comics are fine, but the UK doesn't really produce any comics save kids comics such as the Dandy or Beano which come with a lollipop.

they also come with a packet of sherbert LOL I use to love the dandy and beano when I was younger.


But yes comics are not that popular you have to go to a comic shop (they are not that big or that many of them) , W.h.smiths (has a bad selection) or what I do to get my ultimate spider-man tpb get them over the internet ( I use amazon.co.uk as a rule but i got vol 14 off ebay)
 
Over in the Netherlands, much like with Ultimate Warriors homeland, it's become more popular to keep the English names on translated comics. A few years back though, it was Spinne-Manne, X-Mannen, or something like that.

Donald Duck is huge over here, and many of the slightly older generation still read Asterix, Tin-tin/Rin-tin-tin, and an original Dutch strip called Suske en Wiske, about a brother and sister who go on Tin-tin style adventures.

As for availability of US and Japanese comics, in Amsterdam there's about 3 commited shops, neither of which is too far from my place, but only one of which I find to be truly reliable as a serious, up to date, and decently priced big name and indy distributor. And that's Henk's Comics and Mange Store. Conveniently located right nextdoor to the Red Light District. :D
 
Donald Duck? I don't know why, but that is funny.

What makes Donald Duck so popular? What is the draw?
 
E said:
Donald Duck? I don't know why, but that is funny.

What makes Donald Duck so popular? What is the draw?

He's a duck who feels the need to wear a towel upon leaving the shower, but will gladly saunter down the street wearing little but a hat and a waistcoat.
 
Fuzzy Birds said:
He's a duck who feels the need to wear a towel upon leaving the shower, but will gladly saunter down the street wearing little but a hat and a waistcoat.

*Makes note to add Donald Duck to pull list*
 
I feel bad for all you foreigners. You really need to move to the beautiful U.S., where comics and freedom fries are oh so plentiful.

*stares at American flag as national anthem plays*

*tear rolls down cheeks*



*eats freedom fry*
 
The only reason I'd go to America is because comics are everywhere.
 
ProjectX2 said:
The only reason I'd go to America is because comics are everywhere.

The only reason I'd go to America is because.....umm.... hang on.... I'm sure I'll think of something in a minute.....














Nope, sorry.
 
sjmole said:
But yes comics are not that popular you have to go to a comic shop (they are not that big or that many of them) , W.h.smiths (has a bad selection) or what I do to get my ultimate spider-man tpb get them over the internet ( I use amazon.co.uk as a rule but i got vol 14 off ebay)

I normally get mine from Forbidden Planet, I find they are quite commonly splattered round. WH Smiths is terrible...
 
E said:
Donald Duck? I don't know why, but that is funny.

What makes Donald Duck so popular? What is the draw?
Don Rosa's stuff on Donald Duck is fantastic. If you're not familiar with it, you should check it out. And yes, I am serious.

He writes interesting and exciting stories with their basis rooted firmly in historical facts, with references to movies and other pop culture and actually really funny humour (unlike pretty much every other DD writer for the last 30 years).
 
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Hellsbuttmonkey said:
I normally get mine from Forbidden Planet, I find they are quite commonly splattered round. WH Smiths is terrible...

I recoment Amazon.co.uk great selection of tpbs and graphic novels.
however
If you only buy issues I would say ebay.co.uk as I have seen lots of issuses like 10-20 on one auction go for like £5
 
I don't understand the purpose of an ongoing Donald Duck series.
 
ProjectX2 said:
I don't understand the purpose of an ongoing Donald Duck series.

To have a character who doesn't wear pants.
 
Fuzzy Birds said:
The only reason I'd go to America is because.....umm.... hang on.... I'm sure I'll think of something in a minute.....














Nope, sorry.
The only reason I'd go to the Netherlands is to rescue filthy, ungrateful foreigners and spirit them away to the golden shores of America. That's called compassion.
 

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