|
Post by nutwood on Apr 16, 2010 9:06:15 GMT 1
I had such a success with my previous query regarding pony DVD's that I'm trying again on a different theme. Pony comics. When I was a small boy my parents took a subscription out and every month a comic book turned up for me. The actual publication obviously made a deep impression because I can't remember what it was! I can however, remember the excitement of having something turn up in the mail every month. I was wondering if such things are done anymore? I'd happily pay a subscription so my daughter received a story every month. Comics almost seem to be disappearing these days. Books are fighting back, presumably because of adult support but you don't see kids with comic books anymore.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2010 18:36:26 GMT 1
I've been racking my brains trying to think of any pony comics I might have read as a child. I'm pretty certain the only comics I used to get were The Beano and The Dandy. I just can't think of any pony ones at all at the moment...but I'll keep thinking...
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Apr 16, 2010 19:28:00 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by garej on Apr 16, 2010 20:02:45 GMT 1
I dont remember Twinkle but there was Your Pony about in the early-mid 1990s, it had about 4 comic strips, a poster and a letters page. It had a mascot: a small Black shetland whose name was Rascal. It came out monthly, so that is probably the one you remember.
There was also a short lived one (about 12 issues) which I cant remember the name of, but that had at least 1 comic strip in the issue, a couple of posters. A model horse came each issue.
|
|
|
Post by Buster on Apr 16, 2010 20:08:41 GMT 1
If we're talking about English comics/magazines theres 'Pony' which is for... maybe 11-14 ish i'd say, then theres 'Horse and Pony' which is for younger readers. They arn't comics as such, but when I used to read pony it has a lot of useful tips, and it does have a comic like story board each week with really people and ponies instead of cartoons
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Apr 16, 2010 20:18:46 GMT 1
Garej you are far too young to remember Twinkle
|
|
|
Post by garej on Apr 16, 2010 21:42:39 GMT 1
Garej you are far too young to remember Twinkle lol according to wikipedia, it only stopped being produced in 1999. I am pretty sure I had a Twinkle annual when I was little, but it probably would have been secondhand.
|
|
|
Post by nutwood on Apr 17, 2010 0:39:27 GMT 1
Thank you all. I investigated the pony parcel site. Good idea but just a bit over the top for me. A parcel every month, can you imagine how much stuff one would end up accumulating! Bit expensive too, every month, plus postage to Tasmania. I'm trying a subscription to Animal Fun magazine to see how it goes.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Apr 17, 2010 12:01:10 GMT 1
Yes, its a shame they don't do it in other countries (tho I think they do in Germany and Sweden) Do you have to buy the parcels every month, with some of these clubs you can opt out of some months.
Crikey garej I am amazed that Twinkle kept going so long. I thought it was only produced until about 1980!
|
|
|
Post by nutwood on Apr 19, 2010 6:49:33 GMT 1
I think you can opt out but the default setting is every month. Each parcel has a preview of the next in it and you can bet your last horse shoe that there'd always be something in the next parcel that simply had to be had. So you wouldn't opt out of the next one and in that would be a preview..... And so it goes! Of course, "NO!" would be a option but then the whole point behind the subscription idea was for the pleasure of expecting a regular occurence. Once you moved into opting out, it would cease to be a regular event and simply become a mail order parcel.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Apr 19, 2010 9:57:53 GMT 1
Yeah I get where your coming from nutwood. Sorry we weren't much help on this one, pity there isn't something around which fits the bill. On a similar note a few of us were lately bemoaning the fact there wasn't some sort of magazine for adult horselovers who dont own horses. It seems there isn't much room for decent mags and comics with all the celebrity mags clogging up the shelves!
|
|
vera
Pony Clubber
Posts: 247
|
Post by vera on Apr 20, 2010 5:17:39 GMT 1
Hi Nutwood, you can subscribe to Horsewyse or buy it every three months at a newsagent for $7.95. It has a comic strip story, a short story, a serial, puzzles, news about events, posters and it's Australian. Website www.horsewyse.com.au or something like that! Showing my real age now, my most treasured possession as a young girl was a Classics Comics edition of Black Beauty. I used to really enjoy the photo stories in one of the English pony magazines but I can't remember the name of it now! Eith Pony or Horse and Pony. Did thye both do it I wonder?
|
|
|
Post by trixiepony on Apr 20, 2010 12:39:25 GMT 1
Yes Horsewyse is a good mag, you did well with the web link thats it.
|
|
|
Post by garej on Apr 23, 2010 19:29:36 GMT 1
I used to really enjoy the photo stories in one of the English pony magazines but I can't remember the name of it now! Eith Pony or Horse and Pony. Did thye both do it I wonder? They did have both titles, and both are going now. Pony has been going since 1949 and has been on the shelves ever since. Horse and Pony started in 1975 firstly called Scotland's Horse and Pony which came out monthly. Then about 3 years later, they dropped the Scotland bit and sold it fortnightly. In either the late 1970s or the early 1980s, they and Your Horse (sister magazine) used to follow the exploits of a horse called Silver King (or Silver Night), until one night the horse got killed in a trailer accident. Then the 1982, Freddie a Welsh Pony (full name Llys y Fan Maycharm Magic) got chosen to be the star/mascot. Throughout the years whoever was Freddie rider/owner featured in the magazine. For a couple of years they had a diary written by him. He was also the mascot/head of a club called Young Riders Club, which you joined for about Β£5 (I think), got some goodies (stickers featuring him, a picture of him, and a rosette amongst other things). You also got a membership number. That number meant that you could enter members only competitions. If you sent a picture/drawing to the magazine and you were a member of the Young Riders Club, then they would feature it on the two members page. In the mid 1990s, Julip (a model horse company) made an model of Fred (also known as Freddie). Only 500 were made and the model was only available through the magazine. Riding features and occasionally horse shows were featured, as well as practical horse care pages, letter pages, problems pages. Posters were a feature too. In the late 1980s/early 1990s, they used to have short stories, but by 1992 that was basically dropped. In 1996/97 they briefly revived it (Samantha Alexander wrote a couple of short stories) but that did not last. Boys and fashion/make up did not feature at all (the only hint of men was when they did a famous horse person, such as John Whittaker). Competitions (they were called Competitions, not Comps or Compos etc) were obligatory, I remember one year they had "competition on every page" issue, and I won a book. Gifts were mostly (until latter years) horse related: unless it was sweets (I remember once getting polos free and another time it was some cherry drops). In general, it was written in a more formal way than many magazines are now, which sometimes now can make them come across as patronising. Formula of the magazine basically carried on the same for years. Then in about 2000 they changed the name to H&P and brought out monthly. It was more of a "teenage mag with horses", out went Freddie, and fashion was more the aim of the game. With features like "hot or not" and CGI photos. Boys were more of a predominant feature than previously. This was also the first time the website was featured: even though very few people had the internet compared to now. Text message type speak also came in a lot more. Then in either 2002 or 2003, things were obviously not right, because it dropped from the shelves entirely, and was a (very small, only about 20 pages) supplement inside Your Horse magazine. This obviously did not work because about 6 months later, it was got rid of entirely, and disappeared from shelves forever. Then back in 2003, Bourne Publishing Group re-established the magazine as one in it's own right. It's more or less similar to what it used to be before it disappeared: Freddie (although I believe he is now deceased) is not a mascot, and it is now a pre-teen mag with horses (fashion is still not excluded). Horse and Pony is still not as popular as it used to be: in fact you could walk into any newspaper shop or supermarket in the country and they would stock it. These days, it is harder to find and the only store that you can guarantee has it, is WHSmith.
|
|
|
Post by nutwood on Jun 7, 2010 10:11:40 GMT 1
I realise I've been sadly remiss in not extending an earnest thank you to vera for introducing me to Horsewyse. Once again ponybooks has come up trumps. You were too quick to accept defeat Claire (reply #10) as Horsewyse has filled the requirement quite well. I've now ordered all the back editions. Might as well now, before the pressure builds up. I hasten to add the pressure won't come from my daughter but from her mother, who seems to have to carefully check each edition. Once horse mad, always horse mad!
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jun 7, 2010 12:04:57 GMT 1
Hi nutwood, glad Horsewyse has fit the bill. Nice to know there is something like that in australia, but sadly still nothing in the UK similar.
Garej, just read your post on the mags. Must have missed it before. Very interesting.
|
|
|
Post by trixiepony on Jun 11, 2010 3:14:56 GMT 1
I was just going throw sum of my old books and found a home made cover, had a look in side and fond the Your Pony comic's, I had bound and covered about 6 issues they are very cute, reading them again Has any one else read them? they have comics like Rascal, Penny the Pony and Penny Sables as regulars as well as lots of one off comic story's.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jun 11, 2010 11:27:17 GMT 1
They sound nice trixiepony. You seem to have had some good pony comics over there!
|
|
|
Post by trixiepony on Jun 12, 2010 11:24:59 GMT 1
Most where very short lived but thy were fun will that lasted, at lest Horsewyse is still here.
|
|
|
Post by garej on Jun 13, 2010 1:17:31 GMT 1
I was just going throw sum of my old books and found a home made cover, had a look in side and fond the Your Pony comic's, I had bound and covered about 6 issues they are very cute, reading them again Has any one else read them? they have comics like Rascal, Penny the Pony and Penny Sables as regulars as well as lots of one off comic story's. I have mentioned them before, and I had them. They were definitely sold in the UK and were an UK publication, but like Pony/Horse & Pony at the time, probably went to Australia/New Zealand. In fact they were never thrown out, and are still in my parents attic. Trouble is that my parent's attic is about the size of my flat, so finding anything takes some time (I am still looking for the Playstation games, my Britains horses, and also some of the Enid Blyton books. I started looking for the Enid Blyton books in January, the Britains horses a year ago and for the Playstation games 3 years ago. In fact it took 2 months to find the Playstation, never mind the games.). I will try and find them, but I would not be in a hurry to view them! On one story, I clearly remember there was a stallion called Gallant, a mare called Lady and together they had a foal which the owner called Gallant Lady. I had some Oh Penny! (anyone remember that toy line?) horses, and called one Gallant, the other Lady, and their foal was called Gallant Lady (only she was always called GL, because Gallant Lady is a mouthful). I would show you them, but they are in the same box as the Britains! BTW, I do know that they are in there, it's just due to the sheer size of the place (for years we had 3 tables in there!) that I cant find anything! It's annoying because there are also old editions of Horse and Pony magazines, and I know one has a Jill article in there! So expect an reply 6 months later!
|
|
|
Post by garej on Jun 13, 2010 12:15:38 GMT 1
Garej, just read your post on the mags. Must have missed it before. Very interesting. Pony, also for a couple of years in the early-mid 1990s, did a similar thing with Freddie, and followed a mule (whose name I have forgotten), but not in the same vigour as Horse & Pony. Freddie was more of a feature, like I said, as well as his own members page, and for a couple of years his own diary, he would also crop up occasionally in other features. For example there was a feature on how the latex of Julips - marketed as originals - were made. This is interesting because the article is about 15 years old, but yet they are made in exactly the same way today, which apart from the lack of use of lead (due to toy safety regulations) is exactly the same method used since the mid 1950s. They also had on the same page a competition where you could win an original version of Freddie, which until a couple of years ago, was one of the rarest Julips around. Then about 5 years ago Julip used the same colouring & mould to make a model called Merlen Teg, which was available freely for a couple of years in their catalogue, so be aware of anyone (unless there is paperwork to prove that fact, e.g. the official letter saying that you have won) claiming that they have a (original) Freddie for sale. Chances are it is the Merlen Teg, or they are getting the plastic counterpart confused with the original horses, which happens with people who dont know much about Julips. But back to my original point. For example there was a photostory about Freddie being moved, and having a new home, or I remember an article where they had all his riders (to date) since he was chosen by the magazine, including a picture of an old rider in the Blue Peter garden with John Leslie! There are probably more which I have forgotten. But anyway, Pony had their mule (apart from cropping up in the occasional article) just relegated to the letters page, where unlike the Young Riders Club, they did not "pretend" that Freddie was replying, but instead the letters page was answered by someone who worked for them (usually the editor). Which was a shame really, because anyone can have a pony, but a mule is unique. Which (apart from the fact that it only came out monthly as opposed to Horse and Pony which was mostly fortnightly) they could have made it a unique selling point, but obviously they decided that it did not really add anything, so they dropped it. I have very few Pony magazines which do have the mule in (hence I cant remember its name). Pony btw, started in 1949. I dont have anything older than 1994, whereas the Horse and Pony is mainly 1992 onwards, with a couple earlier ones, but nothing dating more before 1989.
|
|
|
Post by garej on Jun 13, 2010 14:33:54 GMT 1
I found the Your Pony magazines, plus like I said, the short lived version which had a free model horse with each issue. It was called Ponies Forever. I am not sure if I have every single issue that I ever had (of both magazines), but if it is not, it's the vast majority.
I also found my Britains horses whilst on the search for them, though. Not come across the Horse & Pony/Pony magazine, but there was other magazines (a couple of Horse and Hound, Horse & Rider, Gallop, North West Rider, Horse Woman, Eventing) which are sadly these days mostly defunct.
I will scan a couple of copies of Your Pony/Ponies Forever (not the entire magazine, due to copyright reasons) and post here, so you can have a good idea about what the magazine was about, should you find them on ebay.
|
|
|
Post by garej on Jun 13, 2010 17:21:22 GMT 1
First of all I am going to deal with Your Pony. It was owned by an Dutch company, which is still going and printed in Finland. Presumably it was first published in either Dutch or Finnish and then translated into English, as the occasional mistake crops through. For example, in this issue, the mascot's story is named "Rakker" when he was called (both in other editions and earlier pages) Rascal. As well as the short stories, there was an editorial page, which consisted of poems, pen pal requests, and a competition. As well as the stories, there was only one poster (as opposed to other publications which has at least 2 posters), though on the back cover there was a poster. There was "Pony Post" which was a problem page, with problems such as "is it ok to leave my pony alone for 2 weeks in the field as I am going on holiday". There was also "horse laughs" which is a jokes page, plus a puzzle page, Pony Talk (a little info page), a half page from Rascal (mascot), a quiz, an "make". There was a shop, either on the back page or on the back of the poster. First of all cover:- First story, which was usually the longest, and took up about half (or more!) the magazine. Second story, which was more text than actual illustrations, though usually only about 2 pages in length. Fourth story, which was smaller than the first story. Penny the Pony was a regular feature, though did vary sometimes where it was placed, and only 1 page long. Penny Stables was the last "long" story (though nowhere near as long as the first) and centred around a stables, plus 5 characters. Finally Rascal (or Rakker as they named him here) was usually the last story, though like Penny they did vary where they put it within the magazine. Like Penny, it only lasted a page.
|
|
|
Post by garej on Jun 13, 2010 18:10:02 GMT 1
Ponies Forever was another one. Presumably it was only meant to last for 12 issues, as you can see there is a free model, and inside there is a picture of all 12 models you could collect (sadly I seem to have lost one of the models). Presumably they had problems, as there turned out to be 1 3 in the end, as one of the magazines proclaimed a "free bracelet" instead of the model horse. Although the first issue was marked as "every fortnight" issues 11, 12 and 1 3 carry the "every month" instead. Out of total issues, 10 had competitions, 2 were non pony ones (a dog themed toy was one prize and Kitty Kitty Kittens was another). Interesting 2 of them had Julip horses as prizes, this issue you had to send your entry to Redan, and the other entry to Julip themselves. As well as stories, there was a "pony profile" (basically a breed profile about whatever pony was given that issue, for example the first issue you got a Fjord, so the profile was about Fjord horses), "stall tips" (a short article giving you advice about how to care for your pony), "problems" (basically a problem page), an non fictional article (or two if there was no competition; for example the first issue had a short piece about Trekking) and finally "pony chat" (it told you about the cover star, and it had letters, poems from readers. Plus there was a short article about Wilphy, a pony they had adopted from the ILPH). Plus there was posters, usually two in the centre, and one half page poster somewhere in the magazine. The majority of the issues had a poster on the back page, although 4 did not (one advertised a Milky Way Competition where you could win a Sega Mega Drive 3 or a Sonic and Knuckles game; one advertised a Kellogg's Coco Pops promotion where if you collected 8 tokens you could send away for one of two Polly Pocket toys or a Mighty Max toy if you were a boy; one advertised a Rice Krispies promotion where if you collected 8 tokens you could have one of 4 Beatrix Potter characters and finally the last advertisement was for another Redan comic called "Bible Stories" which in this PC world of ours would probably not get published). Anyway, the cover:- First story, which was 6 pages long. There was usually a second story included, which was of a similar nature to this, only 4 pages long. Like Your Pony there was a short story which was mainly text, though far simplistic compared to Your Pony's version. Like Your Pony's version, it was 2 pages. Finally, there was a short story about Chomper, their pony mascot, though unlike Rascal, did not venture any further beyond this. Like Rascal and Penny the Pony, it was only one page.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jun 13, 2010 20:38:39 GMT 1
Ooh thats great thanks garej. I would love to have some of those magazines. Think I'll start looking for them right away.
Do you fancy collating that information into an article for the website Garej? It would be brilliant.
|
|
|
Post by garej on Jun 26, 2010 23:47:52 GMT 1
Just a quick note that I read on another forum that Horse and Pony is ceasing publication this year (August). So for a pony loving youngster these days in Britain, you are stuck with Pony or nothing, which is firmly aimed at teenagers. So if you are 7-12 years old (which a lot of pony mad youngsters are, you often find that once the teenage hormones kick in a lot give up) there is nothing on the market for you. Which is a shame. I have found out that there is a pony themed magazine called I Love Ponies (to tie in with the toy line), but as for what content is like I dont know. It says that there are "exciting stories" but whether they are photo stories (which is highly probable) or comic book type or text stories it is hard to say. But if a kiddie is in the awkward stage where I Love Ponies is too babyish and Pony is still too old, then you are stuffed. www.iloveponies.com/pages/i-love-ponies-official-magazine.phpUnless someone wants to buy an issue for research purposes or knows of a kiddie who has it bought for them, then we wont know what type of story it includes. I just noticed it says on the above page "Issue 32 is on sale October 22nd β donβt miss it!" so presumably they have not updated it. However, YourMagShop is selling subscriptions to it, so presumably it is still going. I'll have a look in Tesco's when I go there tomorrow to see if they sell it.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jun 27, 2010 20:43:23 GMT 1
I saw I Love Ponies in WH Smiths the other day but was in a bit of a rush and didnt have time to check it out. So its deffo still going. Might have a look or buy it next time I'm in.
|
|
|
Post by garej on Jun 27, 2010 21:28:35 GMT 1
I saw I Love Ponies in WH Smiths the other day but was in a bit of a rush and didnt have time to check it out. So its deffo still going. Might have a look or buy it next time I'm in. I Love Ponies (the toy line) seem to be pretty popular with pony loving girls these days, at least it seems easier to find than My Little Pony. The moulds have been going for ages: they started life in the 1990s as My Beautiful Horses (same context really: as some of the ponies came free with a magazine), then when they stopped, they used the same moulds for the horses in Animal Hospital, and now they are appearing as I Love Ponies. Like I said, I will have a look in Tesco's and if they sell it, then I will buy it. (I always use the self serve checkouts so I dont have to deal with awkward looks from the staff.) That is provided it is a reasonable price: if it is Β£5 or more then it will be left there. But I doubt that it will cost that much: I am expecting it to be Β£3 or less.
|
|
|
Post by foxglove on Jun 29, 2010 9:38:09 GMT 1
Really interesting stuff- thanks guys.
I bought Horse & Pony religiously every fortnight from 1989 for about 3 years I think. I mainly bought it for the posters, which I used to cover my bedroom walls. Being the anal type I had different walls for different subjects; Arabs, native ponies, mares and foals, competition horses etc.
I never much liked the photo stories as I thought they were aimed at thickie types who couldn't read properly (a literary snob even at that age!). I was such a bookworm I thought it was a waste of space using pictures that could be filled with text, and surely a good writer should be able to evoke a picture in your mind? I loved the short stories. I particularly remember a 6 part serial called The Mystery of Blackwater Creek which involved the ghost of a girl who'd drowned on a riding holiday trying to warn the new owner of her pony. It must have been good for me to remember it so vividly after two decades.
H&P often did freebies- I recall being really excited to get a mane comb and hoofpick, as it made me feel like a proper horsey person....
Sad to hear of its demise. Tough times for the magazine industry (apart from the celeb gossip trash rags).
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jun 29, 2010 10:21:23 GMT 1
I never much liked the photo stories as I thought they were aimed at thickie types who couldn't read properly (a literary snob even at that age!). . I like it ;D Like you foxglove I used to get H & P regularly and I remember the free hoof picks, mane combs etc! I can't even remember the photo stories but maybe they didnt have them in my day which was a few years earlier than when you were getting the mag. I have a couple of bags of old H & P and Pony mags lying around which I couldnt bring myself to chuck out. I might have a look thru them and see if there is anything worth scanning.
|
|