Author Topic: Beau Peep (1978-2016).  (Read 28406 times)

Offline Roger Kettle

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Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« on: November 26, 2016, 09:23:05 PM »
About three weeks ago, Andrew and I were informed that Beau Peep would be cut from The Star. The news arrived just over a year after The Mirror dropped our Horace strip and the reasons given are exactly the same. The newspaper industry is in deep financial trouble and anything that isn't considered "essential" is being sacrificed. Rather than the editorial staff, the money men are behind all these decisions and, to be honest, I wasn't surprised when the letter arrived. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sad---the strip has been the dominant factor in my life. I was 24 years old when I came up with the idea and 27 years old when it was first published. If you'd told me then that it would remain in print until I was a 65 year old pensioner, I'd never have believed you. I am HUGELY fortunate and HUGELY grateful for the career I've had. In total, my Horace and Beau Peep strips have lasted for 64 years and, when you throw in my 11 years of writing Andy Capp, I simply have no grounds for even the mildest of complaints. I must admit that I find my current situation extremely weird. For a long, long time, my life has been consumed with thinking up daft ideas for daft, little cartoon characters. Overnight, this has come to an end and it's been more than a little difficult to adjust. As I think I've mentioned, I've been writing a book for some time so this will allow me to get my head down and finish the damn thing. I'd also (look away, Mince) like to write some stuff for football magazines. On top of that, me and Tarks will, hopefully, continue to produce material for an American website.
I'm not sure of the exact date but I'm led to believe that Beau Peep will end at the beginning of December. Of course, something might happen and those daft, little cartoon characters may reappear somewhere else---but I doubt it.
Thank you a million times for your support. I will miss that silly bugger.
Roger.
P.S. If my book ever gets published, don't worry. I will plug the hell out of it on here.

Sandy Buttcheeks

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2016, 09:34:07 PM »
Gutted.

And angry.

 :'(

Offline Mince

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2016, 10:13:20 PM »
So what's the book about?

Rob Baker

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2016, 12:47:06 AM »
This is very sad news.

First Horace moseys off into the sunset, and now Beau gets de-mobbed.

It’s very, very, sad that Beau Peep didn’t reach quite the 40 years milestone, and my thoughts are with Andrew and Roger. They should, however, be extremely proud to have produced a silly little cartoon strip which over all these years has made so many people laugh out loud everyday (or, at very least, given them a very wry smile!).

On the plus side (and it's the only one I can think of) is that we don’t have to buy the crappy Daily Star anymore.  Having said that, back in 1997 the Star dropped Beau, only for him to return 14 months or so later. So fingers crossed for a second reprieve......

I hope all us great bunch of loonies still visit here, for without Beau, we’d never have come together in the first place.

We’re putting together a tribute page for Beau Peep which will appear soon.

Cheers, Roger and Andrew.

And thank you so much....

:'(

Redundant

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2016, 04:21:40 AM »
Sorry to read that Roger, I actually read it several hours ago, but any reply at the time would have been largely rant and foul language [nothing new then...].   As Rob points out, it's not over 'til the fat lady sings, here's hoping she's too fat to get on stage at all.   I suspect that like a few other things Beau Peep has been along for the journey in a lot of people's lives, as it has been in my lifetime, and that's a legacy I could live with pretty happily.

I'll keep anticipating a return, and look forward to downloading an illegal copy of the book when it's published.   Thank you both for a fun ride.   As for "cameldung", how could we not continue to return to a website so poignantly named?

Offline Tarquin Thunderthighs lll

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2016, 11:07:06 AM »
Roger already knows how I feel about this, and I won't repeat my initial reaction to the news here. Suffice it to say, he's accepting this bean-counter decision with far greater grace and dignity than I would have, which is a mark of the man.

I'm in the same business, and although I believe this is the wrong decision (if the Star is doomed, then it should have gone down with Beau Peep still on deck - it's the last thing that should have been thrown overboard!), I know only too well how desperate things are these days in the newspaper industry. The only good news is for trees! I understand the need for cuts, and cartoonists are certainly not the only ones to be affected at the moment.

That said, if you're trying to hold onto readers, you don't jettison the best part of your product, and this doesn't augur well for the rest of us. If there is a plus side to this, we're in transition at the moment, and the future of news will be (if it isn't already) the Internet. That's all still finding its feet at the moment, and what we need to do is convince those at the front line that cartoons and cartoon strips work every bit as well on screen as on paper, if not even better.

It may take a bit of effort, but there is hope. Voices of support meanwhile, would do no harm. It's difficult to get people fired up about losing their favourite cartoons when there are actually more devastating events going on in the world, and so people tend to accept such things without much of a whimper. But they are missed when they're gone, and it's easy for the powers that be to ignore that, if their attention isn't drawn to it.

It's been a magnificent run, Roger, which you and Andrew can be justifiably and immensely proud of. You don't get that amount of time for a cartoon strip without it being of the highest quality and much loved. It actually deserves a much wider audience than it's had over the decades, and I still hope yet that you might get that.
I apologise, in advance.

Offline Mince

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2016, 02:00:17 PM »
Okay, does this mean I have to take down the Daily Star signs in the image at the top of the forum?

Offline Roger Kettle

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2016, 06:51:26 PM »
Mmm. Never thought of that. It's not a priority as the strip is still running at the moment. I think it's due to end on Saturday but I'm not entirely sure. We were given a month's notice and it depends on when this dates from.

Offline Roger Kettle

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #8 on: November 28, 2016, 06:54:33 PM »
So what's the book about?
It's based on a new, shock report that demonstrates how newly-converted vegetarians bore over 5 million omnivores to death every year.  ;D

Offline Roger Kettle

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #9 on: November 28, 2016, 06:56:22 PM »
Oh, and thanks, everyone for all the kind words about ol' Beau---much appreciated.

Madmalc

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #10 on: November 28, 2016, 07:24:32 PM »
Well that's just sad :(  About the only thing the British (or anyone else) Media is good for these days are crosswords and comic strips.  Time for you to go fully digital methinks.  I'd gladly subscribe a modest amount for access to the continuing foibles of Mssrs Peep, Pratt, Escargot et. al.  You could do a "Scarlett Peepernel" one to kick it all off.  However, if it must endeth here - then along with my sadness comes a triumph of congratulations for nigh-on 40 years of genius, laughs and camaraderie.

thanks for everything Roger and Andrew!!

Offline Mince

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #11 on: November 28, 2016, 08:18:13 PM »
There you go, Roger. Why don't you crowdfund for an ongoing Beau Peep? You must have enough fans who would be willing to pay to see the strip continue. I'd even sort out the website for you. You could have paid memberships for the new strips and perhaps even give access to the years of old strips as a bonus.

Offline Mince

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #12 on: November 28, 2016, 08:23:08 PM »
It's based on a new, shock report that demonstrates how newly-converted vegetarians bore over 5 million omnivores to death every year.  ;D

Wow! As though omnivores haven't already got enough to worry about . . .! :)

Offline Mince

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #13 on: November 28, 2016, 08:24:12 PM »
We were given a month's notice and it depends on when this dates from.

I could change it to Daily Gits.

Offline Roger Kettle

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Re: Beau Peep (1978-2016).
« Reply #14 on: November 28, 2016, 08:49:44 PM »
There are, of course, several possibilities for the strip and I genuinely thank you, Mince, for your kind offer to help create a new site. Things are still a bit raw at the moment and I've decided to wait until the new year before looking at potential avenues. Who knows, there may be a couple of developments in the next couple of months.