D.C. Thomson. Ltd.
Please find here a small tribute to the greatest publishing firm in the World.
From their humble beginnings........to an extrodinary firm in their hayday, D.C. Thomson have led the way for years.
The creators of the Big Five comics, Rover, Wizard, Skipper, Adventure and Hotspur, to the dozens of other titles, that they have done over the years.
This is a relatively small collection by some standards, but is owned by a private collector me, Kelly Boldero.
If anyone would like to make any form of donation to advance the site by means of publishing material, free gifts etc etc that aren't included, please contact me on: bolderokelvin@yahoo.co.uk
The D.C. Thomson company began as a branch of the Thomson family business when W. Thomson became the sole proprietor of Charles Alexander & Co., publishers of Dundee Courier and Daily Argus. In 1884, David Coupar Thomson took over the publishing business, and established it as D.C. Thomson in 1905. The firm flourished, and took its place as the third J in the "Three Js", the traditional summary of Dundee industry ('jam, jute and journalism'). Thomson was notable for his conservatism, vigorously opposing the introduction of trade unions into his workforce, and denying employment to people of the Catholic faith.
The company produces more than 200 million comic books, magazines, and newspapers every year from offices in Dundee, Glasgow, Manchester and London. As of 2006, the company employed around 1,950 workers. Although the principal offices are located outside the city centre, the Courier Building has been retained. This 1902 building was designed to resemble an American red stone, steel reinforced office block. When a tower extension was added in 1960, the architect T. Lindsay Grey kept the same style.
Separate pages of all collections can be found by clicking on the page index links adjacent, happy viewing.
A little of the history, below.
David Coupar Thomson was born: May 23rd 1861, and died December 1954, he was owner of the newspaper and publishing company formed as D.C. Thomson & Co Ltd.
David was born in Dundee Scotland to William T. and Margaret C. Thomson, he went to Newport Primary school and then on to the High School of Dundee. At the age of around 15/16 he was sent to the family shipping business in Glasgow.
His father William began his working life as a draper and then a ship owner, in 1884 he became the major shareholder of the Dundee Courier and Daily Argus, it was thought that David's love of the printing trade arose from there, as in 1886, at his father's request David moved back to his home place of Dundee and became the general manager of the paper.
Another son Frederick, joined slightly later in 1888, incidentally the year the English Football League was formed.
D.C. Thomson was formed in 1905 with £60.000 capital, William, David and Frederick had all but four shares of the D.C. Thomson company, the remaining shares were allocated to their three wives and the remaining share, belonged to one frances Thomas Mudie.
When Frederick died in 1917, David Coupier Thomson became the sole proprietor of the company.
Although David was less involved with the company after 1933, he remained Chairman of the company until his death aged 92 in 1954.
It was then that his nephew, Harold who forced the business to expand in its publishing interests. It became more interested in the field of comics. The Sunday Post, launched in 1914, a "fun" section in 1936, this became home to such iconic characters of the time as Oor Wullie and the Broons. The Dandy and the Beano were also publications from this company, plus all mentioned in this site.
In fact in the very first isue of the Beano was given away one of D.C. Thomson's trademark and renown "Whoopee Masks".
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In a very imformative and well written article it was shown that profits fell at DC Thomson, the Dundee-based publisher of the Beano and Dandy
comics, a range of Scottish regional newspapers and owner of social networking
site Friends Reunited, as tough trading continued to hit advertising
revenue.
TV licensing deals for Dennis the Menace, one of the publisher’s most famous
characters, still left the children’s comics division dealing with “difficult
market conditions,” according to its annual accounts, which were signed off at
the end of November and issued this week.
Sales of The Beano, the weekly title whose circulation peaked at 2m in the
1950s, now stands at just 47,000 a week while sister title The Dandy, the
fortnightly comic featuring guest columnist and TV comedian Harry Hill, also
sells an average of 47,000 per edition.
The private company, though, noted that sales of comic annuals, a traditional
staple of children’s Christmas stocking fillers before the digital era, had
“held up particularly well as they represented good value gifts during this
continued period of economic recession”.
A number of higher-priced issues and promotion of BeanoMax, aimed at slightly
older children, also helped bolster revenues.
In March, the company acquired Friends Reunitedfor £28m ($43m) from ITV following clearance from the Competition Commission, to add to its online genealogy and dating businesses.
In the year to March 31, turnover edged up from £272m to £276m following
acquisitions but profits slipped back from £32.5m to £27.4m, hit by a range of
restructuring costs. Total dividends of £15.3m were made by the company, which
is still tightly controlled by the founding Thomson family.
Since the year-end, the company has decided to shut books and magazine
printing facilities, which will result in further exceptional charges.
Book sales, including annuals, rose from £101m to £104m while newspaper and
magazine copy sales held steady at £91m (£90m), although advertising revenue
fell sharply from £40m to £31m as classified advertising demand fell for
newspapers covering east Scotland and The Sunday Post national
weekly.
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Above, is a statue of the most famous D.C. Thomson character Desperate Dan in the streets of Dundee, the home of D.C. Thomson..
The Desperate Dan comic strip was drawn by Dudley Dexter Watkins until his death in 1969. Although The Dandy Annuals featured new strips from other artists from then on, the comic continued reprinting Watkin's strips until 1983, when it was decided to start running new strips. These were initially drawn by Peter Davidson, but Ken H. Harrison soon took over as regular artist. The following year Dan was promoted to the front cover of the Dandy, even replacing Korky the Cat who had been there since Issue No1.
Other artists to sketch the Desperate Dan figure have been David Parkins, Trevor Metcalfe and John Geering, as with some of D.C. Thomson's other fronts, and characters, Ghost artists have also been used, one included was the great Steve Bright.
Jamie Smart was the last artist to draw Dan. 
Above "The" Great Dudley Dexter Watkins. Born February 27th 1907, Died August 20 1969, Dudley was an English cartoonist and illustrator. He was best known for his characters The Broons and Oor Wullie that appeared in the Scottish The Sunday Post, he was also the founder artist to draw Desperate Dan, a highly important character in the success of the D.C. Thomson business. Dudley also illustrated for comics such as The Beano, The Dandy, the Beezer and Topper. Dudley was greatly missed and will never be replaced fully.
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Mr Brian H. Thomson, retired chairman and managing director of D.C. Thomson & Co Ltd. died at the age of 87 (11/11/2006 issue of The Courier).
Mr Thomson was born at Auchlean, Broughty Ferry, and brought up at Whitethorns, Broughty Ferry, and then at Kemback House, by Cupar. He was educated at Wellington House, Westgate-on-Sea, and at Charterhouse, where he became Head of House.
After leaving school, he spent a year in Germany, learning the language, before joining the family publishing firm in January 1938, starting more than 60 years service with the company.
He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 20th (Fife and Forfar Yeomanry) Armoured Car Company RTC in the Territorial Army in Cupar in 1937 and was mobilised with The 1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry in August 1939, just before the outbreak of war.
During the war years, Mr Thomson saw service in France, the UK, with the 1st Armoured Division in North Africa, and with the Division in the Eighth Army campaign in Italy. In 1944 he was posted as an instructor to the Staff College Haifa, in Palestine, in the rank of Local Lieutenant-Colonel, and stayed there until he was demobbed in 1946.
He then returned to The Courier office in Dundee and worked in various departments, before becoming Managing Director in 1947. He combined that role with the position of chairman of D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd and various associated companies from 1974.
After the war, Mr Thomson rejoined the TA as Squadron Leader of the Cupar Squadron of The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry. He served as Lieutenant Colonel commanding the regiment for three years from 1953. In recent years, he was President of the Regimental Association.
In business, he played a leading part in the activities of the family firm throughout his career. In addition, he served on the Council of the Scottish Daily Newspaper Society for many years and was a Vice-President of the Newspaper Press Fund.
Outside of publishing, he was a Director of the Alliance Trust for 28 years from 1961, a Director of Southern Television from 1958 until 1981, and a Director of New Park School in St Andrews for 10 years from 1967.
A keen golfer, he became a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in 1937. He was a member of the Joint Links Committee of St Andrews from 1956 to 1968 and served on various R&A Committees.
Mr Thomson was also a Deputy Lieutenant for Fife.
In 2002, he was awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree by the University of Abertay Dundee.
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Mr Thomson married Patricia Cunningham in 1947 and was widowed in 1991. He is survived by their children Angela, Christopher, Elizabeth, Rosemary and Sandy and by 12 grandchildren.
Ellis Watson replaces Alan Scott for DC Thomson newspapers
The new managing director for newspapers at DC Thomson - publishers of the Press and Journal - has been named as Ellis Watson.
Mr Watson will replace Alan Scott, who announced last week he would step down in December after 27 years.
He will oversee other titles including the Aberdeen Evening Express and the Sunday Post.
Mr Watson said: "I'm delighted to be running these fantastic titles and working with such talented people."
Mr Watson previously worked closely with Rupert Murdoch on marketing the Sun and the News of the World, and in the News International digital publishing.
He was a senior executive at the Mirror Group, and at John Menzies.
Working in the television sector, he was chief executive of Syco Entertainment - a joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony, starting in March last year.
He was previously managing director at Celador, the independent programme maker that made and franchised 'Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?' around the world.
kellyscomics.com would like to wish him every success for the future.
Over the years....
Leng & Co was absorbed by DC Thomson in 1926
Leng
Sir John Leng (1828-1906) was the younger brother of Sir William
Christopher Leng (1825-1902). At Hull grammar school Leng showed what
one biographer described as "a precocious interest in journalism"
(co-editing a magazine with fellow pupil Charles Cooper, later editor of
The Scotsman) although many schoolboy authors do not go on to build a
newspaper group.
Leng abandoned his job as assistant master at a private school when
the editor of the Hull Advertiser, responding to letters for
publication, urged him to learn shorthand and then appointed him as a
reporter and sub-editor's assistant. Leng replaced the sub-editor ("lazy
and too fond of drink) within a short time of his appointment in 1847,
becoming chief reporter, sub-editor, music critic and drama critic. In
1851 he became editor of the ailing Dundee Advertiser, whose
resuscitation was rewarded with partnership of that title's owners in
1852. By the mid-1850s the newspaper was published by John Leng &
Co, which invested heavily in new technology such as the telegraph ( a London office was opened in 1870) and zincography for illustration.
During the late 1850s Leng expanded and diversified, with the weekly
People's Journal, gaining a circulation of 250,000 (in ten local
editions) and illustrated magazine the People's Friend being launched in
1869. The unsucessful halfpenny Daily Advertiser was replaced by daily
publication of the Dundee Advertiser from 1861. An evening newspaper,
the Dundee Evening Telegraph (later the Evening Telegraph & Post)
was launched in 1877 and Leng expanded into newsprint production through
a stake in Donside Paper Mills. He was elected as a Liberal for Dundee
in 1889, retiring in 1905.
1884 David Couper Thomson and father William form partnership
1886 David Thomson leaves family shipping business, heads new company of W. & D.C. Thomson
1888 buys My Weekly
1900 launches Dundee Evening Post
1905 D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd established as private limited company
1913 opens office in Manchester
1915 opens office in Glasgow
1915 launches Glasgow Sunday Post
1920 launches The Adventure
1926 absorbs Dundee-based John Leng & Co
1932 launches Secrets
1933 launches The Hotspur
1937 launches The Dandy
1938 launches The Beano
2005 pays £85m for Puzzler Media, publisher of puzzle magazines including Puzzler Sudoku
2006 buys Aberdeen Journals (inc The Aberdeen Press & Journal) of DMGT for £132m
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/Living/Digital/article/19048/digital-dan-and-dennis-dandy-and-beano-comics-hit-the-app-store.html Check out this link!!
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