DC Thomson Looks to Grow Publishing

The comics publisher is introducing new brands for licensing and showcasing recent publishing collaborations at the London Book Fair this week, as well as looking for new licenses.

“DC Thomson’s unique dual position as a licensor of some of Britain’s most iconic publishing brands and as third-party licensee sets the scene for continued growth and success,” says Tim Collins, head of brand, DC Thomson.

The Beano

and its star characters Dennis the Menace and Gnasher lead DC Thomson’s licensing slate at the show. Penguin launched a new U.K. fiction series with

The Diary of Dennis the Menace

in February and is planning additional launches for May and August. Penguin is also planning an official sticker book, a search-and-find book and an official guide for the brand, all of which will be available in time for the holidays.

DC Thomson

Jackie

from the 1960s to 1990s, the war graphic novel

Commando

and the women’s weekly magazine,

The People’s Friend

.

The Jackie brand celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

“Carlton Books launched a

50 years of Jackie

anniversary book in 2013, and we are keen to look at publishers that have an interest in exploring key themes from the classic magazine. For example, the iconic ‘Cathy and Claire’ advice column, which was the talk of school common rooms across the country from the ’60s through to the ’90s,” says Collins. 

Finally, the publisher DC Thomson Consumer Products has signed Black & White Publishing for a range of fiction and nonfiction books set to launch this summer based on the classic weekly strips “The Broons” and “Oor Wullie.”