Talk:Penny dreadful

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Novels: 19th century High‑importance

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"Took over the lead spot"[edit]

Saying that Sexton Blake "took over the lead spot" in the Union Jack is a little misleading, as it imples there was anoter character in the "lead spot", like for instance Big Eggo on the Beano being supplanted by Biffo and then Dennis. The UJ in the beginning featured one single story on it's own, which varied from week to week (though was often either a western, a sailing story or a detective mystery). By the early 20th century (i have some issues from 1903), though, Blake was in the main story every week, there was also a serial at the back (which was sometimes also a Sexton Blake tale) and an article called variously "Tinker's Notebook" or "From information recieved" which concerned itself with various crime and punishment oddments from around the world. Felneymike (talk) 17:27, 16 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Addition: 1906! is when my UJ's come from. According to sextonblake.co.uk the Union Jack became his "own paper" in 1904 and then featured an SB story in every issue up to the last in 1933. Felneymike (talk) 20:11, 2 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

"Black Bess or the Knight of the Road"[edit]

This is one of the examples that got mentioned here. For this reason I refer (under references) to the location where one can find more information about this. If you believe I shouldn't refer to this national library resource, please tell me why. Fleurstigter 09:35, 14 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Value today[edit]

Does anybody have any idea of how much these item would sell foir today to collectors. Especially since earl comics can sell for thousands of pounds. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.147.173.37 (talk) 20:11, 22 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Dissapointingly little, i'm afraid. An early Beano or Dandy, or early US superhero comics fetch loads of money because the characters have existed within the lifetime of collectors, and are fondly remembered. However Varney The Vampire and even Sexton Blake (though he was still around in the 1960's) are largely forgotten and consequently you'd struggle to get more than £20 for even one of the oldest or most interesting of the old Penny Dreadfuls or Storypapers. Dissapointing if you find a heap of them in the attic and hope you'll be rich. But a good thing if you are a collector! Felneymike (talk) 20:09, 2 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Format[edit]

Does anyone know the format of a penny dreadful? Is it similar to a Big Little Book? Are there illustrations, or is it all text?

Roygbiv666 (talk) 20:30, 23 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The size varied between different publications. There's a video somewhere of a TV broadcast from the 30's with an old man showing off his collection. Some were 'paperback sized' while others where tabloid sized, or all sorts in between. I think generally the cheapest dreadfuls were all text, but they had a single woodcut on the front page. Others had a few other illustrations scattered in the story. Unfortunately the few (well, two) Dreadfuls that have been reprinted as books in modern times lack all of the pictures. There is tell of editors getting hold of woodcuts used for illustrations in a different story and re-using them, instructing the writer to fit the illustrated event in somehow!. 86.159.21.245 (talk) 14:06, 30 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Dreadful Query[edit]

A question about the origin of the name: Were they called penny dreadfuls because critics deemed them dreadful, or did the stories delve into dreadful, lurid topics? Anybody? SCFilm29 (talk) 17:51, 27 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The latter. The modern meaning of dreadful (= disagreeable, bad, or just badly done) would have been relatively recent in the 19th century, and the word would have carried a much stronger sense than it does now of "inspiring dread or awe" – dread-full. The penny dreadfuls dealt with topics that inspired dread and fear, and they were written in a manner that was designed to shock the reader (and note that shocking is another word that has become much weakened, and can simply mean "bad"). SNALWIBMA ( talk - contribs ) 18:16, 27 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Comment[edit]

This sentence sounds more like editorial than article: "In reality, the serial novels were overdramatic and sensational, but generally harmless. If anything, the penny dreadfuls, although obviously not the most enlightening or inspiring of literary selections, resulted in increasingly literate youth in the Industrial period." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.147.4.177 (talk) 13:46, 5 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Addison ? Steele ?[edit]

What connection can these two Eighteenth Century essayists/editors have with Victorian England, and the rise of literacy among the working class? 2001:44B8:3102:BB05:3484:738:9E37:7DE8 (talk) 12:04, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]