Monster Fun, Rebellion’s all-ages anthology title, has proved so popular with its audience that it will switch from a bimonthly to a monthly schedule from June 7, 2023 with its Dino-Scare Special issue. Readers will only have to wait one month (until July 5) to get their hands on the ninth issue – the Horror Holiday Special – from UK newsstands.
Part of 2000 AD owner Rebellion’s ever growing slate of classic British revival specials – Monster Fun first returned with a one-off Halloween Spooktacular in October 2021, featuring new takes on classic characters from yesteryear. The original weekly Monster Fun ran for 73 issues from 1975 to 1976, featuring humorous monster themed strips. Despite the 2021 Spooktacular revival special coming out during the pandemic upheavals, it was popular enough to get a regular bimonthly newsstand title in April 2022 and it seems like its audience clearly wants more.
Monster Fun Editor, Keith Richardson:
“We’ve always known Monster Fun was special and once we started to outsell other comic titles on shelves last year within our first few issues we knew Monster Fun needed to step up the frequency. In fact, over the last twelve months we’ve had so many readers get in touch via email and social media asking for more issues; and so many of us being parents ourselves we know moving to a monthly schedule fits in far better around busy family life. So just like our very own Frankie Stein, going monthly became a no-brainer!”
Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley added:
“We’re all really proud of Monster Fun and how children are connecting with the comic; giving them a reading experience beyond standard books and novels. We’re building a community of readers that love our Monster Fun characters and creations, and we can’t wait to see what they all think of them – and new ones – over the coming months and years ahead!”
To coincide with the more regular frequency of the comic, subscriptions have also been given a reworking. According to Rebellion:
“This announcement comes hot on the heels of big changes to Monster Fun subscriptions – now with lower prices, and brand new exclusive gifts available just for subscribers who renew their subscriptions or join within the next year. This includes a bonus issue, the Spooky Subscriber Special, packed with highlights from the comic so far plus THREE brand new stories, puzzles, and activities. Older fans of Monster Fun will love this issue too, with Sweeny Toddler making his return in another outing of his (in)famous Easter story previously only available in a special edition version of Issue #1 from last year.”
From a UK newsstand perspective this is extremely exciting news as prior decades saw a winnowing of the traditional UK-produced kids anthology market from dozens of regular titles to a mere handful. Currently the Beano, Commando, and (the now more adult skewed) 2000 AD – and its quarterly Regened all-ages issues – alongside the Judge Dredd Megazine are the last still-standing vestiges of this once-vibrant time, with the 2012 addition of the Phoenix Comic suggesting a potential revival. For Monster Fun to switch from a one-off special, to a bimonthly, and now a monthly after its eighth issue is extremely encouraging news.
Rebellion also recently announced that its other revival title Battle Action was also being revisited following the massive success of its Garth Ennis-written special last year – with a five issue monthly kicking off in May.
