The Herbs and The Adventures of Parsley

CLASSIC BBC KID'S ANIMATION DEVISED & WRITTEN BY MICHAEL BOND

This was a short-lived attempt to cash in on the pre-school market in the 90's.

Sadly,high production values and great artwork couldn't disguise the fact that it was a commercial flop.

1992 HELTER SKELTER COMIC

The Storm Group had bought the rights to Filmfair's back catalogue the previous year,and this was an attempt to put all their series together in comic form-pretty much like Pippin & Playland had done with the Beeb's Watch With Mother progs. ( listed around edge of cover )

It has the look and feel of a quality item.With strong,vivid artwork and high production values. But that's purely an adult viewing them from an aesthetic point of view.And the buying public clearly had other ideas as it lasted a mere 4 (four) issues before being axed.

So,what went wrong   ?

Well,I suppose if anyone could definitively pinpoint why periodicals fail then a lot less actually would - and even fewer would probably be launched in the first place.

But the beauty of the kids tv tie-ins like Pippin, (and Look-in for the older ones),was that they reflected what was on the box at the time.

So kids had an instant affinity with them.Which wasn't the case with many of these characters as they weren't actively in their faces in 1992.

And it had even less immediacy by being a monthly publication.Which was a strange decision when trying to build up a loyal following among a notoriously voracious and fickle bunch like kids.Although if they'd gone weekly,they'd have been in direct competition with "Buttons"-the successor to Pippin & Playland-and the price would have to have come down,along with the production values. .

So,who knows   ?

Too expensive ? Too infrequent ? Too boring ? Too many other things vying for kids' attention ?

Whatever the reason,it's a shame,and if it was reworked and skewed more toward the adult nostalgia market it might actually do ok today.

Well,ok,it probably wouldn't but I'd certainly buy it anyhow.And if you find the other 3 issues in the meantime then please let me know !

If you click on the cover you can see the Herbs content,and get a feel for the general style and layout.As mentioned already,I like it a lot,but see what you think.

Btw,if you look at the cover -top left- the funny little guy with the big helter skelter hat  is indeed called........ "Helter Skelter"

And he fronts the editor's page to bring a bit of continuity to the procedings

But unlike the Pogles character who gave his name to "Pippin" Comic,he didn't have a tv series to fall back on,was created specifically for the mag and duely disappeared when it folded.But considering he was so hopelessly type-cast by his headgear,and had the dress sense of Timmy Mallet,then that'll come as no great surprise !

Pity about the comic though.

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