KAP Toys - Beano
Special Feature
This is going to be ‘BLAM!’
As Beano continues to entertain generations, the company has partnered with KAP Toys to launch a new toy range. Marianna Casal spoke to Rob Glenny, head of Commercial & New Business at Beano Studios, and Nat Southworth, MD at KAP Toys, to hear about the power of Beano and the opportunities the new toy line offers to retailers.
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Beano has always celebrated kids”, explains Rob, “so at the heart of Beano is fun, mischief, and the joy of being a kid.” The Beano comic publishes weekly, which allows the writers to adapt each issue to what’s currently of interest to kids. Each issue reflects pop culture, with references to the latest games, music stars such as Taylor Swift and new film releases among others, while maintaining its Beano core. The team at Beano speaks to children every week, thanks to the research provided by the Beano Studios insights agency, Beano Brain. With children’s lives always reflected in the editorial content, the comic gently yet constantly evolves with its audience. This is one of the reasons Beano has been able to remain relevant and popular for 85 years, while staying true to its core DNA. “We have a 200-page ‘Bible’ of how to do Beano, and there are rules for all the artists who create the comic,” explains Rob. “It’s the ultimate book of mischief, which allows us to offer the
same entertaining experience to the kids today as we did for their parents and grandparents. Adults who subscribe for the young people in their lives often mention that they want their children or grandchildren to have as much fun as they had while reading the comic. They also tell us Beano is a cross-generational bridge that unites them in laughter and pranks, regardless of age.” Readers of the comic are aged between 6-12 years. Kids can start with Beano from as young as six, often an age where reading is still a work in progress. As the comics are very visual in their storytelling, they are also highly accessible, serving a ‘scaffolded’ reading experience in which the images support digestible text. This aids younger children with their reading. As they grow, they understand more of the humour and start making their own illustrations or comic stories. “Our audience is extremely creative, and they love to see their creations in the comic,” adds Rob. The team takes
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great pride in listening to its target audience and answering these kids’ creative needs, Beano recently partnered with KAP Toys for a licensed Build-a-Comic Kit, offering Beano stencils, frames and stamps with which they can hone their skills and talent. The new kit is part of a range launched
