Deja Vu and reset VI

One unfortunate byproduct of events for most of this year so far has been that somethings have had to be left to one side for lack of time and one was the nagging feeling that a monthly magazine didn't appear to had been arriving as I would expect although the period around Christmas is often more complex in the publication world.

Adventure Box  Max is a favourite of mine for being an A5 sized publication with short stories, comics, makes and interesting facts that is written for those of my more limited reading age.

I had a subscription for it with Unique Magazines that had been renewed in late 2021 so I started to do some investigation into it as by now I'd of normally had had March's issue and had no recollection of having the December/January one.

That's a good example of the cleanly drawn comic bit of it.

Checking at the publishers own site showed unlike some titles recently from D C Thompson in Scotland, this one from Bayard Publishing had not been cancelled and was still available in much of the World.

So, you might say what had happened?

Going to my Subscription page showed it had expired but with a note to say this was no longer available from them, so you could not renew it.

I set up a new subscription with another magazine distributor aided by them using PayPal so hopefully I'll be able to pick up from here I left off with November 2022's issue.

Monster Fun that returned to us via a Halloween 2021 special and a bi monthly outing from April 2022 following a teasing February newsletter to Fang Club members had an announcement to make.

From June of this year it will now be going Monthly following both demand from the readership which includes a high proportion of children and reports from Rebellion Publishing, its publisher that copies were flying off the shelves exceeding expectations in those Covid days

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.”

The one complication I had was due to changes in online credit card sales since my original subscription runs out and Rebellion not doing either PayPal or Direct Debits like D C Thompson do, I had to sort out having a no longer with me mobile number with my bank and enable telephone banking on my plain non smartphone mobile so I could pay for mine.

Eventually on Tuesday I go that sorted so for £23.99 I get 12 months issues, that special edition, some ghoulish stickers for only the cost more or less of an extra issue, which in these "cost of living crisis" days is a bargain.

Deja Vu and reset III

Normally if I were to talk about arts and crafts makes you would be thinking about that very long running tv program Blue Peter which last week was in Friday due to playing a part in BBC Tv's Children In Need appeal.

That's the kind of thing you'd get from my bedroom HQ sat by the bed typing away into my Chromebook the perfect emulation of a schoolboy in his uniform but there are other things that cover that.

Take Adventure Box MAX part of the Box series of magazines which takes in over ten issues a year a traditional illustrated story, cartoons, things to look into and things you can make.

It's aimed more at nine to fourteen year olds that's a perfect fit in with me from an emotional and reading age point of view.

It has a main illustrated story, cartoons, items to raise your curiosity and explore topics, facts and figures and makes which in some respects makes it seem a bit old-fashioned compared with many cover mount festooned comics and magazines.

In some respects it takes me back to comics like Tiger and their associated annuals although today would not say "Boys Own" but certainly more in that direction, things that interest and inspire you while being entertaining while the stories help develop your word knowledge and comprehension

That's an example of the kind of makes it features, a new take on an old concept for today's children and those of us who in certain respects remain that way.

The only thing that it seems to be lacking is sports and cars but as one of those is taken care of by a dedicated magazine  and there are good online sources of up to date information about motor sports, this whole return to the way of life of the boy I feel will benefit me.