Calamity James - Reception & Legacy

Reception & Legacy

Due to the artwork and humour of the character, as well as his relatability, Calamity James has been regarded as a classic British Comic character. The scripts behind the strip commonly satirise consumerist values, which may be held by the writer. Some readers, such as George Gale see James' misfortunes as a cruel punishments for him being poor, ugly and stupid, whilst others can relate to his misfortunes and see themselves in that position themselves. James can be seen as a symbol of inspiration, because even though everything in his life seems to end badly, he always tries to lead a normal life. Because of his goalkeeping mishaps, English goalkeeper David James also gained himself the nickname Calamity James. As the Beano editor Alan Digby was not keen on the strip, Calamity James gradually appeared less frequently, became reprints and was eventually dropped. However, ex-Beano editor Euan Kerr, who had played a significant role in the creation of the character, was editing the monthly BeanoMax, which he continued to appear in, although Digby has since become editor of that publication. He has appeared as reprints, both in the weekly Beano and BeanoMax and returns in new strips in the Beano Annuals,