DC Thomson eyes mobile potential for Dennis The Menace

New and classic Beano strips such as Dennis the Menace could be delivered by MMS for an undisclosed download fee.

Mark Hunter, head of digital projects at DC Thomson, said that it has "been approached by quite a few third parties now regarding licensing or partnership on a mobile-based venture".

He said: "We'd be looking to partner with someone that could act as a 'gateway' to the network operators."

Hunter confirmed that DC Thompson is interested in further embracing mobile media by delivering content from its other publications. These include girls' titles Shout and Goody-Bag Mag.

Such a move could attract new fans to the comics, as well as inviting older fans to revisit their favourite characters. The appeal of mobile platforms lies in consumers' willingness to pay for a service, whereas many expect internet services to be cost free.

Other companies have already been active in this space. UK company Rok Comics is an existing supplier, providing strips featuring characters such as Andy Capp, Garfield and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and charging £1.50 per strip.

Rok also distributes strips by new artists, as well as supplying existing strips. It gives artists and users the option to create their own comic strip online before having it delivered to their phone or distributed from the site.

This article was first published on brandrepublic.com