Final issue of Welsh comic to be published before Christmas after 30 year run

Stephen Price

After 30 years, the children’s comic Wcw a’i Ffrindiau will come to an end at the close of 2026 – with the Chief Executive of Golwg saying that if people want to keep Welsh-language products in publication, “they must actually buy them”.

Earlier this autumn, the popular comic celebrated 30 years since the publication of its first print issue – a milestone that inspired the theme of the current double issue (October/November): ‘celebration’.

However, despite the comic’s longevity and its popularity among children in Wales over the years, news emerged during the summer that the Books Council of Wales had decided to cut the £28,000 grant for Wcw a’i Ffrindiau, making it impossible to continue publication.

Consequently, the next issue – due for publication in early December – will be the final edition of Wcw a’i Ffrindiau.

Prior to 2020, more than 3,000 annual subscriptions to Wcw a’i Ffrindiau were consistently being sold, supported by an effective system of promotion and subscription management through primary schools.

However, during the lockdown, Golwg had to change its systems in response to pandemic restrictions, which resulted in a significant drop in sales.

Despite numerous efforts, the company has been unable to restore sales to anywhere near their previous levels, and the news of losing the £28,000 annual grant proved to be the final nail in the publication’s coffin.

“Unfortunately, the lockdown period marked the beginning of the end for Wcw a’i Ffrindiau,” explains Owain Schiavone, Chief Executive of Golwg.

“Before 2020, due to the nature of the comic and its target audience, sales tended to fluctuate somewhat from year to year. However, overall – thanks to our relationships with primary schools – the number of subscribers remained high each year, providing the publication with a stable income.”

Schiavone added: “With children at home during the lockdown, and schools understandably reluctant to receive and distribute the magazines as they had previously done, we were forced to shift to a digital subscription model and rely on postal distribution.

“I believe that severing that link and relationship with schools – and, through them, the direct connection with the children – has had a very negative impact that we have been unable to reverse in the years since.”

Support Welsh-language publications, or lose them

Cwmni Golwg has conducted market research and adapted the comic based on the information gathered, while also investing in various marketing campaigns in an attempt to boost subscriptions once again – but to no avail.

“The market research clearly showed that people want a Welsh-language comic in print for primary school-aged children,” says Owain Schiavone.

“Parents and teachers, in particular, believed this was important as a way to get children away from screens. As a company, we also felt that this was very important, given the constant reports that children are spending far too much time in front of screens.

“It would have been very easy to shift to digital-only publishing, but in our view, that would have been a misguided step. We have made every effort to try to restore sales of Wcw a’i Ffrindiau, and in fairness, the Books Council has been very supportive in this regard; however, the reality is that we need to double current sales figures to make the comic sustainable.

“Although the loss of the grant from the Books Council was the final nail in the coffin, the damage had already been done. People need to realise that if they want to keep Welsh-language products, they must actually buy them – otherwise, they will be lost. Public grants alone are not enough to sustain these things.”

Celebration

Although the company is very disappointed to have to bring the comic to an end, Golwg believes it is important to celebrate the success and longevity of Wcw a’i Ffrindiau.

Successfully publishing a magazine consistently for thirty years – reaching tens of thousands of Welsh children over the years – is quite an achievement.

Consequently, the final issue will serve as an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of Wcw a’i Ffrindiau over the decades, bringing together characters from the archives alongside current ones to celebrate.

“Naturally, we are sad that the comic has to come to an end, but we also feel it is important to acknowledge and celebrate the success of a publication that has lasted for thirty years,” says Owain.

“It is fair to estimate that there were, on average, at least 3,000 annual subscribers to Wcw a’i Ffrindiau, which amounts to tens of thousands of readers over three decades. It is vital that children have access to fun reading material, and I am certain that the comic has created a great many fond memories over the years.”

The final issue of Wcw a’i Ffrindiau will be published at the beginning of December, with copies reaching subscribers by post. It will also be possible to order individual copies online via the Wcw a’i Ffrindiau shop.

Subscribe to Golwg Magazine here.

Subscribe to Lingo Newydd, the magazine for Welsh learners, here.

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