Menacing The World For 70 Years: Happy Birthday Dennis… Both Of Them
by Richard Bruton
Dennis The Menace is 70 years old this week. And in one of those wonderful moments of confusing synchronicity, it’s both the British Dennis and the American Dennis with the same birthday…
Yes, 70 years ago The Beano issue #452 was released in the UK (cover-dated 17 March 1951 but released about a week prior to that because of the weird ways Brit comics were dated).
But just a few days earlier, on 12 thMarch 1951, a completely different Dennis the Menace appeared as an American newspaper strip.
So, with the differences in publication date and cover date in the UK, it’s most likely that both Dennis’ appeared for the very first time 70 years ago.
Dennis The Menace (UK) was created by David Law with The Beano editor George Moonie, Dennis The Menace (USA) was created by Hank Ketcham.
Which one’s better? Well, that depends on where you live and which one you saw first usually – but let’s face it… it’s this Dennis all the way…
The celebrations happen through Beano 4077, guest-edited by You Tuber and TV star Joe Sugg. – available right now in newsagents across the UK! Featuring plenty of Dennis, Minnie the Minx, the Bash Street Kids, and Dangerous Dan!
As you might expect, there’s been a fair bit of love online this week for Dennis… although the ones I saw were all about the British Dennis – whether that’s an indication that I’m not following the right US comic fans on social media or that us Brits just love our Dennis a lot more, well, I’ll leave that conclusion up to you.
The Cartoon Museum – detail from a 1953 Dennis strip, art by Davey Law…
Neill Cameron – “Dennis The Menace is 70 years old today! I drew Robo-Dennis The Robo-Menace, because apparently, I cannot help myself.”
Lew Stringer from one of his past Dennis strips…
Hugh Raine – with his Betty & the Yeti strip…
Current Dennis the Menace writer Nigel Auchterlounie was on Twitter earlier this week to talk about the way he got the Dennis gig – it’s a fascinating, inspiring read and proof to so many children that they can be writers, that dyslexia or any other issue is no barrier to writing, and that comics are a universal medium for teaching children and adults how to read and write, improve vocabulary, and be a wonderful experience that gives children a love of reading from an early age.
…I'd been working, part time, for The Dandy for a while.
It was the world's best way to earn a bit extra.
Then I had double bad news.
The company I was working for had gone bust… and The weekly Dandy was going to stop!!!
(it still thrives as an annual)
I'd lost both jobs!… pic.twitter.com/czCTk6hcFV— Nigel Auchterlounie (@spleenal) March 17, 2021
…I had to say yes because I needed a job and Dennis is AWESOME!
But I knew I couldn't write.
My school reports were proof of that.
Terrible results. Truly terrible! Constantly very near the bottom of the class… especially for English… pic.twitter.com/h3azPxS7tk— Nigel Auchterlounie (@spleenal) March 17, 2021
I found out a year or two later that I'd dyslexic!
And since then (Since @BeanoOfficial took a chance on me) I've become an author! With a series of Dennis books for @StudioBooks proper book books. With tens of thousands of words! (And quite a few drawings)#Dennis70 pic.twitter.com/xkgp83rwYX— Nigel Auchterlounie (@spleenal) March 17, 2021
…So I'm dyslexic.
If it weren't for @BeanoOfficial , & comics in general, I wouldn't have become a real live writer.
Comics can be a gateway to further reading & writing.If you have a kid with Dyslexia stick a Beano in their hand. You don't know where it'll lead#Dennis70 pic.twitter.com/sNmNuTmqaB
— Nigel Auchterlounie (@spleenal) March 17, 2021
Like Nigel says:
If you have a kid with dyslexia, stick a Beano in their hand. You don’t know where it’ll lead.
Nigel Auchterlounie
And if a teacher EVER questions the merit of comics in the classroom – show ’em this from Nigel Auchterlounie… comics are magnificent ways to improve your kids’ literacy and vocab!
On 21st October 2020 @BeffernieBlack used the term "Aggravated Rascalry" in a tweet.
I vowed then to steal it and use it in the Beano one day.
Today that day has come.
(Art by @NPBeanoArtist ) pic.twitter.com/3bdmJZRE5c— Nigel Auchterlounie (@spleenal) March 17, 2021
Oh, one final thing… I know it’s not Dennis, but it’s just too good not to share! This is from current Minnie The Minx artist Laura Howell – ‘I don’t want to boast, but of all the nauseated geese I’ve ever drawn, this might be the best!’
She’s right, that is the greatest nauseated goose you will EVER see!
