Dennis the Menace (UK)

:For the United States comic strip of the same name, see Dennis the Menace (US).

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Dennis the Menace (known as Dennis the Menace and Gnasher since 1970) is a long-running comic strip featured in The Beano children's comic in the United Kingdom. The strip first appeared in issue 452, released on 15 March 1951 (cover dated for the off-sale date of 17 March), and is the longest running strip in the comic. From issue 1678 onwards (dated 14 September 1974) Dennis managed to grab the front cover, replacing Biffo the Bear, and has been there ever since.

Related Topics:
1970 - Comic strip - Beano - Comic - United Kingdom - 15 March - 1951 - 17 March - 14 September - 1974 - Biffo the Bear

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Coincidentally three days earlier another Dennis the Menace debuted in the United States. The two strips should not be confused — as a result of this the US series has been retitled Dennis for UK consumption.

Related Topics:
Dennis the Menace - United States

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Dennis the Menace and Gnasher was first drawn by David Law (1951 – 1970), then David Sutherland (1970 – 1998). David Parkins took over in 1998, but due to his other work commitments, Nigel Parkinson and increasingly Jimmy Hansen have drawn the lion's share of the strips for some years. Barrie Appleby did the artwork for the Beano Superstars series, which, towards the end of its run, resorted exclusively to strips based on the TV series (see below).

Related Topics:
David Law - 1951 - 1970 - David Sutherland - 1998 - David Parkins - Nigel Parkinson - Jimmy Hansen - Barrie Appleby - Beano Superstars

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The main recurring storyline throughout the years features Dennis' campaign of terror against a gang of 'softies', particularly Walter. Bad things tend to happen to Walter quite regularly.

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Dennis usually used to get away with his mischief for a while before ending up getting a spanking from his father. This involved striking the buttocks, for which Dennis' father used a slipper. Dennis' best defence involved sticking a thick book down his shorts. Despite the fact that a book is a markedly different shape from buttocks, his dad never noticed. Dennis' grandma also had a slipper, except it was made of elephant skin and called 'The Demon Whacker'. Since the 1980s, however, the slipper is no longer used.

Related Topics:
Spanking - Elephant - 1980s

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A few weeks after the strip's launch, Dennis started wearing a striped red-and-black jumper, which along with his spiky hair has become his trademark. He uses his faithful pea shooter, catapult and water pistol.

Related Topics:
Pea shooter - Catapult - Water pistol

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A Dennis the Menace fan club was set up in 1976. By the time it was replaced with The Beano Club in 1998, it had reached over a million members (the millionth occurring in 1988), including Mark Hamill in 1979.

Related Topics:
Fan club - 1976 - 1998 - 1988 - Mark Hamill - 1979

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A Dennis the Menace animated cartoon began airing on BBC One (as part of CBBC) in 1996, with another series following in 1998. Originally called Dennis the Menace in the UK, for international broadcast, the series was renamed Dennis and Gnasher.

Related Topics:
Animated cartoon - BBC One - CBBC - 1996 - 1998

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