| Dennis the Menace and Gnasher | |
|---|---|
| Comic strip character(s) fromThe Beano | |
 Dennis with his pet dogGnasher | |
| Publication information | |
| Stars in |
|
| Other names | Dennis the Menace and Gnasher Dennis and Gnasher |
| Creator(s) | George Moonie (editor) David Law (artist) Ian Chisholm |
| Other contributors | David Sutherland David Parkins Nigel Auchterlounie Nigel Parkinson James (Jimmy) Hansen Tom Paterson |
| Current/last artist | Nigel Parkinson |
| First appearance | Issue 452 (12 March 1951 (dated 17 March 1951)(asDennis the Menace)) |
| Also appeared in | The Beano Annual Minnie the Minx,Roger the Dodger,The Bash Street Kids,The Beano AnnualDennis the Menace Annual |
| Current status | Ongoing |
| Schedule | Weekly |
| Spin-offs | Dennis the Menace Annual,Go, Granny, Go!,Rasher,Dennis & Gnasher 1996,Dennis & Gnasher 2009,Bea,Gnasher's Tale,Gnasher and Gnipper |
| Main Character | |
| Name | Dennis Menace |
| Alias(es) | Dennis the Menace |
| Family | Dad Mum Gnasher (pet) Hermione Makepeace (cousin) Bea (sister) Gnipper (pet) Granny (grandmother) |
| Friends | Curly, Pie Face, Rubi and JJ |
| Characters | |
| Regular characters | Walter the Softy, Spotty Perkins, Bertie Blenkinsop, Sergeant Slipper, the Colonel, Foo Foo, Angel-Face |
| Other characters | Mr. De Testa, Claudius |
| Crossover characters | Minnie the Minx,Roger the Dodger,The Bash Street Kids |
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher (originally titledDennis the Menace and currently titledDennis and Gnasher) is a long-runningcomic strip in the British children'scomicThe Beano, published byDC Thomson, ofDundee. The comic stars a boy named Dennis the Menace and his dog, an "Abyssinian wire-haired tripe hound" namedGnasher.
The strip first appeared in issue 452, dated 17 March 1951,[1] and on sale from 12 March 1951.[2] It is the longest-running strip in the comic. The idea and name of the character emerged when the comic's editor heard a Britishmusic hall song with the chorus "I'm Dennis the Menace from Venice".[3] The creation of Dennis in the 1950s had sales ofThe Beano soar.[3] In issue 1678 (dated 14 September 1974), Dennis the Menace replacedBiffo the Bear on the front cover, and has been there until to issue 3961 (dated 17 November 2018). Coincidentally, on 12 March 1951, another comic strip namedDennis the Menace debuted in the US. As a result of this, the US series has initially been retitledDennis for UK audiences, while the British character's appearances are often titledDennis and Gnasher outside the UK. In 2021, Dennis and Gnasher featured on aseries of UK postage stamps issued by theRoyal Mail to mark 70 years of the character.[4]
Dennis is the archetypal badly behaved schoolboy. The main recurring storyline throughout the years features his campaign of terror against a gang of "softies" (effeminate, well-behaved boys), particularlyWalter the Softy. Walter finds himself in unfavourable circumstances on many occasions, although he sometimes gets the last laugh. AuthorMichael Rosen states, "In most children's books, a bad child gets made good – but the great thing about Dennis is he never gets better".[3]
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher was first drawn byDavid Law (1951–1970), thenDavid Sutherland (1970–1998).David Parkins took over from 1998 until 2006, althoughNigel Parkinson drew most of the strips after 2002, and Jimmy Hansen alternated with him in 2005–06.Tom Paterson drew some second Dennis strips for the comic's rear pages.Barrie Appleby did the artwork for theBeano Superstars series, which, toward the end of its run, resorted mostly to strips based on theTV series. In 2011, he took over as Dennis's main artist. In 2012, Nigel Parkinson was named the sole official Dennis artist. Dennis was returned to his previous appearance and personality.Nigel Auchterlounie began writing for Dennis a month later and gave Dennis (and the other characters) wider personalities. Auchterlounie has proven to be a very popular writer since taking over Dennis. Dennis and Gnasher have remained the mascots ofThe Beano.
"The eureka moment arrived in aSt Andrews pub while chief sub Ian Chisholm and artist Davey Law were brainstorming. Chisholm grabbed a cigarette packet, sketched a picture of a knobbly-kneed boy with dark spiky hair, and a comic strip legend was born."
The idea and name of the character emerged whenThe Beano editor George Moonie heard a Britishmusic hall song with the chorus "I'm Dennis the Menace from Venice".[3] The character of Dennis was initially a struggle for artist Davey Law and thenBeano chief sub Ian Chisholm to develop. Chisholm described the character to Law, but was dissatisfied with every sketch the artist showed him. Out of frustration, Chisholm grabbed a pencil and quickly sketched out his creation to Law in the back of his cigarette packet. The drawing consisted of Dennis's trademark messy haircut, knobbly knees, and menacing scowl. Adapting Chisholm's doodle, Law set to work on the character in the strip, which would appear in the 17 March 1951 issue ofThe Beano. Two months later, Law gave the mischievous boy his distinctive red-and-black striped jersey, outsized shoes and devilish grin.[3]
Dennis's first comic strip appearance consisted of him walking into the park with his father and his dog, where a sign is planted informing visitors that they should 'Keep Off the Grass'. Keeping in with his "world's naughtiest boy" tagline,[3] Dennis makes many attempts to get onto the grass, much to his father's annoyance. Losing his temper, he takes the lead off the dog and puts it on Dennis, thus ending the menace's hijinks. This, like many succeeding it, only made up half a page. Dennis was deemed not popular enough to gain a full-page strip until around 1954. Many of Law's strips ended with Dennis being punished for his troublemaking withcorporal punishment, such as aslippering oruse of a cane. Throughout the years, Law's Dennis became taller than his debut appearance. It is unknown why Law did this, but many believe it was due to Law'sperfectionist nature. In 1954, Dennis replacedBig Eggo as the character next toThe Beano title, citing one of many changes of the comic during this period. The following year, Dennis became one of a few characters fromDC Thomson comics to be featured in hisown annual (the 1956 edition), which continued to 2011.
Dennis was also present in the firstDandy-Beano Summer Special, where he appeared in full colour. This strip featured Dennis begrudgingly selling flags in aid of the dog's home. Bored, he chooses to make this a perfect aid to his menacing. Dennis continued to gain popularity solo as time moved on. His trademark pet, Gnasher, was not introduced until 1968.
On 31 August, a strip depicted Dennis being informed by his father that many pets look like their owners. Dennis dismisses this as being a load of "rot!" and goes out. Seeing many different owners looking like their dogs, he begins to consider that it may be true. Upon being informed of a dog show, Dennis decides to enter but needs a dog to do so. This was when he found the Abyssinian wire-haired tripehound roaming the streets of Beanotown. Menacing the dog show rather than attempting to win it, the duo are eventually caught and punished. Gnasher returned the following week and became a comic favourite, as well as the Menace's best friend.
In 1970, Davey Law took ill and retired from the strip, leaving Dennis in need of a new artist. Dave Sutherland, who was already the artist ofBiffo the Bear andThe Bash Street Kids, was chosen. Dennis made a cameo in a Biffo story in 1972, citing his wish to be on the cover. This dialogue proved to be almost prophetic, as he became the cover star of the comic in 1974 (issue 1678, cover date 14 September 1974), a position he held until 2018. His first cover story consisted of him using the issue's free gift, the Happy Howler, to torment people, including his Dad and in an opera house, who gives Dennis's dad a free gift of his own, a slipper.
Dennis's popularity was emphasised in 1976, when he was awarded his own fan club. Members would get a membership card, a club wallet, and two badges. This became the foundation ofThe Beano Club years later. The club was well known for being popular amongstcelebrities, as well asBeano readers.Phil Lynott,Mark Hamill, andLinford Christie were among many to join. A strip promoting an all-new Dennis T-shirt for club members emerged in 1978. It featured a guest appearance fromMinnie the Minx and consisted of the two fighting over to whom the red-and-black jersey image truly belongs.
The Beano turned 40 in 1978. To celebrate, Dennis's weekly comic strip this week featured him celebrating his birthday and his menacing antics with his brand newcowboy outfit.
In 1980,The Beano reached a landmark 2000th issue. The front cover depicted Dennis offering to show readers the first issue of the comic. Incidentally and fitting well with the character's menacing nature, the comic was at the bottom of the pile. The character was then featured in one of the firstBeano spin-off comics,The Beano Comic Libraries. He was one of the firstBeano characters to get a feature-length story, which in turn was calledKing Dennis. Dennis was also a character present in the most successfulBeano annual to date in 1983.
In 1986, one of Dennis's first story arcs appeared. Gnasher, his faithful companion, had gone missing. Distraught, Dennis asked readers to join him on a "Gnational Gnasher Search". At first, Dennis's dad was far happier without the tripehound, but as the week wore on, he found himself missing the dog. The story lasted seven weeks before Gnasher returned by a father with his six daughters and son, Gnipper, who later became a key character.
OnThe Beano's 50th anniversary, Dennis's strip consisted of him savingThe Beano's birthday cake, which had begun to float away after the rope in which the sailor was pulling it along with was cut by a nearby crab.
A landmark issue for Dennis appeared in 1991, asThe Beano announced they were to change his image. The news received much media attention throughout the UK and it was later revealed to be a publicity stunt in the very strip the image was introduced. Dennis's new attire consisted of a blue tracksuit, sunglasses and headphones connected to awalkman. The tracksuit bottoms ripped due to Dennis's knobbly knees and he ditched the jacket as his father could catch him easier after he had menaced. The end of the strip showed Dennis returning in his trademark jersey and shorts andpea-shooting his nemesisWalter. Dennis also played a vital role in the storyline in whichThe Beano was turned into colour. The front cover of the famous 2674th issue of the comic depicted Dennis spraying other famousBeano characters with a hose of paint.
In 1993,Beano editorEuan Kerr was becoming concerned at the direction David Sutherland's depiction of the character was taking, with Dennis becoming ever stockier and larger. Kerr, feeling that Dennis was beginning to resemble a thuggish teenager rather than the naughty boy he was intended to be, told Sutherland to make Dennis look younger in appearance. As a result, Dennis was made shorter, with a smaller chin. He retained his familiar outfit but started to wear trainers. These changes were also made with the intention of making the character easier to animate for the forthcomingBeano Video.
In 1996, the firstDennis animated series was released on the UK station CBBC, with a second series following in 1998.
AfterThe Beano's 60th anniversary issue in 1998, David Sutherland stopped drawing the strip, and was replaced by formerBilly Whizz andThe Three Bears artist,David Parkins.
Parkins' first Dennis strips featured a storyline that formally introduced Dennis's younger sisterBea into the comic. The story lasted three issues and consisted of Dennis's fear that a younger sister would ruin his reputation as the toughest menace in Beanotown. It turns out Bea was as much of a menace as her older brother and gained a spin-off strip drawn by Nigel Parkinson (who would frequently ghost the main strip during 1999–2004), which Dennis would sometimes cameo in.
Dennis kicked off the new millennium with a strip of him charging 50 pence to access the Menace Dome, a more 'menacing' version of theMillennium Dome. He also starred as a villain in a feature-length Bash Street Kids strip in which he, alongside Minnie the Minx andRoger the Dodger, raced against the Bash Street Kids to find the treasure which was apparently buried underneath the Millennium Dome. It ended with Danny, the Bash Street leader, outwitting Dennis and his cronies and Dennis angrily blaming it on Roger. Whilst a rivalry with The Bash Street Kids was touched on before in other strips, it was this story that made the rivalry far more well known. Several succeeding feature-length strips after, usually drawn by Mike Pearse or Kev F. Sutherland, further depicted the rivalry even to the point it would get violent. He also made other appearances in the spin-offBash Street Kids - Singled Out, where he would take on a similar role.
In 2000, Dennis became a major mascot for Beanoland at theChessington World of Adventures theme park. He was featured prominently throughout the land including a large figure atop the shop, a member of the squirting water fountain, a character on thedodgems, a silhouette on the entrance and a cast member in the live show located in his treehouse. Later in the park's history,Dennis's Madhouse was introduced which was a foam ball play area. In 2008, the land was changed into Wild Asia.
In 2001, Dennis turned 50 and celebrated with a house party in which severalBeano characters were invited. The same issue also showed readers how Dennis received his trademark jersey which, it reveals, was initially owned by a boy called Tufty. After Tufty asks when someone wouldland on the Moon, to which Dennis accurately predicts 20 July 1969, Dennis offers to give him the chance right then. He attaches his granny's homemade soda pop to Tufty, shakes him then removes each of the lids which causes Tufty to blast off and fall into a nearby lake. Dennis then grabs the jersey and puts it on remarking it 'feels right somehow!'.
In 2003, Dennis appeared as a playable character in the PC gameBeanotown Racing. He was featured in several strips leading up to the game's release depicting how he received his vehicle and the races he got into before the game's events. This includes a rivalry withMinnie the Minx who had got her vehicle before him. Dennis tuned up his Menace-Mobile to make a dune buggy.
David Parkins' workload meant he was able to draw the strip on an increasingly less frequent basis throughout his time on the strip, and after 2003, he became too busy to continue as a full-time artist. Nigel Parkinson, who had previously been drawing the strip as Parkins' understudy, continued as a artist, along with Jimmy Hansen coming in to replace Parkins. The pair drew the vast majority of stories between 2004 and 2007, when Tom Paterson also started drawing the strip. In 2008, Dennis was given an extra strip near the back of the comic, usually a continuing story across a few weeks. These strips were usually drawn byTom Paterson. One such story featured the illness of Gnasher's young pup, Gnipper who had been bitten by a poisonous snake. Throughout this story, Dennis and Gnasher called upon the help of various past characters of the strip's history before finally contacting Gnipper's many sisters who successfully managed to get him out of his coma. Walter also changed in the strip as Dennis was given more reason to belittle and menace him. Instead of being camp and frilly, he was quite rude and obnoxious especially toward Dennis and his friends. Dennis seems more bully than anti-hero at this age.
In 2007, Dennis was featured on the front page of a new magazineBeanoMAX and was the cover star until 2008 where he was replaced by Max, an exclusive character. Another landmark issue was met in 2008 whereThe Beano turned 70. As a celebration, Dennis was seen on the cover sharing a cake withWallace and Gromit, whose creator was featured heavily in the issue.
When thestrip was relaunched in 2009, Dennis faced several changes to his character and appearance. It was the first major revamp of the character since his introduction over 50 years prior. Parkinson, Hansen and Paterson continued to draw the strips, although Dennis became slightly shorter with a boyish look to him as opposed to the brute, tough guy look the previous artists had established. His behind the nose grin was used far less frequently and most of his menacing was toned down. He also no longer used weapons such as a catapult or peashooter save for a few times, so he became more creative in his mischief. The strip's title was shortened to Dennis and Gnasher during these years, and Dennis rarely used the term 'menacing' to describe his actions. Dennis's idol was revealed to be 'Rat-Bucket', a fictional heavy metal singer introduced in the strip. He was also given more rivals as Athena and Sugar were both introduced to the strip. He was also given a new spin-off calledSixty Second Dennis. This was a single page strip that featured Dennis in a short story and was usually illustrated byNigel Parkinson.
The reason behind the revival was to promote the newTV series which was just about to hit screens in Britain. It followed Dennis, Curly, Pie-Face and Gnasher as they attempted to brighten up the average day in Beanotown through new ideas, adventures and pranks. The revival is finally done at the Australian animation studio.
On 27 November 2010,The Beano Club was relaunched intoThe Beano V.I.P. It was officially announced via a Dennis strip where several British celebrities includingAnt and Dec,Simon Cowell andDaniel Radcliffe visited Beanotown in an effort to join the club, but all failed as they were not deemed tough enough. In the end, Dennis decides it is only the reader who can become aBeano V.I.P. This was the first strip in which Dennis seemed to actually do his 'menacing' intentionally since his revival in 2009.
In early 2011, Dennis's re-launched character slowly and subtly began returning to his 'menacing' ways. He began using his weapons again and referring to his antics as menacing. He also began to do his menacing more intentionally as he did in all previous eras. Barrie Appleby, who had previously drawn Roger the Dodger, became the artist as the strip was extended to three pages rather than the usual two. Sixty Second Dennis was also dropped, being replaced by a Gnasher spin-off strip called Gnashional Treasure, which was later renamed asGnasher's Bit(e). Although the strip continued to be known asDennis and Gnasher, Dennis was once again overtly referred to as 'the menace', and by his 60th birthday, Dennis had returned to his original character although he still has the likeness of his 2009 TV series counterpart. Meanwhile, Nigel Parkinson continued with lengthierBeanoMAX stories which would often feature otherBeano characters.
By August 2012, Dennis's 2009 revival was reverted following yet another revival of the comic. His illustrations were more in tone with David Parkins' era and he partook in genuine naughtiness and disruption again. Nigel Parkinson was named sole official Dennis artist and began the weekly strips while Barrie Appleby returned to Roger the Dodger. Like his 2009 revival, Dennis faced several new changes mainly because of a new editor. His old behind the nose grin returned and he began to once again refer to himself as a 'menace'. His parents had a make-over, so his traditionally balding father now shared his messy spiked hair and his mother was no longer neatly shaped. Gnasher also returned to normal. A new character called Angel Face was also introduced into the strip, in order to give Dennis more of a rival.
In honour of the2012 London Olympic Games, gold medalistJessica Ennis appeared in a strip, much to public attention. Paralympic runnerOscar Pistorius also appeared, with the current editor, Stirling citing that 'When people told Oscar he couldn't be an athlete due to his disability, he ignored them and, in that respect, he's just like Dennis, who never does as he is told.'[5] Both strips were extremely well received amongst both the athletes and the public.
During Series 12 of the BBC'sMock the Week, hostDara Ó Briain and comediansHugh Dennis,Andy Parsons andChris Addison were drawn by Nigel Parkinson in a one-off pic with Dennis, which was shown in the second episode, whilst they and guest comedians were discussing the appearance ofCharles III, thenPrince of Wales, andCamilla Parker Bowles inThe Beano. Each celebrity was drawn holding a weapon – Hugh had a peashooter, Chris had a water gun, Dara had a plunger and bow, and Andy had a catapult, and all four were drawn with Dennis's trademark red-and-black striped top, shorts, black socks and brown shoes (except Andy, who had red trainers).[6]
Beginning in November 2012, Dennis was written by formerDandy writer, Nigel Auchterlounie, who gave Dennis and the other characters wider personalities. Auchterlounie's strips have been very well received since taking over the strip. Dennis's younger years in Beanotown Preschool were chronicled in a strip calledThe BamBeanos.
ForThe Beano's 75th anniversary, Dennis' parents noticeably changed appearance. His father had become a pot-bellied man with black, spiky hair and similar colour-schemed clothes to him, and his mother had red, shaggy hair. It was later revealed in 2015 that Dennis' father was the original Dennis the Menace from the 1980s in issue 3932[7] in a featured strip about him campaigning to be mayor, in which his opponent,Walter the Softy's father, starts a hate campaign by showing potential voters videos of Dennis, Sr.'s antics as a child. Although there is no distinct timeline in the comic strip, editor-in-chief Mike Stirling explained: "There's no definable lineage [inDennis and Gnasher], but there can only ever be one Dennis at any time. It serves as a salutary warning that even the coolest kids can become boring grown-ups."[8]
In 2021,The Beano celebrated Dennis' 70th anniversary with a special issue guest-edited byJoe Sugg.[9]
Dennis is an uncontrollable schoolboy who takes pride in causing chaos and mayhem to those around him due to hisintolerance for rules and order. Such traits have caused some artists and writers to consider him a villain, as, in such strips, Dennis would often prove himself to be selfish and greedy, tending to disregard his friends in favour of treasures.[10][11] His misbehaviour stems from whatThe Beano explains as an attempt to add excitement to an otherwise dull day. Additionally, Dennis is often considered to be aloner, seeking no solace in anyone's company aside from his faithful pet dog Gnasher. Feature-length strips inThe Beano reveal that Dennis has a rivalry with The Bash Street Kids, often brawling and attempting to outwit them, with a particular dislike for Danny, the leader.
Dennis has had a fairly stable friendship withMinnie the Minx andRoger the Dodger, enough so that the three have been seen to work together often. Dennis has also been shown to be veryheroic, having saved his town on occasion from potential disaster.The Beano Annual 2001–2002, both exemplified this in their stories in which Dennis defeated a race of 'Beanobots'. He is fairly academically challenged and extremely clever in mechanical invention. On occasion, he makes from scratch his own vehicles, including a Menace Dune-Buggy and a working rocket.
Talking of the character's longevity and changes over the years, Beano editor Michael Stirling stated: "I'm sure he'll change again over the years, If kids are going around on hoverboards in 10 years’ time, Dennis will definitely have one. It's really up to kids, and I think it's always been that way, and that's why we're able to appeal to kids today as well as to their parents. He's a great role model. That might sound counterintuitive because he's naughty, but his mischief nowadays is a lot more driven by positive things, and just making sure kids are really listened to."[9]
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17 March 1951: Drawn by David Law, Dennis the Menace appeared for the first time, as well as his dad.
5 May 1951: Dennis got his trademarkred-and-black striped jersey, knitted for him by his granny (aka Whentball). He also teamed up with Curly.
14 July 1951: Dennis' friend Curly appeared.
1 October 1951: The strip appeared in two colours (red and black).
Mid-1953: Dennis got expanded to a full page, while earlier strips were only half a page long.
8 August 1953: Walter appeared for the first time. He moved in as Dennis's next-door neighbour.
1954: David Law's style of drawing Dennis changed dramatically, making the characters tall and thin. Dennis appeared on the back page in full colour for the first time.
September 1955: The firstDennis the Menace Annual was published, using reprinted stories from previous years.
1958: After four years of being drawn this way, characters become more or less back the way they were. Dennis returned inside the comic.
1962: Dennis returned to the back of the comic.
31 August 1968: Dennis found a dog on the street, Gnasher, on his way to the dog show at the local town hall. Gnasher became a regular from this point onward.
25 July 1970: David Law retired, and one comic was drawn byPup Parade artist Gordon Bell.
1 August 1970:Bash Street Kids artistDave Sutherland started drawing Dennis, although drawing the strip almost identically to David Law. The strip was renamed "Dennis the Menace & Gnasher" when originally it was just called "Dennis the Menace" as Gnasher had been appearing every week on the strips.
18 December 1971: Walter's dog, Foo-Foo, debuted.
14 September 1974: Dennis took the front cover ofThe Beano replacingBiffo the Bear.
1975: Walter joined "the softies", Bertie Blenkinsop and Algernon "Spotty" Perkins.
21 May 1977: Gnasher got his own strip in the comic, called "Gnasher's Tale", also drawn by David Sutherland.
5 May 1979: Dennis's pet pig "Rasher" debuted.
Early 1980s: Use of the slipper became increasingly rare in this time, having been very common in earlier strips.
22 September 1984: Rasher got his own strip in the comic, simply called "Rasher". Again, David Sutherland is the strip's artist.
March 1986: Gnasher "went missing". Foo Foo's Fairy Story temporarily replaced Gnasher's Tale.
May 1986 Gnasher returned, introducing his pups; Gnatasha, Gnanette, Gnancy, Gnaomi, Gnorah and Gnipper. "Gnasher and Gnipper" replaced "Gnasher's Tale".
1987: Dennis's spider, Dasher, appeared.
1988: Rasher's strip ended, replaced by Ill Will and the Germs.
1990: Granny's personality was changed drastically. Now, rather than a mean old woman, she became an elderly menace. The slipper was no longer used, partly due to changing attitudes toward child discipline at the time.
1990:The Beano's Dennis the Menace and Gnasher Show appeared for the first time onITV andTCC,
1992: The Menace Car was seen for the first time.
February 1993: David Sutherland, realising how stocky and bulky he became in recent years, started changing Dennis, making him look young and cute for a few years. The "Gnasher and Gnipper" strip was taken over by Barry Glennard in order to ease Sutherland's workload, though the style remains similar.
Early 1996: Dennis The Menace was looking like he did again, and for the first time ever, the story was drawn in the same style as theBash Street Kids.
April 1996: TheDennis the Menace Animated TV series appeared for the first time onBBC andTCC. This year marked the first appearances of The Colonel, Dennis's neighbour, and Sergeant Slipper, the local constable, who had both previously appeared in the television series. From this point, the front cover page usually consists of just one frame of the strip rather than several.
1998: Dasher re-appeared with a red mask as the mascot of theBeano site.
August–September 1998: For the 60th anniversary ofThe Beano, David Parkins started drawing Dennis the Menace, creatingBea some issues later.
October 1998: Bea got her own strip calledBeaginnings drawn by Nigel Parkinson. She said her first word (Mud) in this strip.
1999: Nigel Parkinson became Dennis artist for the first time.
February 2001 The Gnasher and Gnipper strip was revamped, now being drawn in Barry Glennard's own style.
March 2001 Dennis celebrated his 50th Birthday. A special episode drawn by David Parkins (In the style of David Law) was released in the issue, telling the readers how he got his striped jersey.
December 2001Beaginnings got renamedDennis's Little Sister Bea – the Mini-Menace.
2002:Buster By this time, Nigel Parkinson was drawing Dennis as often as David Parkins, and effectively became the main artist the following year. Also in 2002, Jimmy Hansen drew his first Dennis strip.
2004: David Parkins stopped drawing Dennis altogether, and Jimmy Hansen joined Nigel Parkinson as main artist. Over the next 5 years, they each drew about half of the strips. Walter got revamped when drawn by Jimmy Hansen, and he now bears the appearance of anElvis impersonator with much bigger glasses.
2004: Dennis the Menace became the longest-running strip inThe Beano ever, beatingLord Snooty.
2007:Tom Paterson started drawing Dennis occasionally.
2008: Dennis got a comic strip at the back ofThe Beano as well as the front. The second strip was usually drawn byTom Paterson. It is now clear that Walter has a new personality. Instead of being a gentle, well-behaved boy, he has become camp, considerably meaner, and almost certainly evil.
2009:A brand new series was released, again on theBBC. For the new series, Dennis and Gnasher were revamped, not just for TV but also in the comic. The second Dennis strip was replaced by Sixty Second Dennis, which takes up just one page as opposed to two. The main Dennis strip is now mainly drawn by Hansen, with Sixty Second Dennis usually by Nigel Parkinson.
2011:Barrie Appleby took over as regular Dennis artist. The strip is not as influenced by the 2009 series now, with Dennis behaving more menacingly, the series-style backgrounds being dropped, Dennis being referred to more often as 'the menace' and the return of several characters who disappeared around the time of the new series, such as Foo-Foo. Also around the same time, Sixty Second Dennis gets replaced by a new Gnasher strip, titledGnasher's Bit(e), drawn by Jimmy Hansen.
March 2011: Dennis celebrated his 60th birthday.
August 2012: Changes made by the previous relaunch were reverted. Nigel Parkinson, at this point named sole official Dennis artist, begins all regular weekly strips again.
July 2013: A second season to the 2009 series renamedDennis the Menace and Gnasher and theDennis the Menace and Gnasher Megazine have both been released to coincide with the 75th anniversary ofThe Beano.
March 2014: TheDennis the Menace and Gnasher Megazine was renamedDennis the Menace and Gnasher's EPIC Magazine.
December 2014: TheDennis the MenaceMinecraft mod is launched.[12][13]
February 2015: TheBlast in Beanotown app for theiPad is launched.
September 2017: Since Curly moved, JJ and Rubi are introduced since they both moved in. Pie-Face has been redesigned.
November 2017:Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! was released on the BBC.[14]
Over the years, there has been a variety of subsidiary characters.
Dennis is the main character of the strip. Badly behaved and visually rebellious, Dennis uses a wide range of pranks and weaponry in order to cause chaos and mayhem to those around him. He is recognised by his scruffy black hair and red-and-black jumper.
Dad appeared in the first strip. His real name has never been given (although once it was cited as actually being "Dennis's Dad" in a letter by Dennis). He also appears in bothBea andGnasher and Gnipper. The real name of his wife,Mum, has also never been given (again in the same letter, it was stated that her actual name is "Dennis's Mum", though in the 2020 annual, the mayor called her Sandra). In the 2012 revamp, he was redrawn to look more like Dennis. This was explained in 2015 asDad now being the grown-up version of the 1980s Dennis the Menace,[8] making the original Dad the new Dennis' grandfather.
Bea is Dennis's little sister, born in issue 2931, dated 19 September 1998. She has her own strip (Bea, originallyBeaginnings) and sometimes appears inDennis the Menace and Gnasher. Bea wears a stripy yellow and black vest, this is a pun on her name as the colours are the same as the colours on aBumble bee.
Granny is Dennis's and Bea's 80-year-old grandmother. In the late 1980s/early 1990s, she got her own stripGo, Granny, Go! drawn byBrian Walker. This transformed her from the indulgent Granny who used the Demon Whacker when necessary to a very active elderly lady who enjoyed motorbikes, similar toCuddles and Dimples's granny, partly because, by this time, characters inThe Beano were no longer punished with the slipper. She also appeared regularly in the 2009 TV series and 2017 TV series.
Denise is Dennis's cousin, who bears a striking resemblance toBeryl the Peril, although she also wears a red-and-black striped jumper. She appeared in just a few stories, visiting along with her catSanta Claws. She generally managed to out-menace Dennis, showing considerable fortitude against the Softies, and at the local boxing club. Santa Claws also appeared in aRoger the Dodger strip in the 2008Beano Annual.
Gnasher is a black dog (an "Abyssinian wire-haired tripehound") who first appeared in issue 1363, dated 31 August 1968. He has extremely strong teeth that can leave teeth marks in seemingly anything and enjoys chasing postmen. His name comes from the British slang for teeth (gnashers), which in turn comes from the Frenchganache meaning "jowl", a word also used in chocolate manufacture. In the first-ever Dennis the Menace strip, the family also had aScottish Terrier, who has not since appeared.
Since 1986, Gnasher has had a son,Gnipper, who appears with him in the separate strip (Gnasher and Gnipper). Gnipper is owned by Dennis the Menace. He first appeared in issue 2286, dated 10 May 1986 after a story arc in which Gnasher went missing, this story arc was reprinted in theDennis the Menace Annual 1990 as a 16-page story entitledWho's Gnicked Gnasher. Gnipper's name is a pun since 'to nip' (something) means to give something a small bite, while 'nipper' is a slang term for a young child.
Gnasher also has several daughters:Gnatasha,Gnaomi,Gnanette,Gnorah andGnancy, although these are rarely seen. Gnatasha had her own strip inThe Beezer andTopper, and appeared in the Beezer Book 1994. Gnasher also used to have another strip,Gnasher's Tale, which began in 1977 and continued for nine years until the title was changed toGnasher and Gnipper following Gnipper's introduction.
Rasher is a pig, first seen in issue 1920, dated 5 May 1979. He loves to eat swill and was rescued by Dennis. Rasher also has children:Oink,Snort,Grunt,Squeal, andSqueak. He used to have his own strip calledRasher, which started in 1984 and appeared regularly for four years before making sporadic appearances until 1995, Rasher's strip also appeared for a few weeks in 2010. He was believed to have been dropped after the strip was revamped in 2009, but he made a surprise return to the strip in 2011. In the 2009 TV series, Rasher and Gnipper are owned by Dennis's Granny.
Dennis has been seen with his petspider calledDasher. He first appeared in about 1987, as a tool to scare Walter, and was the mascot of theBeanowebsite when it launched in 1997. Originally, the spider was all black, but when it reappeared in 1997, it was red and black, matching Dennis's jersey. He appeared a few times from 1997 to 2008 and then reappeared in the 2011 and 2016 Halloween issues.
Dennis has historically had two main friends:Curly (real nameCrispin Lee Shepherd), who has a lot of strawberry-blonde, curly hair, was the first to appear, debuting months after the strip started in 1951. Although Curly and Dennis get into many fights, they still remain the best of friends. Then there isPieface (real nameKevin Peter Shepherd), whose favourite food is pies. Dennis, Gnasher, Curly and Pieface were collectively called "The Menaces"; they were all in a band called Dennis and the Dinmakers. Pieface currently has his own strip inThe Beano as well as his 'pet' Paul the Potato. They are both by Nigel Auchterlounie and Diego Jourdan.
Since the 2017 revamp of the Dennis feature, Curly moved away and seems to have largely disappeared. In his place as fellow Menaces are two girls,Rubidium von Screwtop (fromThe Beano's 'Rubi's Screwtop Science' strip) andJemima Jones (from the comic's 'JJ's Jokes' strip). Despite Dennis' perception of girls as soppy in earlier years, he accepts the tech-minded Rubi and tough, often prankish JJ as his friends.
During the 1980s, a third boy known as "Toadface McGurty" was also one of Dennis' friends.
The rival gang to the Menaces is theSofties, a group of kids who rather than being bratty, traditionally enjoy refined things such asteddy bears,dolls andflowers. The most famous Softy—Dennis's greatest sworn enemy—isWalter, sometimes called the "Prince of Softies" in earlier years. He has a petpoodle calledFoo-Foo. The two most other frequently seen Softies areBertie Blenkinsop andAlgernon 'Spotty' Perkins. Other Softies, seen less often, have included Bennie Benry,Sweet William,Dudley Nightshirt,Jeremy Snodgrass,Softy Matthew,Softy Pal Erasmus,Lisping Lester, andNervous Rex, who is scared of everything and everyone.
Matilda, Walter's girlfriend introduced in the 1996 TV series, was presumably a Softy, though her forceful attitude toward Walter suggested otherwise. For a brief time in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dennis' friendCurly was also presented as a Softy.
TheColonel is an old army colonel, who is often seen with toy soldiers and often makes references to being in battles which happened hundreds of years ago. In an episode of the 2009 TV series, entitled 'The Trial', his first name was revealed to be Godfrey.
Sergeant Slipper is the police sergeant who is always trying to catch Dennis for menacing. In the 1960s, a well-known police officer was known asSlipper of the Yard, though "slipper" is also a nod to the instrument with which Dennis's father usually chastised him, before attitudes toward corporal punishment against children changed.
Dennis's Teacher often appeared inDennis the Menace strips from the early 1970s and has been replaced, although the character was absent for most of the intervening period, in the 2009 TV Series by another Teacher namedMrs Creecher.
Nasty Norman was a bully often seen as Dennis's rival.
Stanley Livingstone, an explorer with a pet crocodile,Carruthers, who lived next door to Dennis. Seemingly replaced by the Colonel, though the character had disappeared a while before the Colonel first appeared. His name alludes to the explorersDavid Livingstone andH.M. Stanley.
| Title | Directed by | Written by | Dennis portrayed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Beano's Dennis the Menace and Gnasher Show (1990, TCC) | Bob Harvey | Mike Barfield Bob Harvey | Logan Murray |
| The Beano Video (1993, ITV) | Derek Mogford | Jo Pullen | Susan Sheridan |
| The Beano Videostars (1994, ITV) | Terry Ward | Richard Everett Terry Ward | Mark Pickard |
| Dennis & Gnasher (1996, BBC) | Tony Collingwood | Tony Collingwood Chris Trengove Jimmy Hibbert David Freedman Alan Gilbey | Richard Pearce |
| Dennis & Gnasher (2009, BBC) | Glenn Kirkpatrick | - | Sophie Aldred (S1) Chris Johnson (S2) Jane Ubrien [AU dub] |
| Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! (2017, BBC) | Boris Heistand | Jen Upton Tony Cooke Denise Cassar Matt Baker Ciaran Murtagh Andrew Jones | Freddie Fox [UK only] Bryce Papenbrook [US dub] |
Dennis's first regular TV appearance was in the puppet seriesThe Beano's Dennis the Menace and Gnasher Show, which aired onTCC, starting in 1990. The show was directed by Bob Harvey and written by Mike Barfield, with artwork by John Bonner.John Du Prez composed the punk-style theme music. Dennis and the other characters were voiced byLogan Murray. The first series featured only Dennis, Gnasher and Walter. The second series in 1991 added Mum and Dad.[15][16][17]
Dennis appears alongside otherBeano characters in the 1993 made-for-television/direct-to-video release,The Beano Video, which was aired onITV. Dennis was voiced bySusan Sheridan. All the stories were adapted from previousBeano strips.[16][18]
Dennis appears once again inThe Beano Videostars, which aired on ITV in 1994. In this film, severalBeano characters attend a premiere in which a brand newBeano film is being shown. Dennis arrives in his "Menace-Mobile" with Gnasher and pelts the presenter with tomatoes in his usual menacing fashion. He was voiced by Mark Pickard.[18]
Dennis was the main character of a 1996 TV series originally titledDennis the Menace, but changed in the second season toDennis & Gnasher. This version of Dennis still gets up to the same old tricks. Throughout the whole series, he does not use a catapult or peashooter and is often far more heroic than theBeano version. The show ran for two seasons and was shown onTCC,CBBC andFox Kids.Richard Pearce voiced Dennis in this series.
Later in 2009, Dennis re-appeared on television again in a series (along with the Australian studio) once again calledDennis & Gnasher. His behaviour was toned down far more showing quite a different personality to that of the comic Dennis, which was changed to match the TV series but has since gradually changed back. This Dennis preferred fun over mischief and often did menacing inadvertently. The first season ran for 52 episodes onCBBC and in the U.S., it was also shown on The Hub (now known as "Discovery Family"). In mid-2013, the show returned with a new name,Dennis the Menace and Gnasher. The second season ran for 50 episodes on theCBBC channel. Dennis was voiced bySophie Aldred in the first series, andChris Johnson in the second series. Jane Ubrien voiced Dennis in the series' Australian dub.[19]
In 2017, a new series aired, titledDennis & Gnasher: Unleashed!.[20] It is the first series to be animated in CGI.[21]Freddie Fox provides Dennis' voice in the new series.[22]
In 2020, a series revolving around Dennis as a teenager was pitched. It was reported to be a darker take on the comic – not too dissimilar to American television seriesChilling Adventures of Sabrina andRiverdale.[23] The story would focus on Dennis and his troubles with police and was reported to be influenced by British drama seriesSkins.[23] It is unknown if it was scrapped or cancelled, due to the copyrights fromThe Beano.
Dennis is playable in the PC gameBeanotown Racing. His vehicle is hisMenace-Mobile, designed as a dune buggy. He and Gnasher are non-playable characters in theiPhone game,Dennis & Gnasher: Blast in Beanotown.
Dennis was the main mascot for the Beanoland section inChessington World of Adventures, from 1999 to 2010. He was ameet and greet character as well as the subject of a short-lived amusement show located in his treehouse. A funhouse in which children could fire foam balls at each other was built later and named "Dennis' Madhouse".[24]
In 2015, it was announced that a musical based on the comics will be presented for theOld Vic Theatre inLondon as part of artistic directorMatthew Warchus' musical commissioning programme with producersScott Rudin andSonia Friedman. Playwright and poetCaroline Bird is writing the book. More details to be announced.[when?][25][26]
ITV had broadcast rights from 1990 to 1995 and theBBC since 1996.
BBC News once called Dennis the 'definitive naughty boy'. Matthew Jarron of Dundee University, curator of aBeano exhibition, claimed that the strips 'blatant anti-establishment tone' is what keeps children entertained throughout the decades. Children's author and political columnistMichael Rosen said he enjoyed the prospect that 'In most children's books a bad child gets made good. But the great thing about Dennis is he never gets better'.[3] Nick Newman cited his inspiration for aPrivate Eye strip based on the Menace due to the fact Dennis is 'relentless' and has 'no learning curve'. Jarron also argued that Dennis offers a sense of escapism in a modern cotton wool wrapped world stating 'Parents are so fearful of letting their children roam around. So Dennis can provide that vicarious pleasure of going out and doing anything. And it's menacing of a pretty benign kind'.[27] Express called Dennis 'the child template for every post-war rebel without a cause'.[28] John McShane, a comic historian, further praised the strip calling Dennis 'an original looking character. In the early days, it was not in full colour but had a red overlay, but Davy Law, the artist, made a virtue out of this necessity by having the red-and-black striped T-shirt. The mantra in design classes is: 'Black and Red will always be read.' And that spiky hair! Unforgettable. Then that cheeky expression. Cartoonists talk about drawings just 'coming right'; that expression is perfect. Dennis is not actually evil ... Dennis just wants fun and is prepared to accept the consequences'.[29]
Alongside praise from the press, Dennis encountered controversy amongst the media in the late 1990s and early 2000s for being 'homophobic' and a 'bully'. On the criticism, Maurice Heggie, a Dandy editor, stated 'I never saw him as a bully because the characters of the softies were so dreadful, they had no redeeming features either.' He went on to explain that 'if Dennis was bullying them, then there was a punishment. There was never a script out of DC Thomson where a bully succeeded – there was always a punishment – however, horrible Dennis was with his water pistol, be sure that round the corner there was an elephant with a trunkful of water for him. He's changed over the years, but he's not changed ... He is essentially out for mischief all the time'. John McShane also defended the strip stating firmly that 'Dennis never got away with his pranks'. On whether the stories of Walter's homosexuality were true, McShane affirmed that he didn't know but argued' He certainly needed to stand up for himself. Our sympathies were never with him because he didn't stand up to Dennis. Bullies have to be stood up to; another good lesson for any society.'[29] In an article for the Guardian, Dennis is cited as 'Britain's longest surviving comic villain'.[30]
In 2009, the strip gained negative media publicity after it was announced that new issues would draw inspiration from theTV series that aired the same year. In the series, Dennis did not use any weapons such as catapult, peashooter and water guns and his personality was re-established as naively troublesome rather than intentionally so. Gnasher was also forbidden to bite people. Their image was drastically revamped in an attempt to make them more accessible to younger viewers, and to discourage violence and weaponry among children. Fans spoke out againstThe Beano's decision, citing that 'Dennis is supposed to be a little bit edgy and a bit of a lovable rogue'.[31]Kev F Sutherland, who wrote forThe Beano in the early 2000s, also spoke out against the makeover saying it was a 'bad idea' and argued 'if you pander too much to over-sensitive parents, you will end with not very funny comedy'.[32] The daughters ofDennis the Menace creatorDavid Law further criticized the makeover, saying their father would be 'horrified' with how he was depicted now and said the new design was 'bland' and 'ordinary'.[33] The change lasted for roughly a year before artistNigel Parkinson was sought out to return the character to its roots and original design. The television series was considerably altered during its second season to suit the tone of the comics, making Dennis closer to his comic book age and personality.
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Darts playerDennis Priestley is known as "The Menace" and wears a shirt with the familiar red and black horizontal bands. On stage, grunge starKurt Cobain occasionally wore a Dennis pullover (jumper/sweater) that Courtney Love bought from a Nirvana fan in Northern Ireland in 1992.[34] In recent years, the satirical magazinePrivate Eye has carried comic strips featuring a character sometimes calledBeano Boris orBoris the Menace, a blond-haired version of Dennis the Menace, parodying the politicianBoris Johnson.[35]
GuitaristMike Campbell wears a shirt depicting Dennis and Gnasher in the music video forTom Petty's song "I Won't Back Down".
In 2018, theIsle of Man produced a set of Christmas stamps featuring Dennis and Gnasher.[36]
In 2021, on thesecond series ofRuPaul's Drag Race UK, contestantEllie Diamond, who is fromDundee, modelled as Dennis the Menace on the runway during the first episode challenge "Queen of Your Hometown". The outfit is now on display at the city'sMcManus Galleries.
TheAlan Moore/Mick Jenkins filmThe Show features a protagonist named Fletcher Dennis, who wears the red-and-black striped jumper and wields a slingshot as a weapon, implying that he is a grown up Dennis who became a morally scrupulous hitman.
{{cite magazine}}:Cite magazine requires|magazine= (help)Dennis was no longer a comic star - a puppet version of Dennis and Gnasher were up to mischief in their own show on The Children's Channel.
On 26 June 1990, the comic celebrated its 2500th issue with Dennis doing a 'twenty-one catty salute!' With children's weeklies finding life increasingly tough,The Beano was adapting to survive. That same year witnessed witnessed the launch of a 'Dennis the Menace' cartoon on the Children's Channel and then, in October 1993,The Beano Video arrived.
TheBeano characters were also in colour – and in motion – inThe Beano Video, which was released in 1993. It was an attempt to take the magic ofThe Beano and turn it into an animated video. It followed the format ofThe Beano, being an anthology of short, snappy stories, which brought Dennis and Gnasher, Minnie the Minx, The Bash Street Kids and The Three Bears to life. It was broadcast as a special on CITV and renamedThe Beano All-Stars for its DVD re-release. A sequel, with an expanded cast of characters, was released in 1994. While these videos did not challenge the top of the year's best seller charts, they did mark the first time any DC Thomson characters had been animated since Bananaman a decade earlier, and showed that the company was eager to push forward with bringing their characters to life on screen.
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