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Home , Desperate Dan, Nutty, Paddy Brennan, Plug (comics), Roger the Dodger, The Beano

TTHEHE BB EANOEANO && DD ANDYANDY CC OLLECTORSOLLECTORS ’’ CC LUBLUB Founder Year 2006-7 July 2007 Issue 3

Contents 1-2 Editorial

2 Caption Competition

3-4 Letters to the Editor

4 Items For Sale

5-7 Jump, Froggy, Jump!

7-8 With a Roar, Out they Pour, Every afternoon at Four!

EDITORIAL ... Dear Member cheque, postal order or PayPal. Full Interestingly, one of the Topper Books details on how to pay by PayPal can had a manufacturing fault in that a Welcome to the third and final news- be found on the website (www.phil- section of the pages had not been letter of the inaugural year of The .com). trimmed properly, giving an insight Beano & Dandy Collectors’ Club. It into the method of the book’s manu- was quite a challenge to initially set Bar a few spare issues, I intend to facture, previously unknown to me. up the club, but during the course of print an exact number of newsletters Pages are printed on both sides in a the first year it has proved a very to cater for the number of members long section, making up a ‘block’ of worthwhile experience and one that I subscribed when going to print. For pages, with a perforated line separat- am looking forward to taking further this reason, I would urge that if you ing each page. Upon folding them, in in the future. intend to re-subscribe to the club to a zigzag fashion, into a stack and do so sooner rather than later, to en- Throughout the year I have asked adding glue at the eventual spine end, sure you receive a copy of issue four myself “What do members really want the top and bottom edges are (Autumn 2007). from the Collectors’ Club?” After some trimmed, cutting out the perforated thought and collaboration with my I have no doubt that, much like your lines and creating individual pages trusty confidant, David Jones, I have beloved comics and annuals, many of that can be turned. In the anomaly concluded that collectors want infor- you will want to ‘collect’ your newslet- copy, the perforated top edge had not mation about their hobby and the op- ters in tip-top shape. Following a cou- been trimmed out properly, so the portunity to buy items for their collec- ple of suggestions from members who pages were still attached at the top tion. Both of these points are satisfied received a rather crumpled second edge. The West Yorkshire buyer was within the newsletters. Although the newsletter (apologies if this also hap- delighted with his unique book. incentives (membership card and pened to yourself), I have invested in My thanks go to member James badge, birthday and Christmas cards board-backed ‘Please Do Not Bend’ Tweed who kindly sent me a DVD and coaster) are appreciated, they envelopes and just hope your trusty copy of an old VHS recording of could be considered fringe benefits postman doesn’t inadvertently bend Arena: -Beano Story . Pro- and not essential. it! duced by the BBC in 1988, as part of With this in mind, and in an attempt I am delighted to say that the 1958 the 50 th anniversary Beano & Dandy to establish a larger member base, Dandy and Topper unsold shop stock celebrations, the 50 minute documen- including younger collectors (there sold like hotcakes! After keeping one tary visits the DC Thomson HQ in are now three ‘Master’ members), I of each for myself, all four Topper . Amongst others, Euan Kerr have decided to reduce the new sub- Books and all but one of the thirteen (former Beano Editor), Morris Heggie scription cost by excluding most of Dandy Books sold within four days. (former Dandy Editor), George Moonie the incentives. Taking advantage of a Those who bought the books were (first Beano Editor) and Albert Barnes local digital print firm with excellent astounded at their condition…“Just a (first Dandy Editor) are interviewed. I rates, the new UK subscription is just quick note to say how thrilled I was mentioned ’s ‘Albert £9.95, covering a membership card with the Dandy I purchased off you. Barnes’ chin in the first newsletter… and the next three newsletters, which The condition is exceptional indeed” … Albert talks of the joint creation of I have pencilled in for Autumn and “The books arrived yesterday and the Dan with “Watty” (Dudley Watkins), Christmas 2007 and Spring 2008. condition is remarkable!” The single and describes his brief of creating “a lone Dandy Book that remained un- Founder Members will find a renewal cowboy caricature of himself, with a sold was listed on eBay and the bid- subscription form enclosed with this chin like a chest of drawers”. I could- ding soared to a highly impressive newsletter. Should you wish to re- n’t help raising a smile when Morris £206, so you could consider our origi- subscribe, payment can be made by Heggie said that first thing in the nal price a bargain! morning in the Dandy office, the DCT

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COLLECTORS ’ C LUB I NFORMATION & Dandy Collectors’ Club Articles for publication will be gratefully PO Box 3433 received and should be sent to the PO Box Brighton address as should any other correspon- BN50 9JA dence. United Kingdom Subscription costs (3 x newsletters) Tel 01273 673462 UK £9.95 (PayPal £10.60) Mob 07739 844703 Email [email protected] Europe £12.75 (PayPal £13.50) Web www.phil-comics.com Worldwide £14.50 (PayPal £15.50)

The BEANO and The DANDY logos are ®© DC Thomson & Co. Ltd., 2007. All associated characters are © DC Thomson & Co. Ltd.

Used By Kind Permission of DC Thomson & Co. Ltd.

... EDITORIAL tea ladies make “the worst cup of tea gramme to celebrate the forthcoming have and choose to re-subscribe to in the world” … “startling the script- 70 th birthday of the Beano and Dandy. the next three newsletters. writers into some kind of activity!” Finally, this newsletter concludes the Happy collecting! Worth a watch and, if enough of you Founder Member year of the club. were to write to the BBC, perhaps With 105 members to date, I think they would re-screen the show or, the club has been a success. I hope better still, produce another pro- you have enjoyed it as much as I Phil Shrimpton

CAPTION C OMPETITION Several entries were John Cleese, as Basil Fawlty in Fawlty acter is highly amusing. This image of received for the Des- Towers, and Rowan Atkinson as Mr. a rather scrawny Dennis is a particu- perate Dan caption Bean, the image of a thin, lanky char- lar favourite of mine. In thinking up competition, and the captions it may help if you have a winning entry, as copy of this annual in your collection, judged by The Dandy as you can look closely at the facial Editor, Craig Graham, expressions of the poor, innocent by- was supplied by Jona- standers. If you do not have a copy I than Juleff, of Cornwall: “If this can supply a high resolution image of doesn't work, I'll try the lawn- the cover, by email. mower next” The funniest It is worth a mention here that you caption, as are welcome to submit as many cap- judged by DC tions as you wish – the eighteen cap- Thomson, will tions we received for the competition win a VG/Fine came from just three members, so example of the brain storm your ideas and bombard 25 th Birthday us with captions! Beano comic from 1963. Last time we asked for captions for Please submit the main man of The Dandy, Desper- your captions ate Dan, so this time we are seeking to us by August captions for the main ‘man’ of The 30 th , 2007. Beano, Dennis The Menace. Below is the cover image from the classic 1956 Dennis The Menace annual. Just like

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LETTERS TO THE E DITOR Phil Thank you very much for the club pack and first two issues of the club magazine. Is my copy worth twenty thousand yet? It's mint! No? Perhaps in seventy years. Seriously, I had to write to say how much I enjoyed them both. Keep up the interesting stories. My favourites so far are the trip to Dundee and also the horde of Dandy Books still in the wrappings fifty years on. Incredible! The article where you found the guy's dog draw- ing from pet's corner made me think of something my father told me years ago. I started collecting Beano in the early 70's and, as per comic stereotype, my father would always get first look at the comic. He'd head straight for which was his favourite and had been since the first one. On one occasion, when he'd beaten me to the Beano once again and was busy laughing himself daft with Little Plum, he proceeded to tell me his favourite story. Apparently, the advent of TV21, I turned my child. They are iconic without being the story concerned Plum learning to back on the traditional boys' papers stuffy, moralistic but not preachy, drive. On taking his driving test, the of the past: against its glossy paper anarchic but with a strong sense of course was really easy because there and gravure printing they didn't Britishness. There is a magical, al- was just desert for miles and miles, stand a chance! Then I discovered most zen-like quality about them except for one cactus in the middle Marvel and DC, and abandoned Brit- which helps us open ourselves and of nowhere, which (of course) ish comics completely. rejoice in the absurdities all around manages to crash into. Even so, he us. And, more importantly, they still asks the instructor, "Have um Though I have remained a comics make me smile. passed?" Even given to me second collector ever since, it was only in hand I laughed, especially as it had the mid-nineties that I started pick- I must, however, admit to a prefer- amused my dad so much. I have no ing up The Beano and The Dandy ence for The Beano. As a child I al- idea when the story would be from again. I have no idea what prompted ways found it the livelier of the two, but always check in case I find it... I me to do so, but I do remember dis- partly because its black/red interior suspect the fifties. Have you ever covering how comics could be fun art was easier on the eye than The come across this one? I know it's a again - something their American Dandy's black/green, and partly be- long shot, but if by chance you hap- counterparts have long since forgot- cause I couldn't stand . pen upon it could you let me know? ten. After years of reading angst- In sales, spin-offs and public aware- Thanks once again for the club. I'm fuelled stories ending with downbeat ness The Dandy has always been in very pleased I joined. messages of cosmic awareness or the shadow of its younger sibling. the temporary incarceration of psy- Best regards, Paul Spice, Austrailia (Even your club name lists The cho-killers, it was such a relief to Beano first.) So I welcomed The Editor I’m pleased to say, Paul, that read stories that finish with an awful Dandy's makeover a couple of years the strip appeared in Beano comic pun or a slap-up meal. ago. Some of the new strips are #798 (2/11/57), as pictured. Enjoy! There's much to enjoy in the sense of quite quirky and experimental, and Dear Phil, dislocation found in The Beano and though a lot of it is not entirely to my Thanks for the first two issues of The Dandy. Much has been written taste, the comic now has a chance to your newsletter. It certainly is a about Desperate Dan's quaint Ari- shine without looking like a second- quality publication, which reflects zona hometown with its double- rate Beano. I wish it continued suc- favourably your enthusiasm and decker buses, pillar boxes and cob- cess, and will continue to support it bodes well for the future of the club. bled streets of terraced houses...but regardless. there is also the almost surreal na- It’s about time The Beano and The In the first issue of your newsletter, ture of Dennis the Menace himself. Dandy got their own fangroup. Ray Moore's article on how The How many of today's kids own a Beano and The Dandy got their I don't recall my first exposure to catapult - or even know what one is? names was very interesting. They The Beano or The Dandy - they were And Minnie the Minx's 'cartie' - have become so embedded in the just two of the many comics my knocked together from pram-wheels language as proper nouns that to see friends and I used to read, swap and and planks of wood - is something them used without capital letters throw away back in the early sixties. I've not seen round these parts since ("having a beano", "fine and dandy") I do know that they were never fa- I was of an age to be actively in- is decidedly odd. vourites of mine at the time. D. C. volved in the construction of such Thomson's comics always seemed vehicles myself. I enjoyed very much reading about more old-fashioned, less exciting your visit to D. C. Thomson's head- I enjoy The Beano and The Dandy than their IPC counterparts. And with quarters, a place I would dearly love more as an adult than I ever did as a

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to visit. To be surrounded by all that continued success. edge for me. Maybe some fans might wonderful artwork must have been like to know, if they don’t know al- Regards, Malcolm Furnass, Cumbria overwhelming. I was pleasantly sur- ready, that he did a few Big Eggos prised to read that you were shown Editor Thanks Malcolm, a very inter- and some Pansy Potters. At least they round by Bill McCloughlin - though I esting insight. Perhaps you can tell us look to me like they are. The ones I have never met him, he was very kind more about your days as a D.C. have are Big Eggos numbers 197 and and helpful to me during my brief Thomson script-writer… 198. The Pansy Potters 165, 180, 199 stint as a D. C. Thomson script-writer Dear Phil, and 220. There may be more but my many years ago. collection for pre-1943 having lots of Many thanks for the newsletters, very gaps. Dare we hope for a book about Nice to see a letters page in your sec- nicely put together. Good to see that this fine artist? Keep up the excellent ond issue. With so much history to Ray Moore is still doing good writing. work. chat and reminisce about this could His Beano and Dandy indexes occupy develop into a lively forum and I look a place of honour on my bookshelf, Geoff Newman, Hereford forward to reading other members' always something to learn from them. Editor Ray’s indexes are numerous, views and comments. And as for the I’ve been collecting B&D’s since the but of most interest to club members 'Oakley/Kerr Chronicles' - do you early sixties. A good collection but are The Beano Diaries and The Dandy really need to ask if we want to see with a few gaps. Like most collectors Monster Index . The Beano Diaries was more? Keep 'em coming! I’m a big fan of Dudley Watkins. limited to just 281 copies but both So as you may have gathered, your Though there were other artists his indexes are long out of print. They club has my wholehearted support. I equal (, Bill Holroyd can, however, be found on eBay from really like the tone you have estab- and Jack Prout) Dudley Watkins just time to time. lished and wish you all the best for its about had the ITEMS F OR S ALE phil-comics auctions list numerous scarce, vintage Brit- ish comic items on eBay regularly throughout the year, so please browse our eBay auctions under our userid phil-comics . You can go through the Live Auctions page of our website (www.phil-comics.com/auctions.php) to find them. Please make contact if you would like to be added to our mailing list, to receive email notifications when auctions are listed. Below is a selection of items available exclusively to members of the Collectors’ Club. We are working on a first come first served basis, so please make contact asap if you see item/s of interest. Further details, and pictures, are available on request. Postage and pack- aging is extra, at cost. Beano Book 1940 Reprint (Ltd Ed 2000) As New £75 Beano Book 1958: Split top spine o/w VG/VG+ £50 Beano Book 1963: Split base spine o/w VG £25 Beano Book 1964: PC o/w VG/VG+ £30 Beano Book 1965: VG £30 Beano comic Easter 1961: VG/Fine £10 Beano comic #881 First Three Bears: VG/VG- £12 Broons Annual 1939 Reprint: As New £11.99 Dandy Monster Comic 1939 Reprint: As New £11.99 Dandy Monster Comic 1940: Good (full spine) £625 Dandy comic Christmas 1946: VG/VG- £25 Dandy comic Fireworks 1964: Fine- £10 Magic-Beano Book 1950: VG/Fine £250

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JUMP , F ROGGY , J UMP ! by Phil Shrimpton A newsletter article on comic free gifts up to 1940. Sadly, but inevitably, the gifts pictured in the advert. The has been on the agenda since my war effort, and subsequent rationing, search was no mean feat, as it took very initial thoughts about starting up meant the practice of giving away nearly fifteen years when, last Au- the Collectors’ Club. Their elusive na- free gifts ceased. It was not until tumn, I finally managed to acquire ture, inventive names and finding twenty years later, in 1960, that free the highly elusive Dandy Whirlybird , one, long forgotten, tucked inside a gifts appeared again. still in original packaging. I know of comic are just some of the reasons only one other example. In the Beano, these were the Flying why I can’t get enough of them. As Snorter balloon and The Beano far as I can gather, they are not Clicketty Clicker . To date, I have widely collected, but perhaps that will never seen an example of the Flying soon change… Snorter , although am informed that Many of you will know the free gifts one was seen at an antiques fair in given with the #1 Beano & Dandy the Midlands in 2005, so perhaps a comics. They are, of course, the lucky collector somewhere has one. I Whoopee Mask and the Express Whis- do however know of several clickers, tler , respectively. Only one example in collections. There were four such of each are known to exist, both of which have been sold in the last eight years, at auction, securing their re- spective comic a world record price. There is so much focus on the #1 is- sues of any comic title, that the next few issues, from #2, often become neglected. This is also true of the free gifts. How many of you, for example, will know that those lucky children buying Beano comic #2 had probably clickers, featuring Dennis the Men- devoured most, if not all, of the 8 free ace, Little Plum, Minnie the Minx and sugar buttons Danny (from the Bash Street Kids), The Dandy Thunderbang is difficult (black as jet, and each came in a small brown pa- to find, but several examples have best you’ve per packet. appeared on the market in recent ever tasted years. The Dandy Whirlybird , how- yet) before Free gifts, in the later issues, were ever, has proved to be a much rarer turning the often incorporated in the front cover item. There is no doubt in my mind front cover? story. The Flying Snorter was no ex- why this is the case. Its flimsy iden- Was it a bird, ception, with the cover star Biffo the tifying paper wrapper would have was it a plane Bear featuring on the balloon: been discarded almost immediately, or was it a rendering the generic plastic toy ef- jumping frog fectively unidentifiable. I am sure that was seen that several examples have been on December found in attics and toy boxes over 11 th , 1937, the years but never sourced to the when the comic collecting world due to their Dandy comic anonymity. #2 hit the news stands? Many gifts, however, had the words As you may Beano or Dandy actually printed on have guessed, them; The Dandy ThunderBang , The it was the lat- Beano Big Bang Fun Gun and The ter! The jump- Humming Birdee, Free with “The ing frog was a Beano” (pictured) are examples that rather clever spring to mind. These gifts stand a little item. This good chance of being sourced from advert, found dusty lofts to the collections of the inside Dandy likes of you and me. comic #2, tells all. The front and back of the frog, In the early 1990s, I bought a collec- showing the tar, can be seen here: tion of 1980s Beano comics, locally in Birmingham, from a collector sell- ing up. Whilst flicking through the stash that evening, I was pleasantly surprised to find an original news- agent/wholesalers’ flyer advertising the free gifts with The Dandy from 1960, the first given since 1940. This Readers of the two comics were find essentially initiated my desire to treated well in the first two or three collect free gifts in general, and an DC Thomson took full advantage of years, with The Beano giving away eager search began to seek out both the fact they had numerous comics eight, and The Dandy ten, free gifts the comics and their respective free on the market at any one time. In

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1960 this included The Beano, The inside. To create a loud BANG, this The Beano & The Dandy have their Dandy, , The Topper, Ad- paper was relatively thin, and inevi- faithful following who will buy the venture and Hotspur amongst others, tably became broken after several comics regardless of the free gift, and so cross-advertising each comic such bangs. So, inside the comic but it seems a far cry from the late in various other comics was a sure- were instructions on how to make a 30s, 1960 and the 70s when getting fire way of increasing circulation. In new insert, aptly named the ‘firing- just two gifts a year must have been the comic preceding a free gift issue paper’: a real, unexpected, treat. there would be an advert for the im- pending free gift. From a small fea- ture to a full page advert, these ad- verts were appealing to the eye and are another enticing facet of the free gift theme. Full page adverts are shown here for the free gifts given with The Beano comic in 1960: Unsurprisingly, the rarest types of The following list details the free free gifts are the edible ones. It gifts given with The Beano and The would have taken an exceedingly Dandy comics up to the 1970s. We dedicated and disciplined child not to have details of those free gifts up to devour their free gift sweet, whether 1988 but, due to space limitations, that be a Licorice Pipe , of 1939, or a have been unable to list them here. dose of Hot Cinnamon Flavour Blast- Please make contact if you would like ing Powder Popping Candy (try say- the full list. ing that with a mouthful of said The Beano comic: Free Gifts item!) of 1986. The majority of free (1938-1978) gift sweets that I have come across, even from the 1980s/1990s, have #1 (30.7.38) Whoopee Mask seeped through their packets and #2 (6.8.38) 8 Sugar Buttons As a child, damaged the comic, so I’m pleased you’d proba- that most readers scoffed theirs back bly have banged, clicked, whirled or in their day! twirled your The next best thing to the free gift free gift to de- #15 (5.11.38) Jelly Baby Sweets sweet is the packet that the sweet struction within came in. Natu- #21 (17.12.38) Merry Xmas Mask minutes. As a rally, very few collector today, #36 (1.4.39) Big Bang Fun Gun of these sur- you invariably vive, but here #47 (17.6.39) Licorice Bow exercise cau- is the wrapper tion when just #69 (18.11.39) Licorice Pipe of The Dandy taking it out of Nougat Bar , #90 (13.4.40) Licorice Black Eyes its bag! I can’t from The deny a strong Dandy comic #40 (1938). urge to bang the bangers in Would it surprise you if I told you #953 (22.10.60) Flying Snorter Bal- my collection - there have been more free gifts loon The Big Bang given with The Beano comic within #954 (29.10.60) Beano Clicketty Fun Gun , of 1939, being a good ex- the last two years than there were Clicker ample - just to see if they work. Natu- given with both The Beano AND The rally, though, I am yet to fulfil this Dandy comics, combined, from 1937 #1522 (18.9.71) The Flying Fizzer urge! to 1988? A total of 74 free gifts were #1523 (25.9.71) The Humming given with The Beano and The Dandy One of Ray Moore’s latest research Birdee comics in their first fifty years. To- projects is to compile a comprehen- day, in the world of television, com- #1678 (14.9.74) The Happy Howler sive list of all the pink advertising puter games and the internet, pub- Siren flyer inserts found within The Beano lishing firms like DC Thomson are #1679 and The Dandy comics, which often faced with stiff outside competition (21.9.74) featured the free gifts. If you have for the attention of youngsters. The Super any such flyers within comics in your Euan Kerr, the former Beano Editor, Zoomer Bal- collection, feel free to supply me with informed me that it is difficult to sell loon details which can be forwarded to a comic today unless it has a free Ray. #1818 gift. Thus, the role of the free gift (21.5.77) Aside from the free gifts themselves, seems to have reversed, from a Pop Pistol the flyer inserts and the adverts in rarely given treat to accompany an the comics, another interesting aspect already popular comic, to being an #1819 of free gifts (mainly in earlier issues) essential selling tool. Whenever I (28.5.77) were small features in the comic re- visit my local newsagent, it seems Super Skim- lating to the free gift, such as that for that every comic has a gift at- mer the jumping frog, previously men- tached. So is it the case that the #1820 tioned. The Beano comic #36 con- comics that are most likely to sell (4.6.77) tained The Big Bang Fun Gun , a card- are not those with the best charac- Dennis and Chewy Toffee board style banger comprising a thick, ters and stories, but those with the Bar folded piece of card and brown paper best free gifts?! I have no doubt that

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#1892 #990 (12.11.60) Dandy Whirlybird (21.10.78) #991 (19.11.60) Dandy Thunderbang Super Fruity Lolli- #1529 (13.3.71) Dandy Thunderbang pop #1530 (20.3.71) Red Racketty #1893 #1662 (29.9.73) Korky’s Squeaky (28.10.78) Squawker Dennis the Menace #1663 (6.10.73) Whirly Twirly Glove Pup- pet #1895 (18.3.78) Zooming Boomer The Dandy comic: Free Gifts #1976 (6.10.79) Packet of Pop (1937-1979) Rocks (sweets) #1 (4.12.37) Express Whistler #1977 (13.10.79) Howly Yowlie Bal- loon #2 (11.12.37) Jumping Frog To conclude, my fifteen year search #11 (12.2.38) Dainty Dandy Nougat for The Dandy Whirlybird would be #12 (19.2.38) Dandy Tasty Toffee classed by some as frustrating, oth- ers as mad! I rather enjoyed it, as it #39 (27.8.38) Red Indian Bow and emphasised the fact that collecting is two arrows as much about the #40 (3.9.38) Dandy Nougat Bar of the chase as actually owning the item, and #53 (3.12.38) Dandy Fruity Lollipop shows that comic collect- #78 (27.5.39) Korky Balloon ing can last anything up to a lifetime. #90 (19.8.39) Flying Balloon and #1771 (1.11.75) Korky Glow Mask prop Having said that, I do #1772 (8.11.75) Funny Face Maker hope the Flying Snorter #121 (23.3.40) Nougat Bar #1894 (11.3.78) Dan’s Nutty Nougat shows its face soon!

WITH A R OUR , O UT THEY P OUR , E VERY AFTERNOON AT FOUR ! by Phil Shrimpton The Bash Street Kids - those loveable rogues from class third creation would help take The Beano to unprece- IIB who make the lives of Teacher, and their fellow pupil, dented levels of popularity and readership. Cuthbert Cringeworthy, a misery. They are household Much like the comic free gifts being advertised in preced- names throughout the land, so much so that earlier this ing issues, the same could be said of certain new strips. year a press release from DC Thomson needed very little, Minnie the Minx and had both had pre- if indeed any, introduction. A new Bash Street Kid was view appearances, and this new strip would be no excep- being sought, and DC Thomson decided to run a national tion. “ THEY’RE COMING! News about these neck-or- competition through nothing school kids NEXT WEEK! ” was seen accompanying the BBC’s Blue Peter. Over 27,000 entrants tried their luck, with the winning entrant, the above image in issue 602, whilst issue 603 contained James Thompson from the following preview image, which first let loose the Sheffield, coming up name of the now infamous school. Danny and Toots can with the idea of be seen leading the pack, and readers already enjoying ‘Wayne’s In the boisterous behaviour of the likes of Dennis the Men- Pain’ (pictured). ace and Minnie the Minx must have been very excited Wayne has at least about the news. three injuries at any one time, suffers paper cuts in English and excels at nam- ing the bones in the human body - because he has broken most of them. In essence, he is a clumsy but loveable character. A Beano spokesman said: "We liked Wayne because we knew we could do quite a lot with him in the background as he is always injured and having accidents. It was felt he would fit in perfectly with Bash Street School." The Bash Street Kids strip, originally entitled When the Bell Rings , first appeared in issue 604 (13.2.54), pictured I mentioned in the first newsletter that the Bash Street overleaf. It had two introductory boxes, followed by a Kids were the combined creation of and large open scene. This style was followed for the first the then Beano Editor, George Moonie, who gained inspi- twenty or so strips, before transforming to a more regular ration from watching the antics of the children, playing in comic strip of several boxes. Baxendale had a the yard of Dundee High School, from the editorial offices style and took advantage of the numerous characters, at the Thomson HQ. and more general school children, to great effect to create Baxendale had already proved his artistic talent with pranks left, right and centre. Minnie the Minx and Little Plum, so it was deemed his The regular nine Bash Street Kids that we have all come

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to know and love today are, in no particular order, Danny, calls the register and a Toots, Plug, Fatty, Wilfred, Spotty, Erbert, Smiffy and response of 'Present, Sidney. Teacher, Janitor, Janitor’s cat Winston, Olive the Sir' is required, he an- Cook and the Headteacher also feature regularly, whilst swers 'Gift, miss'! Cuthbert Cringeworthy is a pupil who started later than Spotty is a short char- the regular nine, in 1972. acter often compared to The characters did not all arrive at once. As mentioned, a Christmas pudding, Danny and Toots appeared in both preview features and but whose extraordinar- in issue 604. They were followed ily long tie often helps closely by Plug (originally Pug), pic- the group get out of tured, in issue 606, Fatty in 607, (and into) scrapes. Teacher in 609, Smiffy in 613, Wilfred is noted for the Wilfred in 618 and Sidney in 622. mystery concerning his neck, which is always hidden be- The title changed to The Bash Street hind the depth of his green jumper. On the occasions that Kids in November 1956 but, prior to he removes his jumper, all that is seen is a vest just as this, eight characters had been well high as his jumper! established, as seen in the following Cuthbert Cringeworthy joined the Bash Street Kids in title logo, earlier in 1956. Others, in 1972 and can be considered the brightest child in the this case Jimmy, Ella and Foghorn, class, and a teacher's pet. Interestingly, he looks very came and went. It was in 1959 that much like Teacher, which is a play on the DC Thom- son comics' tradition that pets look like their owners (Dennis and Gnasher) and his status as teacher's pet. Spotty arrived to complete the nonet. Pictured below are David Sutherland took over as The Bash Street Kids artist two logos showing the regular characters, in 1962 and replicated Baxendale’s style very well one of which depicts what would be consid- indeed. ered a politically incorrect image of today, as would the name ‘Fatty’. Wayne will be an interesting new addition to the plethora of character and personal- ity that resides in that famous classroom… Danny is the leader of the pack and wears a skull and cross bones sweater and a floppy red school cap which indicates his rebellious nature. He is quite crafty with a unique intelligence. Erbert is shortsighted and struggles to see even with his spectacles. Fatty is called Fatty by all and sundry, even Teacher, but this does not bother him and in fact he rather likes it (as well as Olive’s cooking!). Plug (full name Percival Proudfoot Plugsey) is a hideously ugly individual who, when pulling a face, actually be- comes less ugly (almost handsome). Sidney is Toots' twin brother who has the spiky hair resembling that of a chimney sweep’s brush, in which he takes pride. Toots is the only in the class, yet her tomboy nature makes her very tough and she fits in well with the crowd. Smiffy is a naive, somewhat dumb pu- pil. A classic example of this trait is when he confuses genders and nouns… when Teacher As full colour was introduced in the 1970s, the Bash Street Kids developed, and can be seen pictured, top right, as they have appeared, essentially unchanged, for over thirty years. It is no surprise that with such characters the strip has stood strong for over fifty years. May they continue for another fifty - at least!

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