Cartoons Comics & Toons

Dennis the Menace and Gnasher


"The Beano" is a trademark of and © DC Thomson & Co. Ltd. Associated characters are © DC Thomson & Co. Ltd.

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, published by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, Dundee, Scotland, 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.

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. 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).

The main recurring storyline throughout the years features Dennis's campaign of terror against a gang of 'softies', particularly Walter. Bad things tend to happen to Walter quite regularly. Dennis usually used to get away with his mischief for a while before ending up getting a spanking from his father, for which Dennis's father used a slipper. Dennis' best defence involved sticking a thick book down his shorts. 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.

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. It is notable that another Beano character, Minnie The Minx, also wears this colour jumper. He uses his faithful pea shooter, catapult and water pistol. 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.

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.

Dennis the Menace and Gnasher Merchandise (UK Only)

Movies, Videos and DVDs

Dennis The Menace - Vol. 1 - Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow/The Day They Took Gnasher Away (Animated) (DVD)
Dennis The Menace - Vol. 1 - Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow/The Day They Took Gnasher Away (Animated) (DVD)
DVD Certificate: (U) Release Date: 10/01/05
Two episodes of Dennis and his faithful canine friend Gnasher. Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow - Dennis is determined not to lose his head of hair. The Day They Took Gnasher Away - Dad sends Gnasher away to Dog Training School to be turned into the perfect pooch, but Dennis discovers that the school is not what it seems.
£5.99 GBP

Dennis The Menace (Animated) Region 2 DVD
Dennis The Menace (Animated) Region 2 DVD
Featuring the episodes: 'Bath Night Club' and 'Dennis Ahoy'.
Starring: Dennis The Menace
Length: 90 minutes
Screen Format: 4:3 Full Frame

Dennis the Menace Annual
Dennis the Menace Annual
ISBN: 1845350464 Published: Sep 2005 Format: Paperback Dennis the Menace Annual

Dennis The Menace And Gnasher - Vol. 1 (DVD)
Dennis The Menace And Gnasher - Vol. 1 (DVD)
DVD Certificate: (U) Release Date: 03/05/04
Four episodes of Dennis and his faithful canine friend Gnasher.
Includes: The Competition, Summer Holiday, Menace Power and Dennisaurus Rex.
£5.99 GBP

Dennis The Menace And Gnasher - Vol. 2
Dennis The Menace And Gnasher - Vol. 2
VIDEO Certificate: (12) Release Date: 07/06/04
Four episodes of Dennis and his faithful canine friend Gnasher. Includes: Dennis Sitting, Haunted House, Oil Strike and Mauled.
£4.99 GBP

Dennis The Menace And Gnasher - Vol. 3 (DVD)
Dennis The Menace And Gnasher - Vol. 3 (DVD)
DVD Certificate: (U) Release Date: 12/07/04
Four episodes of Dennis and his faithful canine friend Gnasher.
Includes: Journey To The Centre Of The Bed, Skull And Crossbones, Snowbound and Monster Menace.
£5.99 GBP

All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.


Other Sites: Play Poker | Yankees Baseball | Cartoons - Comics | FIFA World Cup Soccer 2006 | Oscar Awards | Grammy Awards | Golden Globe Awards | Movies | Bollywood Celebrities | Hollywood Celebrities | Paris Hilton | Aishwarya Rai | Sania Mirza | Sachin Tendulkar
News Channels: India News | Kerala - Malayalam News | Malayalam Movie News | Tamilnadu - Tamil News | Karnataka - Kannada News | Andhra Pradesh - Telugu News | More Indian News | World News | Latest Sports News
Cricket: [Cricket Home] [India vs Australia] [India vs Bangladesh] [India vs England] [India vs Newzealand] [India vs Pakistan] [India vs Sri Lanka] [India vs South Africa] [India vs West Indies] [India vs Zimbabwe] [World XI's Matches] [Pakistan Cricket Site] [Live Cricket Telecast] [BCCI]