The History
The Beano was until recently the second longest running comic title published by D.C Thomson & Co, Ltd (the longest running was The Dandy) and is undoubtedly their most successful foray into the industry. Launched on 30th July 1938 under the oversight of original editor George Moonie, it has run weekly ever since, aside from during the Second World War when paper shortages meant that Beano and Dandy were published on alternate weeks. Among the iconic characters featured in the title over the years are Dennis the Menace, The Bash Street Kids, Roger the Dodger, Minnie the Minx, Billy Whizz, Grandpa and Lord Snooty. Almost all of the Beano's most successful strips feature children as the protagonists, most of them wild and unruly, which is possibly why Beano's sales have over the decades almost constantly exceeded those of the generally more conservative and less anarchic Dandy. Because of The Dandy's switch to fortnightly frequency in 2007, The Beano is now the World Record holder as the longest running weekly comic. Since the Dandy's cancellation, it is now the last of the traditional British juvenile humour comics (or was, until the relaunch of Monster Fun in 2022).
See Also
- Beano Annual
- Beano Summer Special
- The Beano Christmas Cracker
- BeanoMAX
- Beano Comic Library
- Beano Superstars
- Fun-Size Beano
- The Beano Video
- Beanotown Racing
- Beanoland
- Dennis the Menace Annual
- Dandy/Beano Celebration Sticker Album
Comic strips
1930s
- Big Eggo
- Lord Snooty and his Pals
- Uncle Windbag
- Tin-Can Tommy
- Pansy Potter
1940s
- Biffo the Bear (1948-1986; 1989-1999)
- Musso the Wop (1940-1943)
- Jack Flash (1949-58)
1950s
- Dennis the Menace (1951-present)
- Roger the Dodger (1953-1960; 1961-present)
- Little Plum (1953-1986; 2002-2007)
- Minnie the Minx (1953-present)
- The Bash Street Kids (1954-present)
- The Three Bears (1959; 1960-1985; 1988-1995; 1999-2007; 2010)
- Grandpa (1955-1984)
- Jonah (1958-1963)
1960s
- Punch and Jimmy
- Billy Whizz (1964-present)
- Dog's Tale (1967)
- Pup Parade (1967-1988; 2003-2004)
- The Belles of St. Lemons
- Q-Bikes
1970s
- The Nibblers (1970-1974; 1977-1984)
- The McTickles (1971-1974)
- Baby-Face Finlayson
- Wee Ben Nevis (1974-1977)
- Ball Boy (1975-present)
- Tom, Dick and Sally (1975-1986)
- Jacky Daw with Maw and Paw (1976-1978)
- Gnasher's Tale (1977-1986)
1980s
- Smudge (1980-1986; 1989-1999)
- Rasher (1984-1988; 2009)
- Pepper the Pony and Lucinda (1984-1985)
- Ivy the Terrible (1985-2011)
- Simply Smiffy (1985-1987)
- Calamity James (1986-2007; 2009-2010)
- Little Monkey (1987-1988)
- Karate Sid (1987-1988)
- Number 13 (1987-2002; 2011-present as Number 13 Beano Street)
- The Germs (1988-2004; 2011-present as Totally Gross Germs)
1990s
- Les Pretend (1990-2007; 2008-2010)
- Go, Granny, Go (1992-1998)
- The Yeti with Betty (1993-1994)
- The Numskulls (1993-present)
- Vic Volcano (1995-1996)
- Joe King (1995-2001)
- Tim Traveller (1997-2004)
- Crazy for Daisy (1997-2007)
- Bea/Beaginnings (1998-2009)
- Dean's Dino (1999; 2004)
- Gordon Bennett (1999-2000; 2005)
- Tricky Dicky (1999-2000)
2000s
- Splodge (2000-2001)
- Come to Beanotown (2000-2002)
- Freddie Fear (2002-present)
- Robbie Rebel (2002-2008; 2011)
- Joe Jitsu (2004-2006)
- Colin the Vet (2004-2006)
- Derek the Sheep (2004-2011)
- Bash Street - Singled Out (2004-2010)
- Zap Zodiac (2005)
- The Neds (2005-2007)
- Ratz (2006-present)
- Pirates of the Caribeano (2006-2009)
- Fred's Bed (2007-present)
- The Riot Squad (2007-present)
- Johnny Bean from Happy Bunny Green (2007-2010)
- London B412 (2007-2008)
- Olaff the Madlander (2008)
- Lord Snooty the Third (2008-2011)
2010s
- Meebo and Zuky (2010-present)
- Dangerous Dan (2011-present)
- Bananaman (2012-present)
Adventure stories
- Bucktooth, the Boy Who Lives in a Barrel
- General Jumbo
- Iron Fish
- Billy the Cat (drawn by Richard Elson in 2003)
- The Q Bikes
- Morgyn the Mighty
- Jimmy and his Magic Patch
- the Hovertank