Year of the Menace ends today

[swirlythingy]

Yes, one year ago today, Dennis celebrated his 60th birthday with considerably less style (let alone dignity) than he might have done, in a reprint-riddled, misprint-besmirched less-than-special number of the Beano, issue #3577 (the first).

This was, we were assured, merely the start.

A special issue of the Beano marking the anniversary goes on sale tomorrow, heralding a 12-month celebration called Year of the Menace.

Highlights will include free gifts of catapults and pea-shooters, which have become synonymous with the exploits of the character.

One story will feature US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour and Lib Dem party leaders Ed Milliband and Nick Clegg.

Twelve months have now passed. Can anyone remember when the last time the words "Year of the Menace" were even mentioned was?

Surely the point of a twelve-month celebration is that it lasts twelve months?

I particularly like the promise of "free gifts". Hah!

An editorial change at a key moment undoubtedly threw some things into flux, and it's very possible Alan Digby's decisions were reversed at the last minute (just look at the unseemly haste with which all mention of his last flagship project, Beano VIP, was dropped from the comic immediately after Mike Stirling took over), but I think we deserve an explanation.

[Raven]

I'd have been surprised if they'd given away a working catapult, with its potential for injury, though there is an official Dennis catapult toy with foam balls. Has the comic strip version started using weapons again of late?

[swirlythingy]

I'd have been surprised if they'd given away a working catapult, with its potential for injury, though there is an official Dennis catapult toy with foam balls.

Yes - as I recall, that was the one which was indeed packaged with one or other of the ripoff comics at some point during 2011.

Has the comic strip version started using weapons again of late?

Yes, quite some time ago, as part of the work done over 2011 to distance him from his cartoon self. I believe (can't check right now) that he has been firing rotten tomatoes on at least one occasion.

In last year's Dennis special retro annual, one of the last strips reprinted is from his 2009-10 politically correct era. For one and a half pages, Dennis walks around town holding a catapult, doing absolutely nothing with it, while all around him folk panic because "he's got a catapult!" In the last panel, the punchline is that he reveals that he was only ever intending to use it to do good deeds like the nice, kind little boy he is. Rest assured that doesn't happen any more.