Loving Minnie the Minx - Retro with a twist

[Digifiend]

As for Minnie, it's the second time in three weeks that Ken hasn't drawn her - she was completely absent from the animal theme issue two weeks ago. Wonder why he's not doing 51 strips a year? I mean, he only does that and the monthly Classics cover nowadays!

Ken does more than you see in the Beano, he's so busy that sometimes I've had to rush out a deputized Minnie and I'm already busy!

The Classics cover I've mentioned. What else does he do? His only other current artwork I can think of would be for annuals, such as Winker Watson for Dandy. He doesn't do anything at all for Dandy Xtreme.

Since last week's Minnie did focus more on Chester, I'm beginning to think it was meant for the previous issue.

[Jonny Whizz]

Maybe he might be drawing something else that no one's spotted yet, or he's drawing for a comic we've never heard of (not very likely I admit, especially on here!).

Ken is a top artist though, and his Minnies have been great recently.

[Digifiend]

Well he must do something, because the person who says so is another of the Beano artists! Nigel, over to you.

Oh, and I assume you were joking when you mentioned Beezer's Rats. You wouldn't get confused about your own strip after all! By the way, feel free to correct me if my info about it was wrong.

[Classic Comics]

As the current Minnie writer I probably should answer this. Ken Harrison is our Minnie artist and I hope he remains so for a very long time. He's a joy to write scripts for, as indeed he was when I wrote Desperate Dan for him. Great artist and a really nice bloke. If there's not a Ken Minnie in an issue of the Beano there's a very good reason for it - but rest assured, he remains our Minnie artist.

[Digifiend]

That doesn't really answer it, since the question was "what does he draw besides Minnie the Minx and the Classics from the Comics covers?". I know he does the majority of Minnie strips and is thus her main artist, but he seems to miss at least one issue a month. Nigel said he does more than just his Beano work (i.e. Minnie) - but apart from the Classics covers and any annuals work, I'm drawing a blank. Considering how long he's been in the biz, it wouldn't surprise me if that's because it is all he does. After all Dave Sutherland only does Bash Street nowadays. So am I right in thinking the "Good reason" you mention would be either a Classics cover or an annual story being drawn that week?

I certainly agree about longevity. He's been drawing for Thomsons for more than 30 years, I would hope he can last as long as Dave, who will have worked for The Beano (not the whole company, just The Beano) for 50 years next year. Minnie needs someone who can draw her for years, like she had when Jim Petrie drew her. I hope Ken can be that person. He's her third regular artist (and not concurrently like Dennis) this decade (Petrie left in 2001, then Tom Paterson took over, but when he started drawing Dennis and Ken stopped doing Dan, Ken took over her).

[Steve Henderson]

Steve Horrocks was pretty regular too, loved his minnie comics! Ken is pretty fantastic though! I only had one problem with tom patersons minnie and that was the way he drew minnies dad at first he changed it though and made it brill! Classic comics what else do you write?

[Jonny Whizz]

There was something strange with Minnie the Minx in autumn 2006. Both of Minnie's parents had changed - Wikipedia states that they looked more like Edd's (from the Numskulls) parents, but bore a striking resemblance to Sweeney Toddler's parents. Also, Tom Paterson drew it in a distinctly different style. In June 2007, her parents returned to normal, and the drawing style reverted to how it was. In a brief, failed experiment in the winter of 2007-08 (when Tom was drawing her), she was given a red and yellow striped jumper but this was swiftly reversed once Ken took over.

Ken didn't immediately start drawing Minnie after he stopped doing Dan. He stopped doing Dan when the Dandy turned Xtreme (August 2007 - The Dandy then reprinted DDW strips until Jamie Smart took over) and started on Minnie in March 2008. However, Robbie Rebel, also drawn by Ken, ended a few weeks before his first Minnie appeared. Tom has been drawing Dennis since April 2007 but only occasionally until spring 2008, when it became regular for there to be two Dennis strips in the comic, one at the front (usually drawn by NP or Jimmy Hansen), and Tom's version at the back.

I hope too that Ken can continue for years just like Jim Petrie. The current strips are great fun.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

KEN HARRISON was----and perhaps still is----actively involved in the 'rag trade' business, a business interest he certainly had at the time he was the principal DAN artist; however, whether he still is actively involved in this work, I ain't too sure.

[Steve Henderson]

When was the last time you saw Edd from the Numbskulls Dad? to the best of my knowledge hes not a character, I'm trying but I cannot picture him!

[Digifiend]

Edd's Mum is a single parent. His Dad has never been mentioned. Fred's Dad (Fred's Bed) has only appeared once as well, in one of Hunt Emerson's strips recently. In the reprinted Topper series, Fred's Mum was another single parent. The other Fred, Freddie Fear, also has no father. Desperate Dan in The Dandy is another example. His mother has been seen in flashbacks, but not his father to my knowledge. In the present day set stories, we only ever see his Aunt Aggie, Grandpappy (Grandfather), and Danny & Katie, his niece and nephew. He had four brothers in one annual, but it was never explained if any of them are Danny and/or Katie's Dads. Katie's parents appeared in her first appearance.

[AndyB]

Going to contradict you on that. Barry Glennard has certainly drawn Edd's dad on at least one occasion, and Kashgar will doubtless be able to find out when. I remember it because he's definitely a Tom P character, if that makes sense?

I've a notion Danny and Katey may be the kids of Dan's sister, from my memories of The Legend of Desperate Dan.

[Digifiend]

In Katie's debut, her mother was shown, and had Dan's muscles and chin, so I think you're right about her. But not Danny, as Danny is her cousin, not her brother, I've checked. It's mentioned on page 64 of The Legend of Desperate Dan, originally published in The Dandy dated March 2nd 1957 (the week after her debut, which isn't shown). "Come and play with my dolls, cousin Danny". So you need to reread that book, as you haven't remembered it entirely correctly.

[Old Freddy]

Edd's Mum is a single parent. His Dad has never been mentioned. Fred's Dad (Fred's Bed) has only appeared once as well, in one of Hunt Emerson's strips recently. In the reprinted Topper series, Fred's Mum was another single parent. The other Fred, Freddie Fear, also has no father. Desperate Dan in The Dandy is another example. His mother has been seen in flashbacks, but not his father to my knowledge. In the present day set stories, we only ever see his Aunt Aggie, Grandpappy (Grandfather), and Danny & Katie, his niece and nephew. He had four brothers in one annual, but it was never explained if any of them are Danny and/or Katie's Dads. Katie's parents appeared in her first appearance.

Actually Dan's Dad appeared in a flashback in the Dandy book 1973. It shows Dan as a baby who wants more christmas pudding.

[Steve Henderson]

Dans granny has been in it too, as you may have guessed she has a massive chin and muscles, aunt aggie seems to be the only one who isnt muscley perhaps she is a vegetarian and dosnt eat the cow pie and owl hoot juice that makes them so strong! As for edds dad what do you think of his dad being 'our man' from the old beezer strips! Of all the parents to seperate you would think it would be dennis the menaces!

[Digifiend]

Our Man? Maybe in The Beezer and Topper version, which introduced Edd but still had six Numskulls. It only became 5 Numskulls when it moved to the Beano, so there's no continuity.