The Beano Top 100.

[Kashgar]

91 with a Bullet) Fred's Bed (63) A strip that makes it into the Top 100 largely on the strength of reprints from its original run of appearances in the combined 'Beezer & Topper' comic where it had first appeared in 1990. But, as Beano readers are still currently eager to 'wonder what's under Fred's Bed' it seems likely that it will leap up the listings in the next few months and hence its Billboard magazine 'Bullet' status.
Artwork by Tom Paterson, David Parkins and a yuletide special by Lew Stringer.

[Kashgar]

90) and 89) No entries as three tied for 88.

88) The Country Cuzzins (64) This 1963 strip starred a bucolic bunch akin to the Bash St Kids who were always getting into trouble, when they got down from the wall on which they perenially sat, 'down on the farm'. Later reprinted in the boys picture paper Victor in 1974. Artwork by Hugh Morren.

[Kashgar]

88) The Great Flood of London (64) The first strip to feature in the Beano's full colour centre spread when introduced in Oct 1960. A fire ball from outer space causes the polar ice-cap to melt with disastrous results for the capital and most of Europe. Artwork by Dave Sutherland.

[Kashgar]

88) Young Strongarm the Axeman (64) A young viking warrior feared by Norman and Saxon alike for his axe throwing ability who amasses his Beano appearance score across three series (two strip, one text) in 1939, 1949 and 1957 with artwork in turn by Jack Glass, Fred Sturrock and Albert Holroyd.

[Kashgar]

87) Colin the Vet (65) A recent strip first appearing in 2004 in which Colin tries out his veterinary skills on an array of weird and wonderful patients. Artwork by Duncan Scott.

[Kashgar]

Sorry Colin the Vet should have been No 87.
86 with a Bullet) Pirates of the Caribeano (70) Like Karate Sid 20 years before this current strip owes its origins to a popular movie franchise. First appearing in 2006 (but set 300 years earlier) it tells the story of how shipwrecked mariner Deaths Head Danny (a distant ancestor of his Bash St namesake) becomes part of a crew of dysfunctional pirates who are dysfunctional even by pirate standards. Artwork by Barrie Appleby.

[Steve Bright]

Keep 'em coming, Ray - if I, as a non-collector/expert, am loving this feature, I'm sure everyone else is hanging on your every word. Much appreciated, Mr Moore!

It'd be nice to have some script-writing credits going on also, but since that unsung skill was often rotated at regular intervals among the office staff, it would be a bit of a nightmare to compile, even if the information was willingly given. So I'll just content myself with saying, if I recall correctly, that the entire Karate Sid run was written by currrent Beano chief sub, George Cobb (I'm open to correction on this from the inner sanctum, naturally)

Anyways...what's next, Kash?

[AndyB]

I fixed Colin's entry Wonder if we could persuade Euan or Alan to commission more of them for either Beano title...

[Peter Gray]

Loving it...wondering if to show the strips on another post...my blog to go with the info..
Little Monkey I'm sure Barrie A drew more Little Monkey...though willing to be wrong..
Loved that character at the time.hey its my era...with Karate Sid..Calamaty James..

[Brendan McGuire]

I am thoroughly enjoying this thread. Totally absorbing. Well done Kashgar.

[Kashgar]

Thanks for the positive feedback chaps. More of the Top 100 tomorrow. You could be right about Barrie Appleby re 'Little Monkey' Peter, he could have drawn a few more than Bob Nixon after he took over the strip. He certainly deserved a mention in any case.

[dandy mad]

A brilliant thread kashgar cant wait for your next post nice to see some of the early stuff in the top 100 hope some of my faves from the 80s will make it cheers mike

[Kashgar]

85) Matt Hatter (72) There can't have been to many strips devoted to hat salesmen and their attempts to sell all kinds of weird and wonderful titfers but this 1953-1955 Beano entry was certainly one. Artwork by George Drysdale.

[Kashgar]

84) The Wishing Tree (73) A moorland oak tree has the ability to grant peoples wishes in this text story that began in the Beano's first issue and so did it's acorns in the immediate sequel. This is the only entry in the Top 100 entirely in the prose story format. Artwork by Jack Glass and Jack Prout
(I entirely agree with Steve that it would be great to include the details of scriptwriters but in the majority of cases this is simply not possible. In the case of the above however the name of the author has come down through the years, possibly because it was a woman, and her name was Marjorie Taylor)

[Kashgar]

83) Two-Gun Tony - the King Street Cowboy (74) Perpetually clad in his cowboy outfit Tony, in this 1977-1978 strip, finds the 'Wild West' around every suburban corner. (Not to be confused with the 1968 Beano adventure strip 'The King Street Cowboys, of which it is not a sequel) Artwork BIll Ritchie.