The Beano Top 100.

Discuss or comment on anything relating to D.C.Thomson's second longest running comic. The home of Dennis the Menace. Has been running since 1938.

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LauraH
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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by LauraH »

Teensy correction on Ratz, Rod's not the main character, he's just one of three with Keef and Herman (although it does vary a lot which rat or rats stars in each week's story). Still, very cool that it's made it into the top 100 ^_^

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

I stand corrected Laura, maybe it's just that Rod seems to stand out because of his vile nature. I certainly didn't intend to hurt Keef and Herman's rodent sensibilities.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

72) The Prince on the Flying Horse (86) In four series (1938-1952), two in the text format and two adventure strip and with a few editorial name changes along the way, Beano readers followed the saga of Prince Dermod of Runa and his flying horse Silverwing. Artwork in turn by James 'Peem' Walker, Jack Glass and Ken Hunter.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

71) Richard the Lion (88) Richard, a mangy old lion born in a Manchester circus, helps Lord Threadbare and his motley staff (Oswald) run his down-at-heel safari park in this strip from 1974-1976. Artwork David Gudgeon.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

70) Contrary Mary the Moke (97) Subtitled 'You can't play a joke on Mary the moke' Mary was a donkey who was more than a match for the humans she came into contact with in this strip that ran in the Beano from No 1. Ten Years after her her solo strip ended Mary would return to the Beano in 1950 as one of the new animal recruits to Lord Snooty's gang along with Polly Wolly Doodle's huge dog Pongo. Artwork by Roland Davies reprising the success of his newspaper strip in a very similar vein only this time starring a crafty carthorse 'Come On, Steve!'.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

69) Ding-Dong Belle (98) In 1949-1951 the Beano land-grabbed a piece of Dandy territory when it published this strip set in Desperate Dan's home-town of Cactusville and starring the cow-town's female sheriff, a rootin', tootin' daughter of a gun named Ding-Dong Belle. Artwork Bill Holroyd.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

One point I realise I haven't made clear is that when it came to strips that are still currently appearing in the Beano I took the count from the last available issue I had to hand at the time of compling the list which was No 3438 dated Jun 28th 2008. Most of the strips that are currently appearing will therefore have increased their tally by five when the 70th Birthday issue (No3443) finally appears.
Nearly a third of the way through the list and next time we come to the first titles that broke the 100 issue barrier, one of them a true Beano legend.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

68) Scrapper (101) In two series published between 1955 and 1959 Snooty's pal Scrapper Smith notched up a century of solo appearances. Artwork George Drysdale and Albert Holroyd.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

67) The Shipwrecked Circus (104) A relatively lowly position in the Top 100 for one of the Beano's most fondly remembered adventure strips which managed to spin-out the survival of Samson's Circus on a island in the South Seas for six series (including a reprint) between 1943 and 1958. Artwork by Dudley Watkins, Jack Prout and Paddy Brennan.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

66) The Danger Man (106) The nearest the Beano got to containing a super-hero with a back story that wouldn't have been out of place in a Marvel or DC comicbook as, aged five, an Earth boy is taken to Mars and given special training in order that, as an adult, he can return to his home planet and be the world's champion when danger threatens. He was latterly helped in his three series (1959-1961) by two equally super-powered young twins Jet and Jane. Artwork Michael Darling.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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65) Hooky's Magic Bowler Hat (108) While picnicking in the Beano's first issue Hooky Higgs offers an old Indian carpet seller a piece of home-made cake and in thanks for his kindness is given a bowler hat which, when rubbed, conjures up a wish-granting genie. Artwork Charles 'Chick' Gordon.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

64) Our Ned (114) A very creditable position for what was usually a single line strip in which the young hero was endlessly confused by his literal interpretation of everything that was said to him e.g. he swots for the school medical exam etc. Artwork Albert Holroyd.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

63) Joe King (122) Slightly problemmatic entry this one as Joe King, the baseball cap wearing joke teller, was more of a front-man for feature pages than a fully fledged comic strip star (1995-2001) but I think he deserves inclusion for Bob Dewar's zany, psychedelic artwork if nothing else.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

No entry for 62 as two tiles tied for 61.

61) Prince Whoopee (123) Subtitled 'Your Pal from the Palace' Whoopee had too much royal time on his hands which he spent getting into mischief and subsequently into the bad books of the palace courtiers and his Dad, the King. His ignoble presence gracing two series (1955/1957) and drawn, in turn, by Charles Grigg and George Drysdale.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Kashgar »

61) Have-a-go-Joe (123) Joe was the Desperate Dan type in that he was large of muscle and small of brain but, to his credit, he was always willing to give any job, however dangerous, a go. Running from 1949 to 1951 his comic strip outings also encompassed a second strip tiled 'The Beano Cinema'. Artwork Bill Holroyd.

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