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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AndyB
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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by AndyB »

Maybe he's related to the sheep!

I'd forgotten about Danny's Nanny. I'm quite a fan of Mr Mostyn.

Kashgar
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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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39) Kat and Kanary (236) The Beano's answer to Warner Bros Tweety Pie and Sylvester which ran to three series in the 1950's (1952-1958). Artwork Charles Grigg, Leo Baxendale, Albert Holroyd and Gordon Bell.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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38) The Q Bikes (247) The gang, four boys and a girl, who took the cycling proficiency test and rewrote the rules. Radio-helmetted heroes of a simpler time their adventures ran to six series between 1963 and 1971 (including one as the Q Karts) and a sixth member was added to the squad towards the end. Post Beano they also featured in two strips in the boys picture paper Buddy in 1981. Artwork throughout by Andy Hutton.

Re Buddy, I forgot to mention in the Iron Fish entry that it became a major strip in that title too (1981-1983) drawn by six different artists.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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37 with a bullet) Freddie Fear (255) Debuting in 2002 Freddie is a 'son of a witch' according to the strips rather 'near' byline (well 'near' for the Beano) and is cursed with being a pretty ordinary kid with a mother who is more 'out there' than he is with her retro Morticia Addams look and the unnerving capacity to use her witchery at the drop of a pointed hat. Artwork Dave Eastbury.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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36) Cocky Dick (257) With a snicker-making title to conjure with in these more knowing times and subtitled 'He's smart and slick' Cocky was a little bird (sporting a black and red hooped jumper many years before a similar jersey became the sartorial trademark of another Beano character) who you crossed at your peril. The Cocky strip ran for 8 years and was drawn by two-line strip maestro Allan Morley.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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35) Punch and Jimmy (263) Aptly dubbed 'The Terrier Twins' they put the sibling in sibling rivalry and never stopped fighting with each other in all the time they appeared in the Beano (1962-1967) much to the exasperation of their long-suffering Mum and the amusement of their ever-present pet mouse. Artwork Dave Jenner.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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34) Billy the Cat (266) Bespectacled schoolboy William Grange was an orphan who lived with his Aunt Mabel in the town of Burnham, a swotty looking kid with an amazing dual identity as the crimefighter Billy the Cat. He starred in five long series between 1967 and 1973 (in the latter two accompanied by his cousin and crimefighting side-kick Katie) and then, after a thirty year sabbatical, he returned for two short series in 2003 and 2005 while, in between, having been a virtually ever present star attraction in the boy's paper Buddy in the 1980's. Beano artwork by Dave Sutherland, Sandy Calder, Wayne Thompson and Nigel Dobbyn.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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33) Jonah (276) This may seem a pretty lowly position for one of the Beano's archetypal comic characters but then it speaks volumes for the strips quality, rather than it's quantity, than in less than six years (1958-1963) it forged itself a legendary status that has not been diminished with the passing of the years. Jonah was followed in the Beano by his sister Jinx (1963) and much later and very briefly by his own luckless offspring in Son of Jonah (1992-1993) but it took the Dandy to give 'Im himself his last berth to date (1993). Reprints of the Jonah strip appeared in both the Hornet and Buddy in the 1970's and 1980's. Artwork Ken Reid and Michael Barratt.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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32) Hairy Dan (277) A pretty remarkable run (1938-1946) for a strip in which an old guy uses his, admittedly pretty luxuriant, face fur to carry the day in all sorts of situations. Artwork Basil Blackaller and George Drysdale.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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31) The Magic Lollipops (287) Subtitled 'Suck 'em and See' a jar of lollipops carried a magical twist in every lick throughout this strips ten year run (1941-1951). Artwork Allan Morley (the artists most successful Beano strip).

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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30) General Jumbo (297) When he saves the life of inventor Prof Carter Alfie 'Jumbo' Johnson is rewarded by the Prof with a miniature army, navy and air force that he can control via a press-button wrist panel. Appearing in a total of eight series between 1953 and 1975 and a further one-off appearaance in 1998 Jumbo takes the accolade for being the highest placed out and out adventure strip in the Beano Top 100.
As well as his Beano outings Jumbo also featured quite frequently in Nutty and Buddy in the 1980's.
Beano artwork Paddy Brennan, John Nichol, Dave Sutherland, Sandy Calder and Keith Robson.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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29) Tin-Can Tommy (303) With the byline 'The Clockwork Boy' this comic strip (1938-1947) must have one of the saddest, not to say disturbing beginnings in all comics history as inventor Professor Lee creates a mechanical boy to try and replace the dead son he and his grief-stricken wife have lost. Artwork Torelli Bros Art Agency, Sam Fair, George Drysdale and Charles 'Chick' Gordon.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

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28) Rip Van Wink (326) With a decided nod to Washington Irving an old guy, who falls asleep for 700 years, tries to come to terms with the modern world (1938-1948, 1958) when he wakes up. Artwork Eric Roberts, James Crighton and Gordon Bell.

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by rossmac »

Thanks for all the work you're putting into this list Kashgar! Even as someone who is more of a Dandy fan and has only read the Beano on occasion through the years I'm finding this fascinating...

I know the Dandy's anniversary was last year, but any chance of the same such list for it?

Regards,
Ross

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Re: The Beano Top 100.

Post by Peter Gray »

I'd second it... :)

This is just amazing...some characters are so interesting I want to read them...

Thanks so much Kashgar for your wonderful tribute.
Calamity James wonder when he comes in...numbeer 13 :lol:

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