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===Other adaptations===
===Other adaptations===
Dennis has been the subject of a number of animated adaptations, as well as a [[CBS]] sitcom from 1959 to 1963 starring [[Jay North]] as Dennis and both [[Joseph Kearns]] and [[Gale Gordon]], successively, as Mr. (George and John) Wilson. A 1993 [[live-action]] film starred [[Walter Matthau]] as Mr. Wilson. This was followed up with ''Dennis the Menace Strikes Again!'' in 1998 starring [[Don Rickles]] as Mr. Wilson.
Dennis has been the subject of a number of animated adaptations, as well as a [[CBS]] sitcom from 1959 to 1963 starring [[Jay North]] as Dennis<ref>{{cite news
| title = DENNIS THE MENACE Goes on TV
| last = KORMAN
| first = SEYMOUR
| publisher = Chicago Daily Tribune
| date = [[1959-09-26]]
| url = http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/593551392.html?dids=593551392:593551392&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Sep+26%2C+1959&author=SEYMOUR+KORMAN&pub=Chicago+Daily+Tribune&desc=DENNIS+THE+MENACE&pqatl=google
| accessdate = 2008-09-18 }}</ref> and both [[Joseph Kearns]]<ref>{{cite news
| title = JOSEPH KEARNS, 55, TV ACTOR, IS DEAD; Played Mr. Wilson of 'Dennis the Menace' on C.B.S.
| publisher = The Seattle Times Company
| date = [[1962-02-18]]
| url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30C12FB3C5910728DDDA10994DA405B828AF1D3
| accessdate = 2008-09-18 }}</ref> and [[Gale Gordon]], successively, as Mr. (George and John) Wilson. A 1993 [[live-action]] film starred [[Walter Matthau]] as Mr. Wilson. This was followed up with ''Dennis the Menace Strikes Again!'' in 1998 starring [[Don Rickles]] as Mr. Wilson.


For some years, Dennis the Menace was the "spokestoon" for [[Dairy Queen]]; he has since been supplanted by other cartoon characters.
For some years, Dennis the Menace was the "spokestoon" for [[Dairy Queen]]; he has since been supplanted by other cartoon characters.


In 2005, comics publisher [[Fantagraphics]] began to reprint Ketcham's entire run on ''Dennis the Menace'' in a 25-volume series over eleven years.
In 2005, comics publisher [[Fantagraphics]] began to reprint Ketcham's entire run on ''Dennis the Menace'' in a 25-volume series over eleven years.<ref>{{cite news
| last = ESTRADA
| first = GEORGE
| title = Antics of "Dennis the Menace" back in print
| publisher = The Seattle Times Company
| date = [[2005-08-08]]
| url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2002426706_dennis08.html
| accessdate = 2008-09-18 }}</ref>


# ''Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace'' (1951-52) ISBN 1-56097-680-2
# ''Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace'' (1951-52) ISBN 1-56097-680-2

Revision as of 08:39, 18 September 2007

This article is about the American comic strip. For other uses, see Dennis the Menace.


Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace cartoon 86-88
Author(s)Hank Ketcham
Marcus Hamilton
Ron Ferdinand
Launch dateMarch 12, 1951
End datepresent
Syndicate(s)Daily Ink
Publisher(s)Fantagraphics Books

Dennis the Menace is a daily syndicated newspaper comic strip originally created, written and illustrated by Hank Ketcham since March 12, 1951, which made its debut in only 16 newspapers. Now written and drawn by Ketcham's former assistants, Marcus Hamilton and Ron Ferdinand, it is distributed to more than at least 10,000 newspapers in 48 countries and 19 languages by King Features Syndicate, the comic strip usually runs for a single panel on weekdays and a full strip on Sundays.

Dennis was so successful that he was later made into many kinds of popular media, including a 1960's live-action television sitcom, a 1980's animated television series, a 1987 made-for-TV live-action movie, a 1993 theatrical live-action film and another animated series based on that film, and there is also a 1981 animated prime-time television special, a 1998 direct-to-video live-action sequel that followed the 1993 live-action film and a 2002 animated television movie, and an upcoming 2007 Christmas special film, with a 2008 Halloween special film in already in development.

Characters

  • Dennis Mitchell - a bumbling, but lovable, blond-haired, angel-faced little devil, five-year-old boy with a penchant for mischief. Everywhere he goes, Dennis' wide-eyed curiosity, well-meaning attempts to help out and his youthful nature always seem to lead to trouble.
  • George Everett Wilson - a retired postal carrier, Dennis' next-door neighbor. Dennis worships Mr. Wilson but often annoys him as he regularly disrupts Mr. Wilson's attempts at a serene, quiet life. As a result, the gruff old man overtly displays a less-than-cordial attitude towards the young boy, though Dennis continues his well-meaning intrusions unabated.
  • Martha Wilson - Mr. Wilson's engaging wife, Martha, coddles Mr. Wilson, adores Dennis and sees him as a surrogate grandson, since the Wilsons never had any children.
  • Henry Mitchell & Alice Mitchell - Dennis' father, an engineer and Dennis' stay-at-home mother. His long-suffering parents can only shake their heads and try to explain their son's antics to others.
  • Ruff - Dennis' dog. Ruff is always eagerly following him around, accompanying him running, riding his bike or his skateboard.
  • Joey McDonald - Dennis' friend, who usually bumbles around while Dennis tries to help him control his movements.
  • Margaret Wade - Dennis' friend, whose impatience and humiliation is always getting on Dennis’s nerves.
  • Gina Gillotti - Dennis' friend, a tomboy who is a respectful inferior to Margaret.
  • Grampa Johnson
  • Hot Dog - Dennis' rarely-seen cat

In tone, Dennis is most like an escapee from a 1930s movie, such as an Our Gang film, and can be seen as a derivative of another mischievous comic strip creation, The Katzenjammer Kids. Dennis the Menace also serves as a prototype for other cartoon troublemakers, such as Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes), and Bart Simpson.

History

Inspiration

The inspiration for the comic strip came from Dennis Lloyd Ketcham, the real life son of Hank Ketcham,[1] who was only 4 years old when he refused to take a nap and somehow messed up his whole room. Dennis attended Arnold School on Randall Street in Pembroke, Massachusetts, a reformatory school for delinquent boys. Hank tried many possible kid names for the character he was drawing in his desktop in his home at Carmel, and translated them into some his rough pencil sketches, but they seem unsuitable for a character of such immense depiction, until his studio door flew open and his then-wife Alice, in utter exasperation, exclaimed, "Your son is a menace!" Thus the "Dennis the Menace" name was used, the "menace" epithet and the image of the tornado stuck. The character of Henry Mitchell even bore a striking resemblance to Ketcham himself, who also became a fixture in the strip.

Debut

Dennis the Menace comic strip made its debut on March 12, 1951,[2] in the following year in 16 newspapers across the US for the first time.

Coincidentally, another cartoon strip titled Dennis the menace was published in the United Kingdom on March 15 (cover dated March 17 - the "off sale" date) of the same year.[citation needed] In the UK, the US cartoon series is known simply as Dennis.

Award

Ketcham received the Reuben Award for the strip in 1953.[3]

Publishers

Dennis the Menace has been published in comic books and comic digests from the 1950s through at least the 1980s by a variety of publishers, including Standard/Pines (1953-58), Fawcett Comics (during their only return to comics after losing the Captain Marvel lawsuit) (1958-80), and Marvel Comics (1981-82). These were produced by others, in particular Al Wiseman in the 1950s and 60s, who was one of Ketcham's assistants and Ron Fredinand in the 1980s, a Sunday page artist who drew several of the Dennis stories of the Marvel books, including the cover for issue #11. There have also been paperback book collections of the comic strips and comic books during the same time period from Avon Books, Gold Medal, Crest, and others.

Ketcham gradually turned the production of the strip over to his assistants Ron Ferdinand and Marcus Hamilton,[4] who continued it after his death in 2001,[5] due to a heart attack at age 81.[citation needed] In 2005, Dennis appeared as a guest for Blondie and Dagwood's 75th anniversary party in the comic strip Blondie.[verification needed]

Comic book

Dennis had being produced in comic book format for many years. The first issue of Dennis the Menace was published in August, 1953 by Standand/Pines, the original series ran for a total of 155 issues until January, 1978. Meanwhile, Fawcett Comics purchased the half of the comic book rights to the character and Dennis made his only return to the comics after Fawcett lost the Captain Marvel lawsuit in 1958. At that point, Fawcett Comics and Hallden Publishing became a subsidiary of CBS Consumer Publishing (A publishing imprint of CBS Corporation) and the Dennis the Menace comic book title became The Dennis the Menace Fun Fest series, the comic books continued through the issue #166, published in November, 1979.

“Specials” series

The comic book series (Drawn by Ketcham's assistant Al Wiseman, until the mid 60s) was running in tandem with the “Specials” series. First, there was The Dennis the Menace Winter Special, then The Dennis the Menace Spring Special, The Dennis the Menace Summer Special and then finally The Dennis the Menace Christmas Special. To continue this tandem, Fawcett published an anthology series of his previous adventures called The Best of Dennis the Menace, which ran from 1959 to 1961 in a total of 5 issues. This was followed with The Giant Dennis the Menace series, and concluded the specials series with their most-famous of their Dennis the Menace titles, The Dennis the Menace Travel Special Series. These Travel issues included Dennis and his family going to places like Mexico or camp in Yosemite Park and the most popular issue "Dennis Goes To Hollywood" which has him wrecking havoc on various movie sets and encountering assorted movie stars.

The specials series was then later re-christened as the Dennis the Menace Bonus Magazine Series forerunners, the series, which bore the title Bonus Magazine, started with issue #78 in March, 1970 and continued through issue #173 in February, 1978. CBS and Hallden later retitled the series as The Dennis the Menace Big Bonus Series, which it ran through issue #194 in October, 1979.

Other series

By October, 1979, Fawcett began publishing a separate series of 36 issues entitled Dennis the Menace and Mr. Wilson, which involved the simple adventures of Dennis and Mr. Wilson going into all sorts of mischievous capers. By the second issue, the Dennis and Mr. Wilson series was re-christened as Dennis the Menace and His Friends which now involved the adventures of Dennis, Mr. Wilson and friends, Joey, Margaret and dog, Ruff going to cause more troublesome mishaps. Because of this, the Mr. Wilson stories were alternated with the three characters as Ruff, Joey and Margaret who each shared a #1 issue with Dennis.

There were also other series of Dennis the Menace comic books published in 1961, first there was Dennis the Menace and His Dog, Ruff and Dennis the Menace and His Pal, Joey published the summer and the last but not least was Dennis the Menace and Margaret published in the winter of 1969.

Bible kids series

In 1977, Word Books, Inc. commissioned Hank Ketcham Enterprises, Inc. to produce a series of ten comic books under the title of Dennis and the Bible Kids, with the usual cast of characters reading (and sometimes partly acting out) the stories of Joseph, Moses, David, Esther, Jesus, and other Biblical characters. These were sold through Christian bookstores and related outlets. Each issue contained several inspirational renderings by Hank Ketcham himself.

Marvel series

For some unknown reason, the Dennis the Menace Fun Fest and the Dennis the Menace Big Bonus Series were revived for a short issue run in 1980. The numbering system was even more of a mystery.

  • January: The Dennis the Menace Fun Fest #16
  • February: The Dennis the Menace Big Bonus #10
  • March: The Dennis the Menace Fun Fest #17
  • April: The Dennis the Menace Big Bonus #11

After this revival series, the Hallden and CBS comics run came to an end in 1980. Fortunately, Ketcham had the half of the comic book rights purchased by Stan Lee and Marvel Comics, they were able to produced a new series of Dennis the Menace comic books. The Marvel series started in December, 1981 and ended in November, 1982. The seventh issue in the Marvel Comics adaptation featured a Spider-Man spoof story called “Spider-Kid”, the story featured Dennis imagining himself as a pint-sized Spider-Man fighting crime with Mr. Wilson as J. Jonah Jameson, Gina Gillotti as his girlfriend Mary Jane Watson and Joey, Margaret and Ruff being themselves, the cover even displayed Dennis is Spider-Kid jumping from a cloud and unmasking himself revealing to be Dennis! The smaller Dennis the Menace comic digests were published continually by Fawcett and Hallden between 1969 and 1980 and they were briefly resurrected in reprints by Marvel in 1982 for a run of three issues.

Book-length series

Several special issues also appeared in the 1970s, with book-length stories of Dennis and his parents visiting the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, California, the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, Mexico via cruise ship, and also Washington, D.C..

Book compilations

Dennis the Menace has also even been published in paperback book collects of the comic strips and comic books during the same time period, they are consisted of reprints of the previous comic strip adventures from the past decades. Avon Books, Gold Medal, Crest, Pocket Books, Corgi (UK) and Fawcett Books were all responsible for the publication of these books. This is a list of all the Dennis the Menace book compilations published so far (Note: All of the books carry the name ‘Dennis the Menace’ in their title.):

  • Babysitter’s Guide by Dennis the Menace (1955)
  • Wanted: Dennis the Menace (1955)
  • Dennis the Menace Rides Again (1956)
  • Dennis the Menace vs. Everybody (1957)
  • Dennis the Menace: Household Hurricane (1958)
  • The 100 Adventures of the Pickle (1958, UK)
  • In this corner… Dennis the Menace (1959)
  • Dennis the Menace …Teacher’s Threat (1960)
  • Dennis the Menace Voted Most Likely (1960)
  • Dennis the Menace A.M.* *Ambassador of Mischief (1961)
  • Babysitter’s Guide by Dennis the Menace (1961, reprint)
  • Dennis the Menace: Happy Half-Pint (1962)
  • Dennis the Menace …Who Me? (1963)
  • Dennis the Menace: Household Hurricane (1963, reprint)
  • Dennis the Menace: Make-Believe Angel (1964)
  • Dennis the Menace …Here Comes Trouble (1966)
  • Dennis the Menace and Poor Ol’ Mr. Wilson (1967)
  • Dennis the Menace: All-American Kid (1968)
  • Dennis the Menace and his pal Joey (1968)
  • Dennis the Menace: Your Friendly Neighborhood Kid (1969)
  • Dennis the Menace: Perpetual Motion (1969)
  • Dennis the Menace …Everybody’s Little Helper (1970)
  • Dennis the Menace: Non-Stop Nuisance (1970)
  • Dennis the Menace Rides Again (1971, reprint)
  • Dennis the Menace: Surprise Package (1971)
  • Dennis the Menace: Short ‘n Snappy (1971)
  • Dennis the Menace: Where the Action Is (1971)
  • Dennis the Menace: Dennis Power (1972)
  • Dennis the Menace: Just for Fun (1973)
  • Dennis the Menace: The Kid Next Door (1973)
  • Dennis the Menace: Busybody (1974)
  • Dennis the Menace: Little Pip-Squeak (1974)
  • Dennis the Menace: Play it Again, Dennis (1975)
  • Dennis the Menace: To the Core (1975)
  • Dennis the Menace: Little Man in a Big Hurry (1976)
  • Dennis the Menace: Short Swinger (1976)
  • Dennis the Menace and His Girls (1977)
  • Dennis the Menace: “Your Mother’s Calling!” (1978)
  • Dennis the Menace: Ol’ Droopy Drawers (1978)
  • Dennis the Menace: Driving Mother Up the Wall (1979)
  • Dennis the Menace: I Done It MY Way (1979)
  • Dennis the Menace: Short in the Saddle (1979)
  • Dennis the Menace: Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1980)
  • Dennis the Menace: The Way I Look at It… (1982)
  • Dennis the Menace: Dog’s Best Friend (1982)
  • Dennis the Menace: Supercharged and Ever Ready (1983)
  • Dennis the Menace: Sunrise Express (1983)

Other adaptations

Dennis has been the subject of a number of animated adaptations, as well as a CBS sitcom from 1959 to 1963 starring Jay North as Dennis[6] and both Joseph Kearns[7] and Gale Gordon, successively, as Mr. (George and John) Wilson. A 1993 live-action film starred Walter Matthau as Mr. Wilson. This was followed up with Dennis the Menace Strikes Again! in 1998 starring Don Rickles as Mr. Wilson.

For some years, Dennis the Menace was the "spokestoon" for Dairy Queen; he has since been supplanted by other cartoon characters.

In 2005, comics publisher Fantagraphics began to reprint Ketcham's entire run on Dennis the Menace in a 25-volume series over eleven years.[8]

  1. Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace (1951-52) ISBN 1-56097-680-2
  2. Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace (1953-54) ISBN 1-56097-725-6
  3. Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace (1955-56) ISBN 1-56097-770-1

On October 25-October 26 2006, a 125-lb statue of Dennis the Menace which worth as much as $30,000 installed in a city park in Monterey, California, U.S. was stolen during the night.[9] The statue had been commissioned by Hank Ketcham and executed by artist Wah Ming Chang.

A Dennis the Menace Christmas is scheduled for release on DVD November 17, 2007. The Warner Brothers film stars Robert Wagner as Mr. Wilson, Louise Fletcher as Mrs. Wilson, and Maxwell Perry-Cotton as Dennis. For the first time, Dennis is being played by a real, live six-year-old actor. The film was shot in Montreal, Canada, and features a number of young Canadian actors.

Adaptations

See the separate entries for more detailed information on the film and TV adaptations

Dennis the Menace in other languages

The animated television series and the comic book series have been translated into 19 languages since the invention of the character, and whom they have made and are famous worldwide.

Animated TV Series

Main article: Dennis the Menace (1986 TV series)

Trivia

  • The Sugar Bowl, the ice cream counter Dennis frequents, is based on a real ice cream counter of the same name in Scottsdale, Arizona, frequented by cartoonist Bil Keane, as well as Arthur creator Marc Brown.[citation needed]
  • Mr. Wilson was named after a teacher Hank Ketcham had known.
  • Dennis' friend Gina Gillotti was named after Gina Lollobrigida.[citation needed]
  • 1952 saw the construction of the Dennis the Menace Playground, spearheaded by Hank Ketcham, assisted Arch Garner and his two children. It opened at Monterey, California, in 1956. The playground features a bronze statue of Dennis sculpted by Wan Ming Chang.
  • Dennis was a longtime mascot and spokesperson for ice cream restaurant chain Dairy Queen. Many of the characters appeared on their packaging and in advertising.
  • The working title for the 1993 live-action film before the simple name stuck was The Real Dennis the Menace.
  • According to Hank Ketchum's biography in the Internet Movie Database, Ketchum said that Dennis the Menace was set in Wichita, Kansas. "I set the whole thing in Wichita, Kansas, and as a result I got made an honorary mayor of Wichita."[1]
Sometiimes, the captions of Deniss the Menance and The Far side were switched in a few newspapers, creating amusing consequenses.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ^ Weinraub, Judith (1990-05-05). "Dennis's' Dear Old Dad". The Washington Post.
  2. ^ Dennis The Menace Website
  3. ^ "The Reuben Award 1946 - 1974" (HTML). The National Cartoonists Society. Retrieved 2007-09-18.
  4. ^ "'DENNIS THE MENACE' CREATOR TO RETIRE". The Buffalo News. 1994-10-24.
  5. ^ VAN GELDER, LAWRENCE (2001-06-02). "Hank Ketcham, Father of Dennis the Menace, Dies at 81". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
  6. ^ KORMAN, SEYMOUR (1959-09-26). "DENNIS THE MENACE Goes on TV". Chicago Daily Tribune. Retrieved 2008-09-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "JOSEPH KEARNS, 55, TV ACTOR, IS DEAD; Played Mr. Wilson of 'Dennis the Menace' on C.B.S." The Seattle Times Company. 1962-02-18. Retrieved 2008-09-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ ESTRADA, GEORGE (2005-08-08). "Antics of "Dennis the Menace" back in print". The Seattle Times Company. Retrieved 2008-09-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ "Statue of Dennis the Menace Stolen" (HTML). The Associated Press. 2006-10-28. Retrieved 2007-09-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dennis_the_Menace_%28U.S.%29&diff=158682013&oldid=158679054

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