It was March 12, 1951. For comics aficionados, this date is important. It was the first time anyone got to experience the chaos of Dennis the Menace. A few weeks earlier, Ian Chisholm, a comic book editor, visited a music hall and heard the singers perform a song called “I’m Dennis the Menace from Venice.” The creative wheels in Ian’s brain began to turn. The title of the song played over and over in his mind. Ian’s focus was such that the rest of the performance was a blur. Within a short time, he could visualize Dennis. Dennis’ character came together so easily that it was almost as if Dennis had always existed. He had disheveled black hair, his shorts exposed his knobby knees, he wore a red and black striped shirt, and he had a devilish grin. He created a whole back story for Dennis including his family, friends, and a dog named Gnasher. Ian had Dennis in his mind. Now, he just needed him on paper.
Ian contacted artist Davey Law and described the character so Davey could draw Dennis. Davey drew Dennis as he understood him and presented his artwork to Ian. Davey was proud of his work and expected Ian to be exited to see “Dennis the Menace.” After just a glance, Ian’s face revealed his disappointment. That was not Dennis. Ian described Dennis in more detail, and Davey produced another drawing. Davey thought surely he had gotten it right this time. Again, Ian was disappointed. This cycle continued several times until Ian, who was not an artist by any stretch of the imagination, drew a rough sketch of Dennis. There was “Dennis the Menace.”
Dennis was a badly behaved schoolboy who, with his dog Gnasher, kept up a reign of terror against a group of well-behaved schoolboys known as “softies.” The most frequent recipient of Dennis’ reign of terror was Walter the Softy, although Walter sometimes got the last laugh. “Dennis the Menace” was an instant hit. In addition to comics, Dennis has been portrayed in just about every form of media including children’s books, Saturday morning cartoons, and feature films. Dennis has been drawn by a succession of artists since that important date, March 12, 1951. Children’s author Michael Rosen said, “In most children’s books, a bad child gets made good – but the great thing about Dennis is he never gets better.” Today, we would call Dennis a bully.
Wait a minute. If the “Dennis the Menace” I just described sounds unfamiliar to you, there is a good reason. The “Dennis the Menace” that we know has blond hair, wears a black and blue striped T-shirt, red overalls, and alternates between wearing white tennis shoes and going barefooted. The Dennis we know is troublesome but good-hearted. He always means well but his attempts to help others always turn into chaos. He is well-liked by the other kids in the neighborhood and could never be described as being a bully. Hank Ketcham created the Dennis we know and love and based him on his own son, Dennis Ketcham. Yes, there are two “Dennis the Menaces.” Both “Dennis the Menace” characters were created independently. The mean-spirited “Dennis the Menace” originated in the United Kingdom, and the happy-go-lucky “Dennis the Menace” originated in the United States. Ian Chisholm and Hank Ketcham were completely unaware of each other’s creation until after they were published. You see, both “Dennis the Menace” characters debuted on the exact same date, March 12, 1951.
Sources:
1. “Dennis the Menace and Gnasher.” Beano Wiki. Accessed December 31, 2023. https://beano.fandom.com/wiki/
2. Bailey, Jonathan. “The Odd Case of Dennis the Menace.” Plagiarism Today. October 18, 2010. https://www.plagiarismtoday.
