This isn’t going to be the usual introductory post for a comic (it hardly needs it), nor is this read through going to be usual. But then again, any modern day readers of Beano (and whose children also read it) will know this should suit the anarchic comic that’s on sale today, nearly 90 years after it first appeared. It’s been a long journey from breaking new ground, to being seen as a traditional comic, to being the crazy weekly it’s become today. This read through will take us all on that transformative journey together.
In 2018 Beano’s publishers DC Thomson released a lovely box set to mark its 80th anniversary. Aimed very much at the comic’s young readers it was a way of letting them have a peek at the long history of their favourite comic and its style of humour over the years. The main highlight of this set had to be the eight editions of Beano included, one from each decade of its life and gorgeously reproduced as a collective set.
Also in the box was a fascinating 100-page bookazine designed specifically for the current target audience. As an adult it’s a quicker read than I anticipated but that doesn’t make it any less fun. In fact, that’s the point. Instead of a dry history lesson it’s a fun ride through 80 years of the comic and includes a fascinating look into its creation, for example showing letters between its first editor Robert D. Low and the cartoonist responsible for Big Eggo, Reg Carter.
A selection of contributors are profiled so children can see those who have been making readers laugh for decades and those who have shaped the comic into what they’re familiar with today. There’s also a look at the free gifts, celebrity readers, the comic’s current location and even how it survived World War II. The extras that come with it are brilliant too, beginning with a huge poster of past and present characters which flips over to reveal a key to every single one of them.
There are postcards of some annual covers (strangely missing their years) and a reproduction of a famous, rather noisy free gift. Best of all is the fan club wallet containing the welcome letter and that furry googly-eyed Gnasher badge, which at the time of this box set’s release wasn’t available to readers. A lot of my friends were members of the club in the 80s and now I can finally say I am too, albeit 30 years too late.
But the main reason we’re here are those comics. Each issue marks not only the decade it was published but also a special occasion in the life of Beano, such as the first issue, the first that sold a million, the introduction of Dennis and when it officially received the Guinness World Record for longest-running weekly comic. The plan for the blog is to cover each of these on the dates of their original release.
No, it’ll not be in real time (I don’t have another 80 years in me) but I will be reviewing each issue on the anniversary of its original publication day. Yes, this will be a rather slow read through somewhat, kind of like how I review series of annuals once a year every Christmas. For example, this year #1 will be reviewed on Friday 25th July and the second issue, #272 on Wednesday 26th November.
These won’t be quick recaps, these will be full comic reviews just like every other comic series receives on the OiNK Blog and I can’t wait to get stuck in. If the bookazine is anything to go by this should be a fascinating trip through time. Knowing just how great the comic is today and how popular it is with children when digital distractions are so prevalent, this set looks like it could be the perfect gift for your young Beano reader if you can get a hold of it.
If you can’t, then that’s what I’m here for. So prepare to travel back 87 years to the time of George VI, the first televised test cricket, the first paid holiday leave, the birth of Diana Rigg, Agatha Christie’s Appointment with Death, the Mallard’s record breaking speed run and something happening in Austria that would have no repercussions whatsoever. Join me on Friday 25th July 2025 for The Beano #1!
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