Minnie the Minx at 60
Today's issue of The Beano is special for two reasons. Not only is it the Christmas issue, but it also marks the 60th anniversary of Minnie the Minx, and Minnie herself dominates the cover, replacing Dennis the Menace for once, illustrated by Nigel Parkinson.
Minnie the Minx began in The Beano No.596, dated 19th December 1953, in a six panel black and white strip drawn by Leo Baxendale. Here's that very first strip (taken from The History of The Beano book)...
Although conceived as a female version of Dennis the Menace, the character of Minnie developed in its own direction and always seemed an equal to Dennis, rather than a mere imitation. The strip evolved along with Leo Baxendale's style. Here's a nice example from The Beano No.928, April 30th 1960...
When Leo Baxendale left DC Thomson in the early 1960s, the strip was handed over to Jim Petrie, who illustrated over 2,000 episodes. Here's one of his earlier ones from The Beano No.1126, February 15th 1964...
Other artists have drawn Minnie over the years, including impressive stints by Ken H. Harrison and Laura Howell, with Nigel Parkinson being the current artist. At 60, Minnie continues to be The Beano's premier tomboy, and shows no sign of slowing down yet.
The Christmas Beano is in the shops now, bagged with gifts for £4.99, or as a digital download on the Beano App for £1.49.
4 comments:
Happy birthday to Minnie! Tom Paterson had a go at her for a few years as well...
Good point. So he did.
To think that Minnie the Minx has been ongoing since 1953. But what about Pansy Porter and Big Eggo?
I do believe 2021 should mark the 70th anniversary of Dennis the Menace.
By the way, you should be able to find me on Google just by searching for Keller BBC or BBC Keller.My BBC link is about Olympus Mons.
"Pansy POTTER, the strong man's daughter", please.
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