I grew up reading The Beano so when I saw there was an exhibition about the history of the comic and its influence on British society I just had to attend. It was actually from 2021 but going through some old photos I realised I never posted about it here. Its first edition was in July 1938 but it really got going in the 1950s when its most memorable characters were created.
The exhibition covered everyone from Dennis the Menace (and his dog Gnasher and pup Gnipper), The Bash Street Kids and Minnie the Minx. Not forgetting my favourite Rodger the Dodger, the boy creating a series of dodges to avoid a life of effort and responsibility. The exhibition. What was fascinating too was just how the characters have changed in recent times, with current artists having to balance the rebellious nature of its characters with more modern day sensibilities.
Alex Raphael 