Beano and BeanoMax go Prank Mad…

By John Freeman on 25 April 2013

(via Lew Stringer): British comics have often featured activity pages amongst the strips, from the humble reader’s jokes page, ‘How to’ features on magic tricks, and puzzle pages such as Teaser Time. The latest thing appears to be the pranks page, with readers actively encouraged to play harmless pranks on their parents and pals, with step-by-step instructions on each mischievous moment.

Artist and writer Lew Stringer reports that this week’s issues of The Beano and BeanoMax are no exception. In The Beano he’s illustrated Pop Goes the Weasel, – “and no, weasels are not involved,” he says. “It’s a prank involving keys and balloons.”

It’s a busy week for Lew watchers: over in BeanoMax, his cartoons run across five pages for the It’s Prank O’Clock feature, telling kids how they can get up to 15 pranks during the course of a day.

“This week’s Beano is rather special because not only does it feature the return of the cover strip (as opposed to one big picture) it also contains the debut of four new strips,” Lew enthuses. His Rasher strip continues apace!

• The new Beano is on sale now in all good newsagents and supermarkets, as is a free-gift packed BeanoMax No. 77, on sale now for £3.99. More info and pictures on Lew’s blog

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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.