Beano is celebrating the 40th birthday of one of the super hero world’s fruitiest creation, Bananaman, with the launch of a special edition of the weekly comic, featuring an extended story for the character.
The super hero also appears throughout all of the comic’s “Dennis & Gnasher”, “Minnie the Minx”, “The Bash Street Kids”, and “Billy Whizz” strips within the special comic, on sale now in all good newsagents, supermarkets – and also available digitally.
This time Bananaman’s birthday party has been crashed by a robot squid who has stolen all his powers, allowing villains to take over Beanotown.
The Beanotown kids come together to defeat the baddies and free Bananaman, in a story written by Nigel Auchterlounie, drawn by Nigel Parkinson, who also provides the issue’s cover.
“When I was about 13, I got in trouble off my English teacher for drawing my own Bananaman strip in class,” Nigel Auchterlounie notes.
“30 years later I wrote the script for Bananaman’s 40th birthday strip!”
Bananaman’s first appearance, in Nutty Issue 1 in February 1980. Art © DC Thomson.
Bananaman, and his alter ego Eric Wimp, first appeared in the British comic Nutty in the issue cover dated 16th February 1980. Created by David Donaldson, writer Steve Bright – these days, The Sun‘s resident political cartoonist – and legendary artist John Geering, Bananaman turned traditional superhero tropes on their head with his hair-brained hijinks and misadventures.
He moved across to The Dandy in 1985, then moved to the Beano in 2012, where his adventures continue to this day. He also stars in both The Dandy and Beano annuals each year.
Bananaman’s first appearance in Beano in January 2012
The character has also been a star of his own animated and theatre shows.
At his National Library of Scotland talk (tying in with their Local Heroes comics exhibition) in 2008, co-creator David Donaldson said that one of the highlights of his career in DC Thomson was being flown to Cannes to help promote the Bananaman animated TV series.
As the Beano celebrates 40 years of Bananaman, Batmin returns, as Minnie the Minx faces Apple Man! The Bash Street Kids school King Zorg and the Nerks! Calamity James meets The Weatherman! Scripts by Andy Fanton, art by Laura Howell, David Sutherland and Leslie Stannage. Plus a cameo from The Goodies, the voices behind the classic Bananaman cartoon!
Mike Stirling, editorial director of Beano Studios, said: “Get ready to peel the power. The last few years have been awash with superheroes, but none quite compare to our own barmy Bananaman.
“He might be originally from the Nutty comic but he’s Beano all the way down to his banana boots. This very special edition of the comic celebrating his 40th birthday will become a real collector’s item and treasured by fans for years to come.”
In honour of his birthday the Beano shop has released special edition Bananaman t-shirts and mugs with 15 per cent off all products for a limited time using the code BANANAS.
The range also includes dress-up costumes and ‘Man of Peel’ t-shirts.
• Bananaman Books and Merchandise on AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
• Follow the #Bananaman40 on Twitter
• Beano is online at www.beano.com
• Happy Birthday, Bananaman! Top 10 Bananaman Facts
Bananaman © 2020 Beano Studios
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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.
Categories: British Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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The 16th February 1980 issue of Nutty was the very first one. I remember it well (Bananaman 40? God I’m old.)
Good to hear there is some celebration of Mr B! I was hoping for a collection though.