
It’s BEANO time this Saturday (20th November) at Next Page Books in Hitchin, Hertfordshire!
BEANO comic creator Danny Pearson will be at the children’s book shop from 10.00am – 12 noon, a store that specialises in books that support and celebrate diversity in all its forms, and particularly neurodiversity.

“I’ll be signing official BEANO annuals, talking about comic writing and sharing insights into all things BEANO,” says Danny, a Hitchin resident.
Danny Pearson, who works on strips such as ”Calamity James” and ”Rodger the Dodger” for BEANO, is very much a child of the 1980s. He was brought up on a diet of unusual cartoons and movies involving things changing into other things, or adventures set to cheap keyboard soundtracks.
He studied Art at college, which led him onto studying Art and Graphic Design at Leeds Metropolitan University. After graduating with no real clue of what to do he found a job as a children’s bookseller at a Waterstones book store. This is where he found his love of books, children’s books in particular.

He joined the Badger Books team in 2008 and has worked on over 1000 publications. His first book, Beekeeper, was published in 2010. He has since gone on to write over 30 books including titles such as Alien Eggs, Zombie Goldfish, Invaders, Monster Diner, Pied Piper of London, The Hamster Who Fell to Earth and The Boy Who Cried Aliens!
He also wrote a humorous series for reluctant readers called Strange Town, illustrated by Steve Beckett, and The Top Hat from Badger Learning’s Big Top of Horror series, and Alice, from their popular Papercuts I series.
“I have always written about things that interest me,” Danny, now a Community Engagement Officer working in Hitchin, says. “I was a bit of a Reluctant Reader myself when I was at school and so I like to think I know what would interest and entertain such readers. Since working at Waterstones I can’t remember reading anything which wasn’t a book aimed at children or young adults (which isn’t a bad thing).”
Next Page Books opened in September, a small fledgling children’s bookshop with big ideas – a partnership between a children’s publishing expert and a teacher/Senco.
They stock children’s books from baby to young adult and everything in between. They also have a small but perfectly formed selection for grown-ups and can order pretty much any book that’s currently in print.
• BEANO Time with Danny Pearson, Next Page Books, Queen Street, Hitchin 10.00am – 12 noon, Saturday 20th November 2021 | Web: nextpagebooks.co.uk | Follow Next Page Books on Twitter @nextpagebooksUK
• Follow Danny Pearson on Twitter @danny_d_pearson
- About the Author
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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.
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