A “Created in London” marketing campaign featuring the BEANO’s Dennis and Gnasher has backfired on the government after a furious Scottish MP accused it of “cultural appropriation”. But on the plus side, we’re betting the furore it’s kicked up may have helped sales of the comic this week.

The animated version of the weekly humour comic’s Dennis and Gnasher, sitting on the shoulder of BEANO Studios Head of Commercial & New Business Rob Glenny, feature on posters currently on London tube stations across the capital. They’re the latest promotion of a wider, ongoing government initiative from the Department for Business and Trade, “The Great Campaign” that promotes British business, which has been running since 2015.

“Dennis and Gnasher have been making mischief together since 1951,” Rob Glenny says on the poster (although, of course, Beano fans will know that although Dennis is seen with a terrier dog in his first story, Gnasher didn’t arrive until 1968, the creation of writer Ian “Smokie” Gray and David “Davey” Law, in No. 1362).

“These days the CGI-animated pranktastic pals are watched by millions of kids (and a few grown-ups) in more than 100 countries. Find out how exporting could help you grow your business.”

The Dennis & Gnasher animated series is the work of London-based BEANO Studios working with CCBC and Jellyfish Pictures, but the original characters of Dennis and Gnasher were created for the Dundee-based BEANO comic.

In recent years, “Dennis the Menace”, who first appeared in The Beano No. 452, cover dated 17th March 1951, drawn by David Law, has been retitled simply “Dennis” to avoid competition and confusion with the American “Dennis the Menace” character created for a hugely popular newspaper strip by Hank Ketcham, which also made its debut in March 1951.

The International Emmy nominated, 52-episode series launched in 2017 to become the highest rated show on the UK’s CBBC, the highest rated show across all kids’ TV, and the top 10 show for kids across all channels. It’s gone on to sell in more than 90 countries around the world, including all major European broadcasters, as well as in North America, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa

But the distinction between the successful work of BEANO Studios in London, who developed the Dennis & Gnasher animated series, and the team at BEANO comic at DC Thomson headquarters in Dundee has clearly been lost on Scottish MP Chris Law, the Scottish National party MP for Dundee West, who described the poster “utter garbage” on Twitter, and accused the British government of “cultural appropriation”, and prompted a pile on of criticisms reported by newspapers across the British political spectrum, including the Daily Mail, The Guardian, and others.

“Utter garbage from the [UK Government],” said Law. “Dundee City created Dennis the Menace and Gnasher by publishers DX Thomsons. Cultural appropriation is a desperate measure to claim credibility.”

Reposting a National Comic Book Day promotion for the BEANO from Dundee Culture, he added, “Perhaps before the UK Government start appropriating local Dundee created characters in the Beano they ought to do a bit of basic research.”

“Madness!” agreed Scottish comic creator Mark Millar on X (Twitter). “Dennis The Menace was created in 1951 by Edinburgh cartoonist Davey Law for The Beano, published every week by Dundee’s DC Thompson. He’s as Scottish as Sir Sean!”

(Yes, dear readers – we’re aware DC Thomson has clearly been victim again, in both Chris and Mark’s original tweets, to inexplicable autocorrect, and that the character was the joint creation of the then Beano editor George Moonie, Ian Chisholm and Davey Law. Social micromedia doesn’t allow for nuance).

Quoted by The Guardian, Chris Murray, professor of comic studies at Dundee University, said the response was understandable in the wider context of a London-centric view of UK creativity. “The poster is about Beano Studios in Fleet Street, so in that sense it’s not inaccurate. On the surface it looks a claim is being made about the character of Dennis, who was created in Dundee and appears in the Beano, and has done since 1951, so I can understand the sensitivities.

“Dundee is an incredibly creative place, and has been an innovative centre for the production of comics and video games for decades, but people tend to think of London as the centre of the creative industries. If there’s a sensitivity, it’s the lack of acknowledgement that there are other creative centres around the UK.”

While the CGI Dennis is voiced by the actor Freddie Fox, with an English accent, Murray noted the original comic version was not specifically Scottish, unlike characters such as The Broons and Oor Wullie.

A government spokesperson said: “The Dennis & Gnasher animated series was created in London, based on the brilliant Beano cartoon that originated in Dundee. In this way it is the perfect representation of the ‘Made in the UK, sold to the world’ campaign, which seeks to highlight success stories from across our great union of nations.

“We work closely with businesses like Beano to tell their startup story, demonstrating the support the UK government provides to help companies grow and export around the world.”

Storm in a Teacup – but a Canny Promotion?

For all the furore, we can’t help but think that for Dennis and Gnasher, and the BEANO, having the characters plaster on billboards across London can’t be a bad thing to help promote both the comic and animated series.

85 this year and still going strong, the latest issue of the BEANO is on sale today in all good newsagents, and available on subscription.

• Check out BEANO online at beano.com

• BEANO Studios is online at beanostudios.com

Beano Studios is a rebellious multi-media business powered by data and insight. Alongside the Dundee-based editorial team, the Studio produces the legendary Beano comic and the award-winning Beano.com, as well as brand experiences and partnerships across theatrical and live events, licensed products and the Beano Shop

• BeanoBrain

Beano Brain is an Insights Consultancy from Beano Studios. Born from decades of engaging kids, they now help companies build their own connections with families using our unparalleled knowledge of Gen Alpha, Gen Z and their Millennial parents

• CBBC – Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed

• Dundee Culture is online at dundeeculture.com

Dundee, home to the Beano and Commando, is the UK’s first ever UNESCO City of Design. Given to the city in 2014, it has built on the legacy of the title with the opening of Scotland’s first design museum, the V&A Dundee. Dundee’s design industry also excels in it’s achievements for life sciences, comics, journalism, video games and much more

• Wikipedia – Dennis the Menace and Gnasher

• Dennis the Menace (US)

More BEANO News

BBC Teach have teamed up with the Beano to create a set of three free videos for Primary School children helping them create characters, worlds and stories for their very own comic.

Available to watch are three classroom videos produced in partnership with Beano in which Mike Stirling (Beano’s ‘Director of Mischief’) and his team of comic creatives offer primary pupils their expert tips and advice on comic creation.

From visualising characters in ‘stick’ form to structuring a plot using a story mountain, the team behind the world’s longest-running weekly comic have plenty of creative insights.

The three classrooms videos and accompanying resources (including a story mountain template and comic frame layout), provide powerful opportunities to combine literacy with art and design through a ‘create a comic’ class project.

The videos below were created in order, with progression building throughout, but will also work in any order or on their own, if you only wish to focus on one area. There is a comprehensive ‘teacher guide’ document below to support classroom use.

• Check out the “KS2 English: Beano – How to create a comic” project here

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “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: Animation, British Comics, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds

Tags: Beano, Beano Studios, Chris Murray, Created in London, Davey Law, DC Thomson, Dennis & Gnasher, downthetubes News, Dundee Culture, Humour Comics, Mark Millar, Rob Glenny, SNP