The Beano #1642
(5th January 1974)

D.C. Thomson, 1950 Series
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Price
0.02 GBP
Pages
20
Indicia Frequency
Every Thursday
On-sale Date
1974-01-03
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd
Brand
?
Editing
Harold Cramond (editor); ? (sub-editors)

Issue Notes

The tagline above the header of this issue reads:
The Comic With "DENNIS the MENACE"!

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Biffo The Bear / cover / 1 page (report information)

Script
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Colors
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Letters
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
Report to the "Beano" artist's office at 9o'clock, Biffo - He wants to paint your portrait
Genre
humour; anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Biffo the Bear; Beano Editor; "Beano" Artist; Biffo's unnamed nephew 1; Biffo's unnamed nephew 2
Synopsis
Biffo is due to have his portrait painted by the Beano artist... but gets the mumps.

Indexer Notes

In full colour.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1)

We're The Three Bears / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
Why are you dipping that piece of wood into your soup, Ted?
Genre
humour; anthropomorphic-funny animals; western-frontier
Characters
Pa Bear; Ted; Hank; Ma Bear
Synopsis
Pa bear steals Hank's bread, then "uses his loaf" to prevent Hank from taking it back.

Indexer Notes

Only colour is red.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 2)

Grandpa / comic story / 1 page (report information)

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Letters
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
Aargh! What a mess! You and your football! Why can't you play nice gentle games like I did in the old days?
Genre
humour
Characters
Grandpa; Grandpa's dad; Two unnamed boys; Doctor
Synopsis
Grandpa comes in dirty from playing football, and his dad's attempt to persuade Grandpa to play something less messy backfires... on Grandpa.

Indexer Notes

No colour.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 3)

Minnie The Minx / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
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Pencils
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Inks
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Colors
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Letters
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
Minnie! Stop that at once!
Genre
humour; children
Characters
Minnie The Minx; The Man Next Door; Minnie The Minx's Dad; Mr Green
Synopsis
Minnie minxes the man next door, so dad tells her she should help her neighbours, not pester them. Minnie's attempts to obey dad's wishes results in a neighbour, Mr Green helping dad... to whack Minnie.

Indexer Notes

Only colour is red.
The pages this story are on have a slogan printed across the top that reads:
You're clever! - you read "The Beano" - But do your friends? Better make sure they do!

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4)

Lord Snooty / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
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Inks
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Colors
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Letters
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
The castle coat-of-arms looks very noble up there
Genre
humour; children; historical; history
Characters
Lord Snooty; Big Fat Joe; Snitch; Snatch; Scrapper Smith (?); Doubtful Thomas; 3 unnamed children
Synopsis
Snitch and Snatch move the castle coat of arms to a 'better place', and end up having to replace it themselves.

Indexer Notes

No colour.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 5)

Billy the Cat and Katie / comic story / 2.5 pages (report information)

Script
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Letters
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
Well, children, let's begin the tour. The chateau was built in 1692 and...
Genre
adventure
Characters
Billy The Cat [aka William Grange]; Philippe De Bohune; Unnamed schoolchildren; Katie [aka Kathleen Grange]; A recently discharged servant of Philippe De Bohune's
Synopsis
Billy and Katie are acting as bodyguards to schoolchildren on a special educational cruise abroad. The pupils are off on a trip to an old chateau, but is someone trying to do the chateau's owner in?

Indexer Notes

No colour, even in the final half page which happens to be printed on a 'red' page but left black and white, presumably to match the rest of the strip.

[Pets' Picture Gallery 05-01-74] (Table of Contents: 6)

Pets' Picture Gallery / letters page / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
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Pencils
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Inks
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Colors
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Letters
typeset
Editing
?

Genre
non-fiction; animal; anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Smokey (a pig); Monty (a mouse); Sixer (a ladybird); Tiggy (a cat); Anthony (an ant); Sarah (an insect or arachnid?); High Jumper (a frog?); Herbert-Sherburt (a cat?)

Indexer Notes

Only colour is red, and even then only in header and background.

Reader submitted drawing of their pets.

Smokey (a pig) - by Rebecca Hindley of Bingley, Yorks;
Monty (a mouse) - by Simon Poffley of Salisbury, Wilts;
Sixer (a ladybird) - by Sarah Fowler of Colne, Lancs;
Tiggy (a cat) - by Sue Walcot of Mayfield, Sussex;
Anthony (an ant) - by Malcolm Blythe of Solihull, Warks;
Sarah (an insect or arachnid?) - by Emma Lincoln of Dorridge, Warks;
High Jumper (a frog?) - by Martin Prince of Stafford, Staffs;
Herbert-Sherburt (a cat?) - by Beverley Harrison of Nottingham, Notts;

Interesting (sort've) that here there is a mouse called Monty, as the comic would introduce a short-lived Monty Mouse character around 20 years later (though mostly as a small image hidden somewhere in the comic for readers to hunt out).

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 7)

The Bash Street Kids / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
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Colors
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Letters
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
How nice!
Genre
humour; children
Characters
Head; Teacher; Cuthbert Cringeworthy; Danny; Plug; Smiffy; Wilfrid; Ned Markins (Pony Ride Owner); Spotty; Fatty; Sid; Smiffy's Uncle Samuel (Scrapyard Owner); David Brush (of Blob St. and district club); Pony Club Trials Commentator; Pony Club Trials trophy presenter (who may also be H.Smith, Pony Club President, as referenced in the letter shown in the first panel)
Synopsis
Bash Street School are invited to compete in the area pony club trials.

Indexer Notes

In full colour.

Toots was clearly bunking off school that week, as she doesn't appear in this strip. 'Erbert must have got lost on his way to school that day, as he too doesn't appear in this strip, unless he is meant to be one of the two non-specific Bash Street Kids in the top right of the last panel.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 8)

Pup Parade with The Bash Street Dogs / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
Groan! We're starving Bones - how can we get some food?
Genre
humour; animal; anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Bones; Pug; Blotty; Tubby; 'Enry; Park-keeper; Man in park with Pug-like face; Sniffy; Lady with shopping basket; Manfrid; Peeps; Wiggy
Synopsis
The hungry pups make a plan to get grub from people, which Sniffy gets wrong as usual, but only one pup ends up with a bone.

Indexer Notes

Only colour is red.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 9)

Billy Whizz / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
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Letters
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Editing
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
Hold it, Billy!
Genre
humour; children
Characters
Billy Whizz; Billy Whizz's dad; Whizztown Castle tour guide; 3 unnamed adults also on the guided tour
Synopsis
Billy's dad takes Billy for a guided tour of Whizztown Castle, in an attempt to keep Billy from rushing around town, and whilst there finds a suit-able way of slowing Billy down.

Indexer Notes

No colour.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 10)

Roger the Dodger / comic story / 1.5 pages (report information)

Script
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Letters
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
You're going to make it a new year's resolution to do exactly as you're told, Roger...
Genre
humour; children
Characters
Roger the Dodger; Roger the Dodger's dad; Joe the Crow; Unnamed boy (friend of Roger The Dodger's)
Synopsis
Roger does exactly as he is told when his dad tells him his (Roger's) new year's resolution is going to be to do exactly as he is told... but the ensuing chaos his literal obedience causes means Roger can't dodge a whacking from dad.

Indexer Notes

No colour.

The pages that this strip and the half-page feature Teaser Time are on has the following slogan across the top:
Don't dodge sending a puzzle to "TEASER TIME" - - You could win 50p!

[Teaser Time 05-01-74] (Table of Contents: 11)

Teaser Time / letters page / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
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Letters
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Editing
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Genre
non-fiction

Indexer Notes

Reader submitted puzzles.

Cross-number puzzle by Nicholas Bates of Leicester;
Beano Objects by M.A.Wilson of Rugby, Warks;
Man's Job by Bruce MacDonald of Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancs;
Pop Groups by Muriel Barker of Wigan;
Word-Circle by S. Hughan of London;
"Help Sniffy find a way through the maze..." by I.M.Heywood of Middlesborough;
Beano Pal by Mark Allister of Nuneaton, Warks.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 12)

"Baby-Face" Finlayson - The Cutest Bandit In The West! / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
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Letters
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
Want to learn the reason for my gloom, readers? It started one day last week when Marshal Mallow set a trap for me...
Genre
humour; children; western-frontier
Characters
"Baby-Face" Finlayson; Marshal Mallow
Synopsis
Marshal Mallow has caught "Baby-Face" stealing and made him sign a new year's resolution not to steal during 1974. Can "Baby-Face" return to his pinching ways?

Indexer Notes

Only colour is red.

In the final panel "Baby-Face" holds a copy of the Beano and we can see the front cover, which is presumably meant to show the cover star of the time, Biffo the Bear, yet the cover star on "Baby-Face"'s Beano actually looks much more like Mickey Mouse, so this could perhaps be some sort of in-joke or hidden nod to Disney.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 13)

The McTickles / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
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Inks
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Colors
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Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
This is Leonardo McTickle, the famous artist
Genre
humour
Characters
Chief Jock McTickle; Leonardo McTickle (famous artist); Nickol McTickle; Donald McTickle; Morag McTickle; Fatty McTickle
Synopsis
The famous artist Leonardo McTickle creates a masterpiece, which is unexpectedly appreciated by Fatty McTickle.

Indexer Notes

Only colour is red.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 14)

The Nibblers / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
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Letters
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
That was a fine walk in the crisp frosty air - and my hands are nice and warm in these cosy gloves!
Genre
humour; animal; anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Whiskers; Porky; Enor Mouse; Scritch; Scratch; Gordonzola; Cheddar George; His Nibs; Chiseller; Sniffler
Synopsis
Whiskers is cold after a walk out with Porky, so the nibblers decide to teach Porky a lesson using his gloves.

Indexer Notes

No colour.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 15)

Little Plum / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
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Inks
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Letters
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First Line of Dialogue or Text
I'd like to go in for that but I don't have um pole
Genre
humour; western-frontier
Characters
Little Plum; Prairie Flower; Mister Ivan Awfulitch (on holiday in america from Poland); Chiefy; Three unnamed characters (in the last panel)
Synopsis
Little Plum wants to enter a pole-vaulting championship, but doesn't have a pole, though he doesn't let this stop him from having some pole related fun.

Indexer Notes

Only colour is red.

There are three unnamed characters in the last panel of this strip, who may or may not be regulars, one of whom may in fact be the sheriff who is more usually seen in the "Baby-Face" Finlayson strips. Another appears to be a strong-man and the third is an official at the pole-vaulting championships.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 16)

Dennis the Menace and Gnasher / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
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Pencils
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Inks
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Colors
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Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
I'm off to sail my boats at the pond, Mum
Genre
humour; children
Characters
Dennis The Menace; Dennis The Menace's mum; Gnasher; Driver of Jim Coull's Cold Storage van; Dennis The Menace's dad
Synopsis
On the way to the park to sail his boats Dennis gives a lorry driver incorrect directions, which leads to Dennis have a cool time skating at the lake, much to his parent's puzzlement.

Indexer Notes

In full colour. This strip is on the back cover.

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. ["Report to the "Beano" artist's office at 9o'clock, Biffo - He wants to paint your portrait"]
    Biffo The Bear
  2. 1. ["Why are you dipping that piece of wood into your soup, Ted?"]
    We're The Three Bears
  3. 2. ["Aargh! What a mess! You and your football! Why can't you play nice gentle games like I did in the old days?"]
    Grandpa
  4. 3. ["Minnie! Stop that at once!"]
    Minnie The Minx
  5. 4. ["The castle coat-of-arms looks very noble up there"]
    Lord Snooty
  6. 5. ["Well, children, let's begin the tour. The chateau was built in 1692 and..."]
    Billy the Cat and Katie
  7. 6. [Pets' Picture Gallery 05-01-74]
    Pets' Picture Gallery
  8. 7. ["How nice!"]
    The Bash Street Kids
  9. 8. ["Groan! We're starving Bones - how can we get some food?"]
    Pup Parade with The Bash Street Dogs
  10. 9. ["Hold it, Billy!"]
    Billy Whizz
  11. 10. ["You're going to make it a new year's resolution to do exactly as you're told, Roger..."]
    Roger the Dodger
  12. 11. [Teaser Time 05-01-74]
    Teaser Time
  13. 12. ["Want to learn the reason for my gloom, readers? It started one day last week when Marshal Mallow set a trap for me..."]
    "Baby-Face" Finlayson - The Cutest Bandit In The West!
  14. 13. ["This is Leonardo McTickle, the famous artist"]
    The McTickles
  15. 14. ["That was a fine walk in the crisp frosty air - and my hands are nice and warm in these cosy gloves!"]
    The Nibblers
  16. 15. ["I'd like to go in for that but I don't have um pole"]
    Little Plum
  17. 16. ["I'm off to sail my boats at the pond, Mum"]
    Dennis the Menace and Gnasher
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Peter Croome
  • Ramon Schenk
  • Jim Van Dore
  • Danny Webb