The Ultimate Dennis the Menace Thread 4 4

[Jon-migration]

Most Sunday strips I've seen do have dates on them. This one, for example, is clearly marked 5 3 or May 3rd by American standards and May 3, 1981 was a Sunday while the date suggested by the original poster was not a Sunday. The year is often not put into the date, but there usually is a copyright date on the strip. Even when there's not a copyright date, you can generally uses a perpertual calendar to pin the year down to one or two choices since you know the date has to be a Sunday.

[BillyBatson4360]

In moving some of my collection to a new storage area on Saturday, I came across a box of Dennis the Menace comics that are basically doubles of what's in my permanent collection.

 

These includes issues from # 27 to # 107 (not a complete run, but quite a few issues). Most of these books range from Good to Fine. The majority are what I would call "reading copies."

 

Before I offer them on eBay, I thought I would offer them here to the real hardcore of Dennis comic fans.

 

If you need any particular issues, PM me and we'll see if we can work something out.

[rockhaven-migration]

I am new to this message board. I am 29 years old, and i believe that i am one of the youngest golden and silver age collectors out there....... so i really don't know anyone else that collects the same comics i do.....but i have my mom to thank for that. She introduced me to the idea of collecting comics when i was about 8....and she took me to a flea market and the first comic i picked out was Dennis the Menace number 30. That still is my favorite cover.

Dennis is the only none Dell (four color) comic title i collect. I wish Dell had done Dennis for several reasons.

I have most issues that i want with only 4 left to track down. They are from the main run, and all early isses of course....however i do have number 1. Picked that up a few months back on eBay with a "buy it now" for 150 bucks. First one i ever saw available......i think i got a good deal considering that 400 dollar one that sold on there about a month later.

 

Loved all the pictures at the beginning of this thread. I finally got to see what number 2 looks like...that was the only one i had never found a picture of.

 

Jeremy

[Aces]

I am 29 years old, and i believe that i am one of the youngest golden and silver age collectors out there

 

Welcome to the boards!

 

Many here are younger than that.

I started out seriously collecting Silver Age comics when I was 10.

But back then a 10 year old could still afford them in the $1 bins!

[Allen Ross-migration]

Got to bump this up.

 

Here's a new daily comic from 1/31/2006 that reminded me of the old 1950s ones:

 

[Timulty]

I still hope for Ultimate Dennis The Menace vs Wolverine. Sigh.....

[dc360]

Okay, how about THIS one, ComicBookGuy

 

Ever seen a (smaller than regular sized) HEBREW Dennis the Menace Comic?

 

 

If you'd like interior scans, feel free to ask

[rockhaven-migration]

I picked up Standard comics Dennis the Menace number 3 at a show the other day. It is a duplicate for me. However, at this time, i will only part with it in trade on a number 2. Anyone with 2 copies of number 2 needing a number 3???

 

Jeremy

[Jon-migration]

Jeremy,

 

I see you're "new here". I private messaged you about this, but then realized you may not know about private messages. You can contact me at JIngersoll5 (at) comcast (dot) com.

 

Jon

[rockhaven-migration]

Hey Jon, I tried emailing you but i got both emails sent back saying "fatal error" I just copied and pasted what you put as your email chaning the "dot" and the "at" of course...but still didn't work. You can email me at skinnyindy at aol dot com

 

Jeremy

[Allen Ross-migration]

I've been very busy recently, but I did want to contribute something probably pretty rare. Back in May 1990 there was a new musical created for Dennis the Menace, and staged at the Olney Theatre in Olney, Maryland, not far from where I lived at the time. I went and saw it, it was pretty good, but apparently not an overall success.

 

Here's the cover from the playbook:

 

[Jon-migration]

Was this ever produced elsewhere do you know? I've never heard of it. I'm tryign to recall when the movie came out. Was this around then? Could that have been the impetus to produce a Dennis play?

[Allen Ross-migration]

I don't believe this musical was produced elsewhere. I think there were several attempts at a Dennis musical, probably documented in "The Merchant of Dennis", if I recall (I don't have mine handy).

 

The movie came along later (1993), so it had no influence.

[Allen Ross-migration]

There is a preview of the next Complete Dennis the Menace at The Pulse, including some cartoons from it, available here.

[BillyBatson4360]

I absolutely loved volume one and will pick up volume two as soon as its available.

 

The only sad thing - reading these panels - is seeing how tame the strip has become today.

[Allen Ross-migration]

Heads up! According to the latest shipping list from Diamond, this is due out on Wednesday:

 

JAN063034 HANK KETCHAMS COMPLETE DENNIS THE MENACE 1953-1954 HC $24.95

 

I won't be able to get mine until Saturday.

[Allen Ross-migration]

This month's Previews lists the upcoming magazine Hogan's Alley #14, which cover-features Dennis. I just found the listing online; here's the cover:

 

and here's a link to its containing page.

 

Per the cover text, featuring an interview with Marcus Hamilton, and step-by-step Sunday Page by Ron Ferdinand.

[BillyBatson4360]

Am I alone in thinking today's Dennis looks horrible?

 

Maybe I've become a cantankerous old curmudgeon, but the drawing style is just so loose and sloppy!

 

I doesn't help getting massive doses of the original Ketcham illustrations in the "Complete Dennis" to compare to today's strip.

 

I know the artists may not be to blame because they draw in the style the syndicate wants - but I really have a hard time reading the strip (especially on Sundays!).

 

The bite and nastiness is all gone. Reading a Sunday Dennis the Menace today is like opening one of those sickly sweet Hallmark greeting cards that aren't nearly as clever as Hallmark thinks they are.

 

Wiseman & Ketcham have it all over this stuff!

[ComicBookGuy]

Bill, it's good to see you posting again. The picture on the magazine is drawn by the Sunday artist Ron Ferdinand. He's actually been working on the strip since the either late 1970s or early 1980s. The change in Dennis's look goes way back to when Ketcham was still doing the strip. Like you, most people prefer the Wiseman, followed by the Lee Holley and Ketcham, versions of Dennis. At his best, it was hard to tell Holley apart from Wiseman. I would put the two current artists, Marcus Hamilton (dailies) and Ron Ferdinand (Sundays) right after them. Their style was fashioned and developed under Ketcham's eye for years before he handed over the strip to them with his blessing. It's certainly a different style, somewhat looser, than the tight style Wiseman was known for, but certainly not a worse one, just a different one. Seeing all the artists from Ketcham to even Frank Hill and Owen Fitzgerald, each artist developed a different style and drew the strip in his own distinct way, and Ketcham was the one who pushed for the looser style in the last twenty-five years of the strip, so I would think artists were hired who followed the style Ketcham was pursuing (speculation on my part). Personally, when looking at the whole range of fifty something years of the strip, I think it works fine, and there have been some great comics in the last year. In fact, the strip seems to be as successful as it's been in decades. I will have to say I have a lot more respect for the current artists developing the strip in their own styles than I would have for them if they were trying to ape Ketcham and Wiseman, sort of like how Don Rosa developed his own great style on the duck books instead of aping Barks. I believe some recent panels were even shared here for a bit a few months back. Just doing a quick search I found this one - certainly a more "menacing" Dennis than a sugar-coated one:

 

 

This panel works on all kinds of levels and to me is as funny as anything I've seen for a while. A lot of it comes down to taste, and I'm not trying to change your mind cause you know I respect your opinion, but I just hope you still read the strip cause it STILL IS GOOD!!! I'm also just glad to see Dennis alive and well and going strong.

 

Allen, thanks for posting that magazine. I will definitely keep an eye out for it!

 

Just curious, anybody get the new book yet? I'm sure we'll get this thread hopping again once the new book hits. I've still got tons of stuff to post here and will get back into it soon...

[BillyBatson4360]

I know the looser style of Dennis was something that Ketcham oversaw. I can still remember how crushed I was when I first picked up "Dennis the Menace Goes to Camp" and discovered the drawing style had changed. Knowing nothing about what happened behind the scenes vexed me until the birth of this thread finally shed light on the career of Al Wiseman.

 

I just know I stopped buying Dennis comics shortly after Wiseman left. I continued to read the newspaper strip (and still read it). But I wish they would go back to featuring the more "Menacing" Dennis more consistently. And I really do find the current Sunday strip to be almost unreadable. The early days of the strip didn't evoke an "Aw, how precious!" kind of response. The kid was a terror!

 

I haven't seen Volume 2 of the "Complete Dennis" yet as my comic bok shop neglected to order one. I will be correcting that situation shortly.