The Ultimate Dennis the Menace Thread 3 3

[ComicBookGuy]

Hey, Tim!

Haven't seen you in here for a while. Any luck getting some Dennis books yet? And no, that is not sarcasm! Just wondering if you've had any luck. I have uncovered some duplicates that I will pm you about if you're interested.

 

Here's an interesting article I found about Dennis in Hawaii. Here's the link:

 

Dennis in Hawaii article

 

I think it's funny that the guy calls Dennis an "oddball" title when Dennis was one of the most popular mainstream comics of its day. But, then, he does qualify his categorization...

 

Here's the article in case the link dies on us:

 

Title: Dennis In Hawaii

Issue: None (“3rd Large Printing”)

Date: Summer, 1958

Publisher: Hallden Publications, Inc.

Cover Artist(s): Al Wiseman

Here’s a comic -- published to coincide with Hawaii achieving U.S. statehood – that has a distinctively Oddball topic and cover-format. But please don’t be mislead by my inclusion of it as an ODDBALL COMIC; DENNIS IN HAWAII is truly one of the great, unsung classics of funnybook-dom!

 

Many comics have featured the exploits of various comic book (and comic strip) characters who have traveled to “real” exotic locations around the world, but no one ever did it better than the creative team that handled the funnybook appearances of Hank Ketcham’s DENNIS THE MENACE! Writer Fred Toole and cartoonist Al Wiseman (here’s this issue’s inside-front-cover “Aloha!” feature with photos of both of ‘em – which, I bet, was used to justify their trip to Hawaii to the IRS!) were the team responsible for most of the early issues of DENNIS THE MENACE as well as various “specials” like this one, and they did a magnificent job indeed. (I find Wiseman’s stellar draughtsmanship to be nothing less than remarkable.) Other classic “travelogue” issues include DENNIS IN HOLLYWOOD, DENNIS IN MEXICO and DENNIS IN WASHINGTON D.C. In these specials, Toole and Wiseman not only told stories that are still memorable, but are also some of the best-researched and rendered comic tales of all time!

 

This giant-size comic book includes the features:

 

 

“We’re Goin’ To Honey-Lulu!” (here are two prime examples of Al Wiseman’s amazing ability to take painstaking research and filter it through his remarkable draughtsmanship to add an amazing depth of realism to a cartoony property like DENNIS THE MENACE; first, this dramatic perspective shot of the San Francisco International Airport and second, this amazingly detailed shot of an airliner’s cockpit)

 

“Dennis On Wahoo” (featuring one of Wiseman’s trademarks, a well-drawn crowd scene complete with reference to various friends and acquaintances – “Mr./Mrs. Maurer” no doubt refers to cartoonist Norman Maurer, co-creator of 3-D comics and son-in-law of Stooge Moe Howard)

 

“Holy Cats!” (in which the Mitchell family attempts to ride a catamaran boat)

 

“Pearl Harbor” (this sequence, which is complete with a schematic diagram of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, features this page which affectingly shows Dennis’ tearful reaction to the fate of those entombed in the Arizona Memorial)

 

“The Garden Island” (showcasing the island of Kauai; here’re examples that demonstrates Wiseman’s refusal to avoid authentic detail, whether he’s depicting a traditional Hawaiian buffet meal or the vast expanse of Kauai’s Waimea Canyon, “the Grand Canyon of the Pacific”)

 

“Big Island” (a special report written by “Dennis M.” himself)

 

“Finally, A Maikai Luau Kau Kau Nui…And The Hauoli Trip Is Pau!” (which includes a self-caricature of cartoonist Al Wiseman as well as this incredible page – just look at that perspective! -- showing the results of Dennis unleashing a crate-full of monkeys on a planeload of unsuspecting passengers)

 

“Where Dennis and his Mom ‘N Dad went in the Hawaiian Islands” (a map of the Hawaiian Islands)

 

“Here Is Dennis…In Hawaii…In 3D!” (a cleverly-designed diorama project)

 

“Now YOU Can Do The Hula!” (an instructional article complete with all the hula “moves” required to “sing” the lyrics to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”, as demonstrated by Nona Kapua Beamer, one of the most famous teachers of the hula in Hawaii)

 

“Little Grass Shack” and --“Catamaran” puzzles

 

“What’s YOUR Name In Hawaiian?”

 

“You Can Talk Hawaiian…It’s Easy!” (a glossary that cleverly provides a key to many humorous references throughout DENNIS IN HAWAII)

 

Coloring pages of Hawaiian fish and a hula dancer

ODDBALL Factoid – Cartoonist Al Wiseman briefly assisted the great Gene Hazelton – another top cartoonist with a distinctively solid but decorative style --on the daily and Sunday comic strips THE FLINTSTONES and YOGI BEAR!

 

 

 

For more from Scott Shaw!, visit his Web site at http://www.shawcartoons.com/.

Just how odd is today's Oddball Comic?

Cast your vote right now -- from one to five oddballs --

on the Oddball Comics' discussion board!

 

 

Scott Shaw!

Staff Writer, CBR

scott@comicbookresources.com

 

Interesting to note that he states 3rd printing Summer 1958. I have a third printing right in front of me now, and it says 3rd printing Summer 1959. He has to be wrong since we know for a fact the first printing is Summer 1958 and we assume a second identical printing was run that same summer, but NOT a third!

Joe

 

 

[ComicBookGuy]

Here's another interesting item I came across. It's an interview with LOVE AND ROCKETS creators Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez discussing Dennis comics and the impact they had on them. Here is an excerpt:

 

Since he is one-half of a creative team producing a forthrightly adult comic book, it may seem odd that Jaime Hernandez cites as his strongest influences not superhero comics, but ones most comics fans consider more juvenile: "My two biggest influences are `Archie' comics and `Dennis the Menace' comics. People say, `Oh, that's funny, those are silly kids comics.' Yes, but what were they about? Teen-agers and a little boy and his parents. You know, `Dennis the Menace' was probably the most realistic comic book ever done."

 

"No space aliens ever invaded," noted Gilbert.

 

"As silly as those stories were," continued Jaime, "they basically stuck to reality. If he met Santa Claus, it was in his dreams. And every year they had these travel annuals, where they would travel to Mexico, things like that. And they would send the writer and artist to Mexico, to research. And they would say, `OK, Dennis climbs up on that statue,' and they would take notes. It was that accurate. And when I visited Washington, D.C., once, I knew everything. I knew all about that place, because of the comic book."

 

Here is the link for the site if you want to read the whole thing:

 

Hernandez on Dennis

[tth2]

Hey, Tim!

Haven't seen you in here for a while. Any luck getting some Dennis books yet? And no, that is not sarcasm! Just wondering if you've had any luck. I have uncovered some duplicates that I will pm you about if you're interested.

Hey Joe, we got a 4-day weekend for Easter here, and I've been trying to stay off the internet (including these boards) on weekends and holidays to spend more time with the family.

 

No luck on picking up some Dennises, but to be honest I haven't really been trying. The problem with living overseas is that the mailing costs for reader copies makes reader copies not so cheap. Plus, storage space is always at a premium here. It's a very frustrating feeling, seeing you and Billy doing all the heavy lifting and not being able to contribute at all because I don't have any issues here (anyways, whatever I'd have access to wouldn't hold a candle to what you guys have put up, or your all-encompassing knowledge of the subject matter ).

 

I've been thinking if I go back to the US for vacation anytime soon, I'd pick up some of the Dennis digests that are at my sister's place in NJ (lots of Wiseman-Toole Christmas reprints), along with the comic reprints of some of the travel issues, and bring them back here so I can introduce them to my daughter. Unfortunately, doesn't look like we'll be coming back to the US in 2005.

 

Anyways, notwithstanding what I've just said, please do PM me with what you've got, maybe we can work something out.

[tth2]

Very cool, so in addition to Fred Hembeck we can now count Scott Shaw and the Hernandez Brothers as fans of DTM, and Scott Shaw and Fred Hembeck in particular as fans of Al Wiseman! So it's not such an isolated occurrence after all, it's just been the need to tie all these separate expressions of appreciation into one centralized location!

[escape-migration]

Okay, the index project has begun!

I have sat for several hours with my collection and have gone through the first 25 Dennis Giants, page by page, twice each....

 

Wow!

 

INCREDIBLE! The amount of work involved on your end is certainly appriciated, Joe. You and Bill are to be saluted for getting the indexing project "off the ground".

 

I've built a database using FileMaker Pro (Mac user here), and have set up fields for the following data:

 

• Publisher

• Title

• Issue #

• Cover Notes (This will come in handy when I enter the Giants.. "In Hawaii", "Gags & Games" etc.)

• Month

• Year

• Story Title

• # of Story Pages

• Story Synopsis (also will include if its a reprint, and where it was originally published)

• Notes

 

A lot of data to cover, but in the end it will be worth it I think. I've included page counts for stories, as I suspect that stories may have been trimmed/edited/shortened in the 70's when they were reprinted. I don't know this for a fact though....

 

Here's a sample listing:

 

---------------------------

 

Dennis the Menace [Pines] #23 July 1957 (c. Wiseman)

• IFC - 4 Daily Strips

• "Dennis the Bookworm" (10 pgs) Dennis goes to the library with Dad

• "Meanwhile...Back at the Ranch..." (5 pgs) Dennis and Dad play cowboys in the back yard

• "Road Closed" (2 pgs) TEXT STORY

• "Punky" (4 pgs) Punky and his mom go to the park

• "The Long and Short of It" (5 pgs) Dennis and Dad imagine what he will be like when he grows up

• "The Big Build-Up" (6 pgs) Dad helps the boys build a clubhouse in the back yard

• IBC - Ad for Boys Clubs of America

• BC - No Title (1 pg) Dennis polishes Dad's shoes with paint

 

Notes: Entire issue art by Al Wiseman

 

----------------------------

 

Yes, I realize I'm anal I'm still learning this database, and I'm trying to figure out now what data I may want later.

 

Joe, the data that you and Bill are sharing with us is INVALUABLE, since most of us here don't have the incredible collections you guys do. As stated earlier, I'm busy currently buying cheap lots of Dennis comics off of eBay, and will have lots to keep me busy in the weeks and months ahead as time permits.

 

Anyway, BIGTIME salute to you two, for making this Dennis fan more informed, with your fantastic research and contributions!

 

[lansdown-migration]

Joe, you have started an amazing thread! I saw the initial images you posted several weeks ago, but I was shocked when I just logged in and saw EIGHTEEN PAGES of messages related to Dennis the Menace comic books! I'm a long-time lurker of these CGC boards, but this is my first ever post. Nothing like a good Dennis the Menace discussion to draw me out of my shell...

 

Like Joe, I have been working on a Dennis comic collection for years. I finished my set (courtesy of ebay for the final handful of books) about two years ago. I've also spent the last fifteen years compiling a collection of Dennis the Menace toys, games, advertising pieces, original artwork, and merchandise. If there is any interest in these collectibles (I don't want to stray off-topic), I would be happy to post pictures of some of my collection.

 

As most readers of this thread have already figured out, Joe is a tremendous asset to the collecting community. He helped me upgrade numerous books in my collection, and his knowledge of Dennis books is second to none. Interestingly enough, Joe and I met while competing for Dennis books on ebay.

 

I am currently working on a website that documents old comic pinbacks from the 1890s to the 1950s (http://www.marklansdown.com/pinbacks). When that site is further along, I would love to build a similar site that documents Dennis the Menace merchandise (there are LOTS of Dennis items to document). Another interesting idea would be to document the early Dennis Sundays. Both Ketcham and Wiseman worked on the Sundays in the 1950s and there are many examples of sensational artwork that have rarely been reprinted.

 

The image that I have included is one of my Dennis collection cabinets. Again, if there is any interest, I would be happy to include additional scans of early Dennis artwork and collectibles.

 

Regards,

Mark

 

[tth2]

WELCOME TO THE BOARDS! The number of Dennis afficionados grows on a seemingly daily basis. Anything you'd like to contribute would be welcome. In particular I'd LOVE to see some original art. What do you have, original Ketcham comic strip art, Al Wiseman comic art ? Whatever, put it on up, we'd love to see it!

[BillyBatson4360]

Wow! Very impressive collection case, LD! I noticed you have a nearly complete set of Dennis hand puppets (with a few doubles) AND the Dennis the Menace Mischief Kit (which I so fondly remember from my childhood).

 

I'd love to see more examples of what you've got. Obviously, Sunday pages and original art, but any Dennis items you think are worthwhile. Glad you can join us!

[escape-migration]

...Another interesting idea would be to document the early Dennis Sundays. Both Ketcham and Wiseman worked on the Sundays in the 1950s and there are many examples of sensational artwork that have rarely been reprinted.

 

Welcome welcome welcome, Mark!

 

Fantastic collection you have there! Put me down as someone who would LOVE to see those early Sunday pages. I've seen a few on eBay, but not very often. Do you have lengthy runs, or just a few here and there?

 

::PB sammich and root beer slide::

 

[the blob]

you guys are sick!

 

(it's not sick to have over 10,000 comics sitting in a storage room because there's no space in your house, that's normal... :-)

 

It's not about DTM, but i'll ask it here given that there has been some discussion abount rarity of certain 1980s cartoon books ---

 

I see that almost all the Richie Rich titles stopped publication in 1982 and then RR started getting printed again a few years later.

 

Did Harvey go temporarily bankrupt or something? Seemed like a weird time because there was a RR TV cartoon at the time and the books seemed plentifull from the early 80s.

 

So why did they stop? Unlike Gold Keys or Charltons, OPG doesn't seem to indicate any scarcity for these last books and it sure seems like there are plenty of 60 cent cover price Harveys out there. Was it cancelled for reasons other than circulation?

[escape-migration]

I see that almost all the Richie Rich titles stopped publication in 1982 and then RR started getting printed again a few years later.

 

Did Harvey go temporarily bankrupt or something?

 

This is all I could find on Harvey history.... hope it helps:

 

http://home.att.net/~thft/harveyhist.htm

[BillyBatson4360]

Well, I've been known to stray off topic a time or two myself. Someone is sure to have more information, but as I understand it, Harvey temporarily suspended publication due to a family squabble over control of the company.

 

They resolved the squabble, returned to the marketplace - and even for a brief moment tried reviving non-Harvey core characters like Felix the Cat, Popeye, and Tom & Jerry (featuring a great T&J artist whose name I've now forgotten as well as Carl Barks reprints of Droopy & Benny and His Burro) - but ultimately failed to find a large enough audience to survive.

 

Archie managed to keep publishing due to their digests - which they're placed into checkout lines of supermarkets.

[the blob]

archie published comics throughout that whole period too, not just digests.

 

thanks... so no point in looking for "rare last issues" of RR or any other such fun nonsense i suppose.

[BillyBatson4360]

My understanding is that sales of regular "newsstand" size issues of the Archie line of comics would not be enough to keep the company afloat without the digests. The outlets for comics are few once you get past comic book shops. And comic book shops don't really sell many Archies. Mine doesn't even stock any on the display they reserve for kids comics. (They stock the new Disney titles, Simpsons comics, as well as the DC and Marvel books aimed at younger readers.)

[ComicBookGuy]

Very cool, so in addition to Fred Hembeck we can now count Scott Shaw and the Hernandez Brothers as fans of DTM, and Scott Shaw and Fred Hembeck in particular as fans of Al Wiseman! So it's not such an isolated occurrence after all, it's just been the need to tie all these separate expressions of appreciation into one centralized location!

 

Tim, you got that right! That is my goal: to draw as much info about Dennis together in one spot and then take all this and put a website together with what we've gathered. As you can see, I've been gathering a lot of "homage" material together here so people can see what a great comic this is. I will post another Hembeck homage to Dennis plus one by Simpsons creator Matt Groening soon.

 

By the way, Tim, I am very impressed to see a correct spelling of the word "occurrence" in front of me. My experience is that virtually no one can spell it.

 

I will send you a pm soon of the duplicates I have since you are interested.

 

Joe

[ComicBookGuy]

• Publisher

• Title

• Issue #

• Cover Notes (This will come in handy when I enter the Giants.. "In Hawaii", "Gags & Games" etc.)

• Month

• Year

• Story Title

• # of Story Pages

• Story Synopsis (also will include if its a reprint, and where it was originally published)

• Notes

 

Dennis the Menace [Pines] #23 July 1957 (c. Wiseman)

• IFC - 4 Daily Strips

• "Dennis the Bookworm" (10 pgs) Dennis goes to the library with Dad

• "Meanwhile...Back at the Ranch..." (5 pgs) Dennis and Dad play cowboys in the back yard

• "Road Closed" (2 pgs) TEXT STORY

• "Punky" (4 pgs) Punky and his mom go to the park

• "The Long and Short of It" (5 pgs) Dennis and Dad imagine what he will be like when he grows up

• "The Big Build-Up" (6 pgs) Dad helps the boys build a clubhouse in the back yard

• IBC - Ad for Boys Clubs of America

• BC - No Title (1 pg) Dennis polishes Dad's shoes with paint

 

Notes: Entire issue art by Al Wiseman

 

 

And I thought I was providing too much info! Actually, this is AWESOME, Escape! I love it.

 

Maybe what we could do is this: I will go ahead and complete the 194 Giant / Bonus series, then we can tackle the regular series with the format you have above. I will use the template to fill in with the issues you don't have. (I assume you have a lot of issues indexed already?) I will be honest that the thought of going back to count the pages of the stories in those 100 page giants is not a pleasant one! Using your template for the regular series sounds great though. Can you tell me or email me the issues you have indexed so I can work on the issues you don't have? It will be a couple weeks before I'm done with the giants, so there's no rush.

Joe

 

BTW, I love the Dennis avatar!

[tth2]

By the way, Tim, I am very impressed to see a correct spelling of the word "occurrence" in front of me. My experience is that virtually no one can spell it.

Ever the school teacher, Joe! Do I get a gold star? Spelling has always been one of those things that has come easily to me. Of course, I was taken to task recently by another board member for misspelling "dilemma" (I spelled it "dilemna", which apparently is incorrect even though commonly used, including by the media ).

[ComicBookGuy]

Mark, your arrival on this thread is an historic day. I echo everyone else when I say WELCOME TO THE BOARDS!

 

As everyone can see, Mark is one of the top Dennis collectors out there. His Dennis cabinet is AMAZING and seems to have a lot more in it since I saw it last! The only person that could give him some competition is that Dennis50Menace dude from ebay. That guy to this day is the only person ever to outbid me on a Dennis auction.

 

Next to these guys, I am nothing.

Yes, I have complete sets of all the comics in decent grade, but what separates them from me is that they collect the comics AND EVERYTHING DENNIS.

 

It is very cool that this thread has brought Escape, Bill, and now you, Mark, to participate in these forums. I am planning to invite Marcus Hamilton, the current Sunday artist, and Ron Ferdinand, the current daily artist, to check out this thread. I am also planning to email some other Dennis collectors I have run across on eBay. A little google spamming can attract people here as well. For example:

Dennis the Menace Comic Comics Books Book Hank Ketcham Ketcham's Collecting Collections, Al Wiseman art, artist, etc.

(Now, let's see who drops by in the next couple days. )

 

Mark, I think it would be cool to post that article you had published about the Dennis toys. I was thinking of asking your permission to post it in here. It would be great for everyone to see and is not off-topic at all. The stuff about art and the tv show and toys are all on topic as long as they're about Dennis as far as I'm concerned. Plus, it would help us to identify most of the stuff in that amazing cabinet of yours.

 

Mark, again, it's great to hear from you, we all loved seeing your collection, and we are all looking forward to your future posts.

 

Joe

[ComicBookGuy]

By the way, Tim, I am very impressed to see a correct spelling of the word "occurrence" in front of me. My experience is that virtually no one can spell it.

Ever the school teacher, Joe! Do I get a gold star? Spelling has always been one of those things that has come easily to me. Of course, I was taken to task recently by another board member for misspelling "dilemma" (I spelled it "dilemna", which apparently is incorrect even though commonly used, including by the media ).

 

 

How ironic that on these boards someone would get corrected for spelling! There are many posts I can't even read. And yes, I will be glad to send you a gold star...

 

Joe

[FFB]

By the way, Tim, I am very impressed to see a correct spelling of the word "occurrence" in front of me. My experience is that virtually no one can spell it.

 

Your comment about spelling reminded me of something I saw on the STL Comics website recently. Amazing stuff.