Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1951-1952 - Hardcover

Ketcham, Hank

4.05

149 ratings by Goodreads

9781560976806: Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1951-1952

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1560976802 ISBN 13: 9781560976806

Publisher: Fantagraphics, 2005

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Dennis the Menace perfectly captured the mischievousness, rambunctiousness, and anarchy of a kid's world. This first volume publishes every single panel strip from 1951-1952 in one handsome, thick volume.

Dennis the Menace began on March 14, 1951 (four months after Ketcham's friend and colleague Charles Schulz started his own historic comic strip). He went on to become the second most popular cartoon kid in the world ― after Charlie Brown, of course. Dennis the Menace first appeared in 16 American newspapers; by the end of 1951, he was appearing in over a hundred.

The reason for Dennis' success is easy to figure out: It was one of the most brilliantly observed and empathetic comic strips about childhood ever drawn. Ketcham captured the mischievousness, rambunctiousness, and anarchy of a kid's world better than any other cartoonist. The strip appeals to both parents and children ― while parents shake their heads ruefully at how accurately Ketcham caught the essence of children's natural zest for mayhem, children identify with Dennis and the chaos that he leaves in his wake ― just a hop, skip, and a jump away from their own fantasy of themselves! Ketcham was a cartoonist with a vivacious line that was exquisitely suited to depicting adults and children. His gags were funny, subtle and touching.

Ketcham drew Dennis the Menace from 1951 to 1994, when he retired and let his assistant take over the strip. This first volume of Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace publishes every single panel strip from 1951 and 1952 in one handsome and thick volume resembling a Big Little Book on steroids.

Black-and-white full-page panel cartoons throughout

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About the Author:

Hank Ketcham was born in 1920 and created Dennis the Menace in 1950. He passed away in 2001.

Patrick McDonnell is a cartoonist best known for his newspaper strip Mutts. He won a Caldecott Honor in 2012, and his illustrations have appeared in publications such as Time, Sports Illustrated, and many more.

From Publishers Weekly:

Starred Review. Before there was Bart Simpson or Crayon Shinchan or Eric Cartman, there was Dennis the Menace, the five-year-old icon of childhood mischief. In this chronological collection of the long-running single panel strip, we see Dennis's skills with mud puddles, firecrackers, frogs and general mayhem developing at a splendid pace. Dennis the Menace stands out for both its chronicling of Baby Boom–generation society, and its highly sophisticated humor. Ketcham's grace and economy of both art and punch line are superb, telling a complete story with a single line of dialogue. For instance, in one panel, Dennis's long-suffering parents sit in a friend's parlor as she calls up the stairs. "Bobby, you don't have to hide any more! They didn't bring Dennis! Bobby, can you hear Mother?" As the strips in this volume come to a close, Ketcham is still introducing his major players—put-upon Mr. Wilson is only a small character, and female foils Margaret and Gina are still in their formative stages. As funny as the gags are, it's the art that captivates. As cartoonist Patrick McDonnell puts it in his intro, "Each meticulously designed panel was a masterpiece of composition." This beautifully produced book will delight for years to come. (Sept.)
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