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

From the Publisher

The American icon is defined: the first two years of Hank Ketcham's classic, in one handsome hardcover 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)-and 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 strip's success in only the first 10 months of syndication was a harbinger of greater success to come-as Ketcham himself put it, "The sales chart was not an upward curve but more the flight of an arrow." The timing was perfect: the post-war generation, at the height of the baby boom, embraced the perennial troublemaker and turned Dennis into a global publishing, merchandising and multi-media phenomenon, with over 50 million book collections sold, the fondly remembered live-action TV show from 1959-63, a cartoon from 1986-89, theatrical productions, several cartoon specials, two major motion pictures in the '90s, and a full-length animated film in 2002. The strip currently is enjoyed by readers of over 1,000 newspapers every day.

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 head 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 hardcover volume resembling a Big Little Book on steroids.

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

Publishers Weekly

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.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Ketcham invented quite a backstory for his characters, from their house in the Kansas suburbs to the career paths and hobbies for the Mitchells and their next-door neighbors, the Wilsons. Mostly, the book lets the panels speak for themselves, and they are displayed chronologically. The cartoons have timeless humor, as evidenced by their continuing popularity in many newspapers today. However, they are also of their era, partly due to Ketcham's great eye for detail. Clothes and cars are the most obvious period motifs, but there are cultural ones as well. Mr. Mitchell's pipe is omnipresent, and the Mitchells are often shown drinking (or hungover). More noticeably, Dennis, a fan of cowboy shows, frequently points his toy gun at others to scare them-not something likely to appear in the funny pages these days. It is glorious to see these cartoons reproduced so sharply.-Jamie Watson, Harford County Public Library, MD Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

• ISBN: 1560976802
  
• ISBN-13: 9781560976806
• Format: Hardcover, 624pp
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
• Pub. Date: September 2005
• Sales Rank: 602,216
• Series: H. K. Complete Dennis the Menace GNs Ser.