Rocket Licensing gears up for Beano’s 85th anniversary

Having begun its story in 1938, Beano has become one of the most recognisable British brands of all time. In 2023 it celebrates a momentous 85 years since it first hit newsstands, and Rocket Licensing is preparing a celebratory range of consumer products to mark the milestone.

Now the world’s longest-running weekly comic, Beano has recently reported its fifth year of consecutive sales growth, and with more than 28 million Brits having read the comic as kids, it’s unsurprising that it boasts 84% brand recognition amongst children, and a whopping 94% recognition amongst adults.

The special birthday will be commemorated by the brand across the year with a special comic issue, a national press and media campaign, schools’ activity and special appearances from the comic’s celebrity fans. More details of the celebrations will be announced soon.

Rocket Licensing, which manages the rights for the property in the UK, is preparing an exciting schedule of consumer products and events not only to mark Beano’s birthday, but to celebrate Roger the Dodger, Minnie the Minx and the Bash Street Kids, who will be celebrating their 70th anniversary milestones, and The Numskulls, who will be marking their 30th anniversary.

The celebrations follow in the wake of Dennis’s 70th celebrations, which saw fans young and old join in the anniversary fun and Dennis trending worldwide on Twitter across the year. Beano also won the inaugural Children’s Magazine of the Year at the 2021 PPA awards.

Beano will, as always, be supporting World Book Day 2023, with licensed products and categories planned to feature in-store during this important seasonal window including new Beano book releases from Farshore, dress-up from Rubies and nightwear from Aykroyds.

Charlie Donaldson, Joint MD at Rocket Licensing, says: “Beano is part of the culture of Britain, and we’re thrilled to be able to honour the brand’s 85th birthday next year. Dennis’ 70th anniversary in 2021 was a huge success and the nation celebrated in style with a range of fabulous products and events. We’re planning even more excitement for 2023 and are looking forward to working with existing and new partners to ensure the anniversary is one to remember.”

Vanessa Andreis, Franchise Planning and Partnerships Director, Beano Studios, adds: “2023 is going to be Beano’s biggest year yet! Kids and their families won’t be able to miss our celebrations as we commemorate both the iconic comic and our incredible characters which are so loved.”

As part of the celebrations, the brand is also delighted to launch Beano: The Outdoor Game, in partnership with the Outdoor Gaming Company, for families all over the country. Starting with London and Dundee, followed by other major towns and cities over the coming months, the game will see families help Dennis find Gnasher in their local town or city by solving clues, completing tasks, and answering questions.

 

Man vs Bee-no: Rowan Atkinson immortalised in iconic comic

British comedy legend Rowan Atkinson has been immortalised in a special bespoke Beano comic strip, to celebrate the upcoming release of new nine-part Netflix series: Man vs Bee.

This ultimate British pop-culture comedy crossover, drawn by celebrated Beano illustrator Nigel Parkinson, stars Atkinson as the Netflix series’ eponymous hero ‘Trevor,’ a hapless house sitter who attempts to take care of a luxury mansion before chaos ensues after the property is invaded by a mischievous bee.

Inspired by his unique slapstick comedic credentials from the show, the bee-spoke strip transports Trevor to Beanotown. He runs into serious difficulties alongside a cast of favourite characters, including Dennis, Gnasher, Bea (Dennis’s baby sister), Minnie, Pieface, JJ and Rubi.

In the comic strip, Atkinson’s character attempts to house-sit for the Mayor of Beanotown (Walter’s  father), as the family head off on holiday. Chaos ensues as Trevor tussles with a bee whilst leaving a trail of utter devastation in their wake to hilarious comic effect.

Rowan Atkinson says: “Like many British school children I was an avid Beano reader. Beano remains a unique piece of our pop culture, and something that has been shaped by and shaped British comedic sensibilities for over 80 years. I am genuinely thrilled that my alter ego, Trevor, has been immortalised in the Beano world.”

Mike Stirling, Director of Mischief at Beano Studios, adds: “Beano has always been a hive of comic chaos, so there was a real buzz about the place to have the comedy legend that is Rowan Atkinson visit Beanotown to make mischief with another troublemaker identified by their stripes: The Bee! I’m only worried Dennis and Minnie will sting us for new stripy jumpers in tribute. We think it was meant to bee, that when Netflix was looking for a unique new way of telling the world about the show, they thought of us. We hope everyone has as much fun reading the strip as we had making it.”

Launching today, Friday 17 June, the bee-spoke comic strip is available exclusively on beano.com and gives a teaser of what’s to come ahead of Man vs Bee landing on Netflix.

Promising viewers a hugely enjoyable mix of wacky hi-jinks and physical comedy for which Rowan’s comedy characters have become synonymous, Man vs Bee is set to be this summer’s much-watch family comedy series, available on Netflix in full from 24 June.

 

Beano Studios and Radley London partner on exclusive accessory collection housed at landmark exhibition

Beano Studios is continuing to celebrate 70 years of Dennis the Menace, this time with the launch of a limited edition accessory collection developed in collaboration with the fashion brand, Radley London.

The partnership will see a selection of Beano’s comic strips styled by Radley London into expertly crafted, collectable designs in a range featuring illustrations of Dennis, Gnasher, Minnie, and Radley’s own Scottie dog across a line of bags, card holders, and purses. The collection will be available exclusively in Radley’s London and Glasgow stores, selected concessions, and online from October 4th this year.

The coillection will reference Dennis’ black and red stripes throughout, including the Breaking Rules Book Street bag, which features screen prints and foil embossing on leather. The large black tote has appliqué badges of the Beano characters and slogans and includes a detachable striped Scottie dog key fob who dons his own red and black striped jumper.

The collection also includes a collectible leather card holder which features the Dennis and Gnasher fan club logo. The Dennis fan club was originally created in 1976 and this is the first time it has been brought to life in a licensed deal.

Vanessa Andreis, franchise planning and partnerships director, Beano Studios, said: “In this momentous year for Dennis we’ve chosen iconic partnerships to commemorate his 70 years. Bringing a bit of Dennis’s loveable mischief to Radley London will be a special part of Dennis history and thanks to their incredible craftsmen we’re sure these collectible products will still be around for the next 70 years of this iconic character.”

Radley London is an official partner of Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules – a major exhibition at Somerset House. Radley’s rebellious collection of Beano-inspired handbags and accessories will be available to buy within a special pop-up shop at Somerset House during the exhibition, which runs from 21 October 2021 until 6 March 2022.

Jackie Hay, Radley London, chief product officer, added: “We are so delighted to join with Beano and Dennis in this very special year. Our Design Team had enormous fun creating a playful collection which brings Dennis and his friends into our world.

“The exclusive Picture Bag designs are made by hand by our artisan craftsmen – including cutting, dying, stitching and printing – and we can’t wait to see our collection run riot this Autumn on our handbags, purses and of course our very own Dennis fan club card wallet.”

The landmark exhibition, Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules at Somerset House will explore the relationship between Beano and contemporary art pieces with unruliness and irreverence, through the eyes of the artists who embody the Beano sensibility of rebellion.

The major exhibition will feature original comic drawings, never previously seen in public, selected across its 4,000-plus editions (to date) and rare archive artefacts, alongside works from leading artists and designers, imbued with the same Beano spirit of breaking the rules.

Recently announced contributors include artists Nicola Lane and Peter Leversidge and editorial cartoonist Martin Rowson.

Beano was first published by DC Thomson in July 1938 and is still put together in its original Dundee headquarters and printed in the UK each week. Beano has an ABC of 45,644 – an increase of 9.0 per cent YOY. The brand reaches over 5m kids a month on its digital network, centred around multi-award winning Beano.com and fans in more than 100 countries across the world can watch Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed!, the Emmy nominated TV series.

Beano Studios and Radley London partner on exclusive accessory collection housed at landmark exhibition

Beano Studios is continuing to celebrate 70 years of Dennis the Menace, this time with the launch of a limited edition accessory collection developed in collaboration with the fashion brand, Radley London.

The partnership will see a selection of Beano’s comic strips styled by Radley London into expertly crafted, collectable designs in a range featuring illustrations of Dennis, Gnasher, Minnie, and Radley’s own Scottie dog across a line of bags, card holders, and purses. The collection will be available exclusively in Radley’s London and Glasgow stores, selected concessions, and online from October 4th this year.

The coillection will reference Dennis’ black and red stripes throughout, including the Breaking Rules Book Street bag, which features screen prints and foil embossing on leather. The large black tote has appliqué badges of the Beano characters and slogans and includes a detachable striped Scottie dog key fob who dons his own red and black striped jumper.

The collection also includes a collectible leather card holder which features the Dennis and Gnasher fan club logo. The Dennis fan club was originally created in 1976 and this is the first time it has been brought to life in a licensed deal.

Vanessa Andreis, franchise planning and partnerships director, Beano Studios, said: “In this momentous year for Dennis we’ve chosen iconic partnerships to commemorate his 70 years. Bringing a bit of Dennis’s loveable mischief to Radley London will be a special part of Dennis history and thanks to their incredible craftsmen we’re sure these collectible products will still be around for the next 70 years of this iconic character.”

Radley London is an official partner of Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules – a major exhibition at Somerset House. Radley’s rebellious collection of Beano-inspired handbags and accessories will be available to buy within a special pop-up shop at Somerset House during the exhibition, which runs from 21 October 2021 until 6 March 2022.

Jackie Hay, Radley London, chief product officer, added: “We are so delighted to join with Beano and Dennis in this very special year. Our Design Team had enormous fun creating a playful collection which brings Dennis and his friends into our world.

“The exclusive Picture Bag designs are made by hand by our artisan craftsmen – including cutting, dying, stitching and printing – and we can’t wait to see our collection run riot this Autumn on our handbags, purses and of course our very own Dennis fan club card wallet.”

The landmark exhibition, Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules at Somerset House will explore the relationship between Beano and contemporary art pieces with unruliness and irreverence, through the eyes of the artists who embody the Beano sensibility of rebellion.

The major exhibition will feature original comic drawings, never previously seen in public, selected across its 4,000-plus editions (to date) and rare archive artefacts, alongside works from leading artists and designers, imbued with the same Beano spirit of breaking the rules.

Recently announced contributors include artists Nicola Lane and Peter Leversidge and editorial cartoonist Martin Rowson.

Beano was first published by DC Thomson in July 1938 and is still put together in its original Dundee headquarters and printed in the UK each week. Beano has an ABC of 45,644 – an increase of 9.0 per cent YOY. The brand reaches over 5m kids a month on its digital network, centred around multi-award winning Beano.com and fans in more than 100 countries across the world can watch Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed!, the Emmy nominated TV series.

Beano Studios marks 70 years of Dennis with Royal Mail stamp collection

Beano Studios is celebrating the 70th year of the iconic British comic character, Dennis the Menace, with the launch of a new stamp collection in partnership with Royal Mail.

The new series of six stamps will look back at Dennis through the ages, from the character’s first black and white comic strip in 1951, through important events in his life, including meeting his baby sister, Bea, adopting Gnasher, and finding out that his dad is a grown-up version of Dennis from the 1980s.

A further four stamps, exclusively illustrated by the current Dennis artist, Nigel Parkinson, show the culmination of an exclusive comic strip. The strip, written especially for Royal Mail, is featured in the Presentation Pack as it tells a story focused on Dennis’ birthday celebrations and includes a brief ‘history of Menaces.’

Vanessa Andre is, franchise planning and partnerships director, Beano Studios said: “Dennis has stamped his spirit on generations of kids for the last 70 years and continues to spread smiles and laughs between kids, parents and grandparents. Having Royal Mail join our licensing programme to mark this incredible year is very special and we can’t wait for fans to get their hands on this latest piece of Dennis history.”

Charlie Donaldson, joint managing director, Rocket Licensing, added: “We are delighted to be celebrating the birthday of this national treasure in partnership with this quintessentially British institution, Royal Mail. The bespoke artwork is so fun and eye-catching, it’s a very special collection for Beano that we are excited to see shared.”

For more than 50 years, Royal Mail’s Special Stamp programme has commemorated anniversaries and celebrated events relevant to UK heritage and life. Today, there are an estimated 2.5 million stamp collectors and gift givers in the UK and millions worldwide.

Natasha Ayivor, Royal Mail, said: “For seven decades Dennis has been entertaining children by getting into all manner of mischief fand mayhem. Generations have experienced the excitement and anticipation of reading about Dennis’s latest prank. Royal Mail is delighted to be honouring Dennis and Gnasher with a set of stamps as the ultimate birthday present.”

The full set of 10 stamps, available in a Presentation Pack, retails at £13.65. The stamps and range of collectible products are available today (1 July) from www.royalmail.com/dennisandgnasher.

Rocket Licensing | “There’s real opportunity to make retail an experience and destination again”

For those of the industry who tuned into the special licensing panel discussion at this year’s London Book Fair, albeit in its digital format, you’d have caught Rocket Licensing’s join managing director, Rob Wijeratna waxing lyrical on the virtues of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a phenomenon of the children’s publishing space and extended licensing market, despite the book itself being only 22 pages long.

At the crux of Wijeratna’s point was that building a brand is ‘about telling a story’ no matter the size (or page length) of the source material. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is today a globally loved franchise that is not only a staple of book shelves and schools across the country – or the planet – but of the preschool and nursery space as a whole.

Central to the storytelling that Rocket Licensing weaves through the wider activity around the title is the experiential licensing, a pocket of licensing that so often acts as ‘an anchor point around which the many facets of a licensing programme can centre. A sector that faced some rather ominous hurdles over the last year, experiential licensing has been forced to adapt and change shape over the course of the past 18 months, working to uncover new spaces within the home via virtual and digital means.

But it’s a space now beginning to open up once again. And as such, Licensing.biz thought it wise to catch up with Rocket Licensing brand manager, Melissa Satterly, to discover what the licensing agency has planned for the return of live experiences for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Beano, and a few others among its core portfolio.

Hello Melissa, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions this week. The most obvious point to address first and foremost is the pandemic and the impact this has had on the experiential licensing space. As we begin to ‘unlock’ and remove social distancing measures, what sort of excitement is there around the return of experiential licensing?

With things opening up again and families increasingly looking for, and getting excited about, staycations and days out nearer to home, now feels like the perfect time to be engaging with experiential licensing and family-focused activities. We’ve seen real enthusiasm and high visitor numbers for the branded events that we have put on so far in 2021 and are excited for the roll out of several more initiatives over the summer.

How do you think experiential licensing has evolved over the course of the pandemic and what lasting impression has it left on the market and consumers? How do you begin to reintroduce experiential licensing to a post-pandemic world?

The pandemic saw Rocket and our partners take a very different approach to experiences, with the transition to online and at-home events. For example, our annual The Very Hungry Caterpillar Giant Wiggle partnership with Action for Children took place online in 2020 as an at-home activity pack for families. In addition to this, Action for Children really responded to how families were spending lockdown by launching a Growing Challenge subscription pack for little gardeners, an experiential product that we are excited to see continue to do well post-pandemic as well.

We also worked closely with License to PR to deliver lockdown-suitable content, creating a social media campaign for The Very Hungry Caterpillar that targeted parenting/foodie influencers who provided fun caterpillar-inspired recipes for people to try at home, while also promoting the Feed the Hungry Caterpillar game from University Games, responding to the rising popularity of games and puzzles while families were at home. This was one of our most successful campaigns to date.

With lockdowns easing, we have been careful and strategic in the experiences that we have put on, for example focusing on fun outdoor activities while restrictions have remained in place indoors. The first major experiential partnership that we have seen in 2021 was the Big Beano Bonanza at Kew Gardens, which adhered to all guidance on social distancing, with Beano-themed Covid safety signs along the trail, hand gel stations, marshalls and pre-booked visitor slots.

The sale of our branded and co-branded Beano product was initially focused online for the earlier stages of the event while the visitor shops remained closed, and advertising took on an online and local focus.

Can you talk us through some of the key partnerships you’ve secured across the experiential licensing space recently?

We are really excited to have a current partnership for The Very Hungry Caterpillar taking place at London Zoo (running until 16th July). Families can enjoy a fun range of activities, including crawling through a giant fruit story trail, crafting and story-telling sessions throughout the day, as well as the opportunity to visit Butterfly Paradise and Bug House.

For 2021, we have also partnered with Gulliver’s Valley (Rotherham) and Gulliver’s Dinosaur and Farm Park (Milton Keynes) for a range of branded activities for both The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Beano. The Very Hungry Caterpillar presence launched on Saturday, May 1st and includes Meet & Greets, birthday parties, crafting activities and even themed accommodation, so that families can spend the night in their very own cocoons.

The Beano characters will be getting up to all sorts of mischief, including a Beano Blasters! laser tag attraction. We are also very excited to have just finalised a partnership with Escape Live for a Horrible Histories Escape Room, opening later this year and giving families the opportunity to be immersed in a mission that transports them through multiple different time periods.

How important will experiential licensing be for retail in enticing consumers away from the online space? What opportunities are there now available to reboot the retail sector through experiential licensing? Are there any examples of this you can give from your own portfolio?

With the shift to ecommerce and online over lockdown, there is a real opportunity now to make retail more of an experience and destination again, as people get excited to get out and about and enjoy a physical browse in store. Another of our The Very Hungry Caterpillar partners is Bluewater shopping centre who has used experiential licensing to enhance the family shopping experience with the addition of The Very Hungry Caterpillar nature trail and in-mall storytelling telling events.

Bluewater is surrounded by 50 acres of landscaped parkland, which was a popular location for local visitors during the lockdown. They opened a new The Very Hungry Caterpillar storytelling trail this May half term to further build on the existing branded nature trail. The new story trail consists of seven signposts, which are designed using imagery from the book and feature cut outs for photos opportunity and QR codes that tell the story through narration by local school children. It’s a lovely way for families to enjoy time together whilst shopping at Bluewater.

From a Rocket Licensing perspective, what makes a successful partnership in the experiential licensing space?

It’s always so important to be able to match up the brand values of the location with the licensed property. For example, with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, we have really focused on nature-driven partnerships with the likes of the Royal Horticultural Society, the Eden Project and the nature reserve at Bluewater. In terms of execution, we aim to create multi-dimensional experiences, with not only a variety of activities, but opportunities for co-branded merchandise in location-based retail outlets.

Indeed, experiential licensing offers great opportunities to showcase product for our brands in fantastic cross-category displays and really get our licensees working together in collaboration. It is also important for venues to use digital engagement to drive families to the events through comprehensive marketing, advertising and social media promotion.

What do you enjoy the most about the experiential licensing sector, what level of innovation and creativity does it offer you guys and the brands you work with?

It’s always so wonderful to see children and families engaging and having fun with the brand activities; we get so much traction for the partnerships on social media and absolutely love looking at all of the photos! And yes, the creativity of the activities is always fantastic to work on. For example, our recent Beano trail saw a mile long trail including 3D bespoke comic strip, whoopie cushion stepping stones and water pistols over the lake! It’s always really satisfying to see the collaborative effort that goes into these experiences, bringing together marketing, creative and events team with product offerings from our licensees to create brand-immersive events.

What do you think the future looks like for experiential licensing and what are the key points of change in this sector?

We are confident that this sector will continue to grow, generating strong awareness and revenue for brands. Venues like Escape Rooms are only just beginning to engage with licensed IP so this is surely an area that will continue to expand. It’s also likely that experience and retail will draw increasingly close together, exploring more in-store experiences at retail as well as increasing the focus on co-branded product and retail promotion, in association with events and activity venues.

What’s the next big step for you guys in this space?

We are continuing to look for new appropriate experiential partners for our brands and have already started early conversations for next year. We have had great success with experiential licensing in particular for The Very Hungry Caterpillar over recent years and are now increasingly expanding our focus to some of our other fantastic brands, such as Beano and Horrible Histories, to find the perfect location-based fit.

We also have some fantastic adult brands in our portfolio which we would also like to develop in the experiential area. It’s always exciting sharing brand ideas with new partners to create collaborative, engaging and fun experiences for visitors whilst supporting licensed product, and this is what we will continue to do.

Beano Studios celebrates 70 years since Dennis’ debut with extensive licensing roster

Beano Studios has detailed a raft of new licensing partnerships signed to celebrate 70 years since the first appearance of Dennis in the iconic Beano comic and what the firm has billed as a ‘momentous year for the brand.’

Leading the charge, Beano has partnered with its first global game developer and distributor, GameBake, which will develop a suite of Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed gaming titles for worldwide social, web, and mobile platforms.

Meanwhile, fans will be able to get their own piece of Dennis history as Tower Mint releases a commemorative 50 pence coin before Royal Mail puts its own stamp on the celebration this July with the roll-out of a collaborative collection.

The latest announcements follow recent partnerships secured with the likes of the Scottish mill Prickly Thistle, which has developed  bespoke Dennis tartan for a birthday collection of scareves, braces, and jumpers, and Rubies, who has renewed its deal with Beano for the next three years.

In food and drink, Harrogate Water will be launching a special, branded pack created for kids and featuring Dennis and Gnasher as well as educational information for kids on recycling. Meanwhile, Gulliver’s Theme Parks Limited will be running Beano and Dennis themed activities across all four of Gulliver’s attractions. Visitors will be able to enjoy storytelling, trails, character costume appearances in branded areas and experience specific Beano activities and rides.

Fans will also be able to visit Kew Gardens this Easter to enjoy a bespoke Beano trail across the Royal Botanical gardens full of Dennis fun and mischief.

In publishing,Bonnier Books is continuing its non-fiction and gifting publishing programme with two new titles launching this year: Beano Colouring Book in July 2021 and Beano Five-a-Day Joke Book in September 2021, these follow on the heels of the recently published Beanopedia: Ultimate guide to Beanotown and its inhabitants and The Dennis Collection a celebration of comic strips to mark the 70th anniversary. 

Egmont Books recently announced its new publishing deal, joining Beano Studios’ licensee programme with an illustrated fiction series from the writers and illustrators of Beano with The Battle for Bash Street School published in July 2021 followed by a Christmas themed, There’s Snow Place Like Beanotown in September 2021.

The Ultimate Dennis and Gnasher Collection of the best recent comic strips, will also publish in autumn 2021.

Vanessa Andreis, franchise planning and partnerships director, Beano Studios, said: “Over the last 12 months we have added 21 new partners to our licensee programme and 2021 is going to our greatest year yet, as everyone joins to celebrate 70 years of Dennis. Fans will be able to find Dennis everywhere this year from retail to gaming, lunchboxes to theme parks and we are excited to continue growing and expanding the franchise with its unique mix of loveable mischief.”

Licensed home décor specialist Arthouse Ltd is developing a range of kids’ décor products, playfully designed for Dennis’ 70th anniversary year. Beano has also joined forces with award winning board game designer, Rachel Lowe, to produce a collection of Beano licensed puzzles, board games, and card games for Dennis and his Beanotown friends.

Rob Wijeratna, joint managing director, Rocket Licensing – Beano Studios’ licensing agent, said: “2021 and the birthday of the nation’s favourite mischief-maker is set to be a major celebration, with new partner offerings ranging from homewares to commemorative coins and theme-park activities to bespoke tartan.

“We are seeing this classic British brand go from strength to strength and are excited to see it grow further in this next decade of Dennis.”

Existing perennial Beano licensees Aykroyds for nightwear, Park Agencies for daywear and H&A for health and beauty will have products in retail to add to the birthday celebrations.

There will be a full year of brand activity with a national marketing campaign and a special-edition comic which will celebrate the role Dennis has played in generations of kids’ lives. The campaign will launch on Dennis’s birthday, Wednesday 17th March and run across the rest of 2021.

Beano to take over Somerset House with Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules exhibition

Dennis and Gnasher, Minnie the Minx, Bananaman, and the rest of the Beano gang are to take over Somerset House this autumn in a contemporary celebration of the world’s longest-running comic

This autumn, Somerset House presents Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules, a major exhibition celebrating the weekly comic and a British cultural icon: Beano.

First released in 1938 and still crafted weekly from its home in Dundee, Beano has entertained and inspired across the decades, forming a lasting impact on the contemporary cultural landscape and, crucially, on today’s artists themselves.

And what’s the secret, you may ask? It’s simple, suggests Beano, by always applying the one rule: that rules should be broken.

The landmark exhibition will explore the relationship between Beano and other contemporary art pieces with unruliness and irreverence, through the eyes of the artists who embody the Beano sensibility of rebellion.

Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules will feature original comic drawings, never previously seen in public, selected across its 4,000-plus editions (to date) and rare archive artefacts, alongside works from leading artists and designers, imbued with the same Beano spirit of breaking the rules.

Contributors include artists Bedwyr Williams, Hardeep Pandhal, Fourth Plinth artist Heather Phillipson, Holly Hendry, Lindsey Mendick, Sarah Lucas, Simeon Barclay and editorial cartoonist Martin Rowson.

Beano’s iconic cast – Dennis and Gnasher, Minnie the Minx, Bananaman, Bash Street Kids, Billy Whizz and Roger the Dodger – have mastered the art of rebellion over the past 70 years, be it against convention, teachers or evil fruit supervillains.

Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules will open with the Beanotown Museum, introducing the maverick creators behind Beano, charting how they came to create the original characters. The show then moves to uncover some of the comic’s recurring themes, which resonate with the exhibition’s cohort of contemporary artists and the comic’s many other fans.

Tackling topics such as Class, Education, Feminism and Art head-on, the exhibition will showcase contemporary works, including new commissions, will interact with the original strips to provide new perspectives on the comic.

The exhibition will go on to explore how Beano has powerfully penetrated alternative pop culture and closes with an interactive workshop space, inspiring all ages to encounter their own creative misdemeanours.

Ongoing gags, editor’s notes and larger-than-life recreations of the regular sights of Beanotown, from Bash Street School and Bunkerton Castle to the homes of Gasworks Road, will help visitors immerse themselves in the Beano universe.

Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules is curated by artist Andy Holden, a lifelong Beano fan. His artistic practice spans sculpture, large installations, painting, pop music, performance, and multi-screen videos, often using the allegory of the cartoon as a way to comprehend our contemporary landscape.

Holden said: “Both art and Beano are about being told to do one thing, then doing another: both require a creative solution. Beano was for me a gateway into comics and a love of drawing, and from there a springboard into a love of art.

“Beano’s irreverent sensibility is something that appeals to you as a child, but also, for some, never leaves you. To be able to present an immersive display of Beano’s history, and to examine its influence on art and culture is the curatorial equivalent of a Beano feast.

“The exhibition will bring Beanotown to life and populate it with a new set of resident maverick artists. In researching the show, almost every artist I’ve approached so far came back with yes, I loved the Beano and hopefully this exhibition will show how some of the themes that have run through Beano’s history are often the same ones that feed a creative, rebellious sensibility.”

Mike Stirling, editorial director, Beano Studios, said: “I warned Dennis that one of the pictures in his new show at Somerset House would make people laugh so hard, they risked fracturing their funny bones and he said, ‘That’s just a mirror!’

“Beano relishes making an exhibition of anyone who takes themselves too seriously and we can’t wait for families to enjoy what we have planned. Because without Art, the Earth would be just…Eh?”

Scotland’s Prickly Thistle celebrates 70th anniversary of Beano’s Dennis with official tartan design

Beano Studios has unveiled a special partnership with the traditional Scottish company, Prickly Thistle to create a birthday tartan in celebration of the fan-favourite rebel, Dennis, in the colours of his iconic black and red jumper.

The Highland born and based company has brought the design to life with intricacy, saluting the character’s 70th birthday within the thread count of the design, with its block pattern of 70 threads. To make it even more official, the design has also been accepted and recorded into The Scottish Register of Tartans, which form part of Scotland’s national archives.

More than this, not only does the tartan celebrate 70 years of the Scottish born character himself, it also puts a message of sustainability at the heart of the product, through the use of its own green energy supplied by the company’s mill, and the use of local labour and supply chain.

In fact, Prickly Thistle prides itself on its transparency in the production process which it believes gives it output the authenticity of a product of Scotland. The products themselves use natural fibres, while the packaging is recyclable.

Dennis’s Birthday Tartan will launch on March 17th this year. 

Clare Campbell, founder and director of Prickly Thistle, said: “We have always prided ourselves with a mission statement we formed a few years ago, changing the future, by disrupting the past. This became so important to us to challenge the long associated negative and or limiting stereotypes attached to what is Scotland’s national fabric, tartan. 

“Now, to have our very first tartan project that can be directly shared with children really is a massively proud moment for us.  Children can see it for what it is, a symbolic colourful fabric that championed and can champion again sustainable living. 

“We have been so lucky to work with many people over our early years, but there is something special about this one. I am sure you can sense the rebel in us now to challenge for what we care about, so to partner with a character like Dennis and a brand liked Beano on this message is nothing short of perfect.”

Rob Wijeratna, joint managing director, Rocket Licensing, the UK licensing agency for Beano Studios and brokers of the deal, added: “We are absolutely delighted to be working with Prickly Thistle and Beano Studios on these wonderful tartan designs for Dennis’ birthday and to support the mission of authentic and locally produced product.

“The very special Beano tartan is being used for jumpers, scarves and braces which we know Beano fans will love.”

Vanessa Andreis, franchise planning and partnerships director, Beano Studios, said: “As the tartan rebels we couldn’t imagine a better partner than Prickly Thistle to create a birthday tartan for Dennis. For 70 years kids have read and laughed along with Dennis and now fans big and small can celebrate their inner rebel for the next 70 years in style.”

A small artisan collection of products in Dennis’s Birthday tartan will be available on the 17th March via Prickly Thistle’s online shop. The tartan will be woven by them, in the only mill based in the mainland Highland region of Scotland and all products will be made in-house, living up to a truly made in Scotland (by rebels) label. 

The collection will comprise of three sustainable staple products for everyday living and all the family.  

Rachel Lowe launches Beano board game to celebrate 70 years of Dennis the Menace

The iconic British comic brand, Beano is celebrating the 70th anniversary of Dennis the Menace’s first appearance with the launch of a new board game developed by the award-winning designer, Rachel Lowe.

In a partnership secured by Rocket Licensing on behalf of Beano Studios, the new Beano game will bring Dennis and Beanotown friends together for a plethora of playable pranks and school playground humour.

Players will take turns to journey around Beanotown and try to complete pranks while avoiding being caught by the teacher. Perhaps a whoopie cushion will be dropped at Mount Beano or a custard pie will splat the walls of Bunkerton Castle? The player to prank six different locations first will win the game.

The game takes inspiration from the case and heritage of The Beano, the longest-running British children’s comic magazine which in August 2019 celebrated its 4,000th issue. 70 years ago, Dennis first appeared in the comic and has been loved by children and adults from around the world ever since.

As well as the game, a 200-piece and 1000-piece puzzle featuring more of the comic’s characters, including The Bash Street Kids will be released later in the year.

Rachel Lowe said: “Beano is an absolute classic with a dedicated fan base around the world. Dennis has one of the most iconic and recognizable faces – the messy black hair and that mischievous grin are what people love the most. I am thrilled to be working with the Beano team to create these new products to celebrate such a wonderful anniversary for a wonderful character.”

Vanessa Andreis, franchise planning and partnerships director, Beano Studios, said: “For 70 years, kids have read and laughed along with Dennis and now thanks to this incredible Rachel Lowe partnership, fans big and small can come together to test their own prank skills.

“We look forward to creating a range of games that generations of family and friends can come together to enjoy.”

The Beano board game is £29.99 and available from www.amazon.co.uk and  www.rachellowe.co.uk now.

The new game is available alongside Rachel’s current range including Elf on the Shelf, Call the Midwife and WWE: Road to WrestleMania.

Released before Christmas 2020 and designed for all the family, The Elf on the Shelf game plays out the story of Scout Elves, who fly back to the North Pole each night to report to Santa who has been Naughty and who has been Nice.

The WWE: Road to WrestleMania game, released at Christmas 2019, is available with a 500-piece puzzle and playing cardsallowing WWE fans across the UK to become part of the electrifying global pop-cultural event. The products featured WWE Superstars including John Cena, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch and have been popular with WWE’s passionate fanbase.

Finally, the Call the Midwife products (board game, puzzle and playing cards) have continued to be popular in their third year of release.

Lowe said: “Call the Midwife is a show with a dedicated following and the new series later this year will be very popular. I will be looking to update the game and puzzle to keep it in line with the new characters and story lines coming in future series.”