This Week's BEANO

POW! Yes, that's correct, the next issue of what is very nearly the World's longest laughing comic, The Beano, features Dennis The Menace getting the old Mind Sock from a strangely big-brained Walter! But how does this state of affairs come to pass? There's only one way to find out! On Wednesday morning, head straight to your nearest stockist and grab the latest Beano- it's why Wednesday was invented!

A Right Royal Issue!

This week's Beano has a couple of Royal visitors- none other than Charles and Camilla, you know, the Prince of Wales, or, as he and his wife are known in Scotland, Their Royal highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay. Anyhow, they kindly agreed to be drawn by me and to join in gamely with the chaos with Dennis The Menace, Roger the Dodger and The Bash Street Kids (as you can see above). You can see it all in tomorrow's Beano!

Time to Grab a copy!

Londoners who don't pick up their free copies of Time Out, the listings magazine, today, may want to go and buy one tomorrow, as there's a special, unique-to-Time Out 4 page Dennis The Menace in London, as drawn by me! Of course, it's all in support of the Beanotown exhibition on Southbank. So what are you waiting for- go get Time Out!

Nearly on the shelves

Any minute now, the Beano Book will be out- I know it's still June, and we're six months away from Christmas, but it really is out very soon- and I can heartily recommend buying it. I know I will be for one, so why not join the many thousands of us and get one too? I'm betting it's full of good stuff. Hey, why not grab The Dandy too why you're at it?

Remember to Vote!

Vote for The Beano right here
http://www.ppa.co.uk/ppa100/vote/

tell 'em I sent you!

Kountdown to Kazakhstan

Almaty is the old capital city of Kazakhstan, over in the east, between Russia and China. One of the biggest countries in the world, and did you know that every apple we eat is grown from a seed that first grew in this region? Almaty means "place of apples". True. So why are we concerning ourselves with this far-flung country? Aha! One of our team will be able to answer that question soon.

August 27th... it's getting nearer

A few weeks ago I told you to put this date in your diary, and I hope you have, because you won't want to miss it. "How about some clues?" I hear you ask, weeping with frazzled nerves of frustration. But after previous sneak previews where the guesses got a touch esoteric, I've decided to decline. Only ten weeks to go...

Festival News

Meanwhile, back down on the Southbank in London's fashionable Southwark (there's a phrase that's new for this Century, eh Baby Boomers?) the Neighbourhood Festival's BEANOTOWN exhibit is drawing the crowds (pun strictly accidental) in it's first week. Here's a picture of the building with it's Beano bus mural as drawn by, er, me. It's got everything for kids of all ages, and a treasure trove of relics of the past and exciting new developments for the future. So, if you live in or near the great metropolis, hurry across to the Southbank, near the Festival Hall and BFI (nearest tube Waterloo, bus from Euston, 68, from Tower, RV1) and soak up the Beano atmosphere from now until the end of the summer! Tell 'em I sent you!



And, while there, remember to pick up London's famous what's on guide, Time Out.

Best of The Bunch

A year or so ago I did 12 episodes of The Banana Bunch for The Dandy, and, as is the custom these days, had to write the story myself too. This two-parter was a good one, I thought, nice lunatic villain and the Dogbanana shows why I invented him.

Who Is It? Who Is It?

I draw almost every day (I don't draw whenever I find myself in Greece- I attempted this once, in 2005, but it wasn't right- Ouzo and so forth doesn't drink itself you know) and sometimes I get to do something a little unusual- and THIS past week, there has been a LOT of unusual stuff on my drawing board- most of it drawings! Phew! Anyhow, I'll be letting you all in on it over the next couple of months, but one thing I can vouchsafe to you is- THEY'RE BACK!

Who?
He he he!