Dennis marks 50 years of Menace

Dennis the Menace: 'The World's Wildest Boy'

Britain's oldest comic strip hero Dennis the Menace is celebrating 50 years of villainous behaviour - with a custard pie fight in aid of Comic Relief.

The mischievous spiky-haired character first burst onto the pages of The Beano in March 1951.

Half a century down the line, Dennis is still going strong.

And in the latest edition of The Beano, he can be seen involved in a number of money-raising activities, including a food fight with comedians Ali G and Billy Connolly.

Dennis the Menace in the 50s

When Dennis was first launched there were doubts whether he would last beyond his first birthday.

Social workers raised fears that Dennis would lead children astray.

Now Dennis - first billed as the "The World's Wildest Boy" - boasts a fanclub of some 1.5 million members.

He has even ventured outside the pages of The Beano to star in an animated BBC TV version of his comic adventures.

The Beano's editor, Euan Kerr, explained why Dennis the Menace had been an "overnight success".

"Until Dennis arrived there had never been a comic character like him," he said. "You could call him the world's first anti-hero."

Accomplice

Dennis is also known for his equally bad canine sidekick, Gnasher.

But the evil snapper, described as a stray Abyssinian wire-haired tripehound, only appeared on the scene 17 years after his master.

Gnasher is just as bad as his master

Gnasher's main claim to fame is "teeth so tough they can bite clean through solid granite".

Kerr said he was brought in to liven up Dennis's dastardly antics.

"As a simple dumb animal he could get away with many things that even Dennis could not," he said.

The Dennis the Menace Fan Club was launched in 1976, which included Gnasher's Fang Club.

In 1986, Gnasher "disappeared", causing uproar amongst his devotees.

He returned mysteriously six weeks later - with six puppies.

In 1996, Dennis became a national TV celebrity with his own series. He also features in Beanoland on The Beano's website.