Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules – a tribute to ‘colourful, universal anti-authoritarianism’

For 80 years, the

For 80 years, the Beano has been the nation’s pre-eminent
children’s comic, said Harry de Quetteville in The Daily
Telegraph^[1]. Since its launch in
1938, the much-loved title has introduced generations of children
to mischievous cartoon archetypes such as Roger the Dodger, the
Bash Street Kids and, of course, Dennis the Menace and his faithful
dog, Gnasher.

Indeed, it seemed at times that “not a British child was without
it”: at its peak in the 1950s, it shifted a “staggering” two
million copies per issue–and even in today’s era of declining print
sales, it still has a not-unimpressive weekly circulation of
55,000.

This “ambitious” exhibition at Somerset House is a celebration
of the Beano’s “mercurial magic”, championing its cast of misfits
and tracing the ways in which the comic’s “unruly escapism” has
left its indelible mark on British culture. The show brings
together acres of vintage cartoon strips, interactive features and
contributions from Beano-loving contemporary artists including
Sarah Lucas and Gilbert & George. It is a fine tribute to this
“uniquely glorious exemplar” of “colourful, universal
anti-authoritarianism”.

From Minnie the Minx to Billy Whizz, “all the favourites of our
childhoods are here”, said Patrick Kidd in The Times^[2]. The comic’s universe is
brought to life vividly: we are treated to a “delightful” video
tour around Beanotown, presented “in the style of one of those
1950s guides to new towns such as Stevenage”, and even invited to
use a computerised catapult to pelt great works of art with
tomatoes. The Beano, it’s clear, always stood apart from its
competitors: while most comics are about “superheroes protecting
the law and upholding the rules”, this one was “about the joy of
breaking them”.

As the show demonstrates, it has remained remarkably true to
this formula: a strip from 1940 sees Lord Snooty tricking Adolf
Hitler into dropping propaganda leaflets onto Bunkerton Castle so
that he can use them to feed his pet goat; flash forward to the
present day, and we find Dennis the Menace venting his frustration
with Covid rules by turning his face mask into a catapult. We are
also reminded that in 2018, MP Jacob Rees-Mogg “received a cease
and desist letter from the Beano accusing him of impersonating
Walter the Softy”; he was apparently “flattered”.

We also see how the comic has gradually evolved to reflect
modern Britain over the decades, said Kasia Delgado in The i Paper^[3]. Corporal punishment –
notably by means of the slipper, the traditional weapon of choice
for Beano authority figures – has disappeared. New characters,
including Dennis the Menace’s wheelchair-using sidekick Rubidium
von Screwtop and the British Indian Chandra family, whose children
have joined the Bash Street Kids, have been introduced to make its
cast “more diverse”.

Elsewhere, we learn how the Beano has been a formative influence
for some of Britain’s most celebrated cultural luminaries, from
Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park to Banksy; Eric Clapton was
pictured reading a copy on the cover of a 1966 album, and even
David Bowie was a fan, citing the comic as a cultural influence to
rival Madame Bovary and The Iliad. This is a
“colourful, bold and playful” show that will leave you “gripped
with desire to go and actually break some rules” yourself.

Somerset House, London WC2 (020-7845 4600, somersethouse.org.uk^[4]). Until 6 March