Bea (Dennis the Menace character)
Encyclopedia
Bea, is a fictional character
in the UK
comic strip
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher
, from The Beano
. She is Dennis' baby sister, born in issue 2931, dated 19 September 1998.
, who had taken over from the previous artist, David Sutherland.
Parkins had always intended that the character would be called "Bea" (short for Beatrice), taken partly from the comic's name and evidenced in the yellow
-and-black
striped romper suit
/onesie
she was seen wearing in her first appearance. However, the comic staff decided to put the name up for vote. The readers seemed to agree with Parkins, as "Bea" won the vote by a nearly two-thirds majority.
Dennis' Mum regularly shouts; "Bea! No!" whenever she does something naughty, the two words evidently making the word "Beano."
. It was here that Bea uttered her first word, "MUD". Bea was voted naughtiest baby in Beanotown
when she was only a week old, has Gnipper
as her dog, and loves playing with Rasher
. But for five isolated examples, the strip has always been drawn by Nigel Parkinson
, who also frequently drew the main Dennis strip at that time. Issue 2942 (5 December 1998) was a special issue dedicated to her, where she appeared in every strip in the comic.
, who, from August 2008, joined Bea in her strip, renamed Bea and Ivy. Nigel Parkinson continued as artist, as Ivy had been reprinted before the team up. Bea's own strip returned for a few issues in 2009, however, this was dropped later that year, mainly due to her older brother's relaunch. In 2010 Bea joined up with Gnipper and Harley, Gran's pet pig, in a new strip titled The Bea Team, the title being a parody of The A-Team (film)
which was released around the time the strip was in the Beano. This would prove to be Bea's final strip and now she only appears as a recurring character within the Dennis the Menace strips.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher
Dennis the Menace (UK)
Dennis the Menace, later called Dennis the Menace and Gnasher and now Dennis and Gnasher, is a long-running comic strip in the British children's comic The Beano, published by D. C...
, from The Beano
The Beano
The Beano is a British children's comic, published by D.C. Thomson & Co and is arguably their most successful.The comic first appeared on 30 July 1938, and was published weekly. During the Second World War,The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks because of paper and ink...
. She is Dennis' baby sister, born in issue 2931, dated 19 September 1998.
Introduction to The Beano
Bea's introduction to the comic began with the 8th August edition of The Beano ensuring readers that they may be in for a big surprise. Subsequently, Dennis' strip inside revealed that his mother was in fact pregnant. Dennis, reacting to the news, fainted out of surprise. The next week the comic went through a revamp and the cover showed Dennis' father announcing that he had just become father to a daughter. The story inside showed Dennis was worried about the news, feeling having a younger sister would tarnish his reputation as a menace. However, his family portrait revealed that his little sister, named Bea, was just as much of a trouble maker than he. These were the first Dennis strips drawn by the new artist David ParkinsDavid Parkins
David Parkins is a British cartoonist and illustrator who has worked for D.C. Thomson, publisher of The Beano and The Dandy. Now based in Canada, he illustrates children's picture books....
, who had taken over from the previous artist, David Sutherland.
Parkins had always intended that the character would be called "Bea" (short for Beatrice), taken partly from the comic's name and evidenced in the yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
-and-black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
striped romper suit
Romper suit
A romper suit is a one-piece garment worn by children and sometimes women. Somewhat similar to a coverall, it is loose fitting and usually has shorter legs that may be gathered at the end. Puffed pants are particularly associated with rompers...
/onesie
Infant bodysuit
An infant bodysuit is a garment designed to be worn by infants much like a t-shirt; they are distinguished from t-shirts by an extension below the waist, with snaps or Velcro that allow it to be closed over the crotch. The purpose of the opening at the crotch is to facilitate access to the infant's...
she was seen wearing in her first appearance. However, the comic staff decided to put the name up for vote. The readers seemed to agree with Parkins, as "Bea" won the vote by a nearly two-thirds majority.
Dennis' Mum regularly shouts; "Bea! No!" whenever she does something naughty, the two words evidently making the word "Beano."
Nigel Parkinson Strips (1998 - 2008)
In issue 2935 dated 17 October 1998 Bea gained her own solo strip entitles Beaginnings drawn by Nigel ParkinsonNigel Parkinson
Nigel Parkinson is a British cartoonist who currently works for D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd and mainly draws for The Beano and The Dandy.-Biography:...
. It was here that Bea uttered her first word, "MUD". Bea was voted naughtiest baby in Beanotown
Beanotown
Beanotown is a fictional town somewhere in the United Kingdom which is the setting for the majority of the strips in the popular children's comic, The Beano as well as the hometown of most of its characters...
when she was only a week old, has Gnipper
Gnasher and Gnipper
Gnasher is the pet dog of Dennis the Menace in the British comic strip Dennis the Menace from The Beano. First introduced in 1968, in issue 1363 dated 31st August 1968 , seventeen years after Dennis the Menace started in The Beano...
as her dog, and loves playing with Rasher
Rasher
Rasher was a comic strip in the UK comic The Beano, featuring Dennis the Menace's pet pig Rasher. The strip also featured Rasher's family, like his brother Hamlet, his sister Virginia Ham, Uncle Crackling and Little Piglet, who were all introduced in the first strip...
. But for five isolated examples, the strip has always been drawn by Nigel Parkinson
Nigel Parkinson
Nigel Parkinson is a British cartoonist who currently works for D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd and mainly draws for The Beano and The Dandy.-Biography:...
, who also frequently drew the main Dennis strip at that time. Issue 2942 (5 December 1998) was a special issue dedicated to her, where she appeared in every strip in the comic.
Subsequent Appearances
She shares notable similarities with fellow Beano character, Ivy the TerribleIvy the Terrible
Ivy the Terrible is a fictional character featured in The Beano. The strip involves a four-year-old girl whose mischievous antics are a constant annoyance to her parents.-Introduction:...
, who, from August 2008, joined Bea in her strip, renamed Bea and Ivy. Nigel Parkinson continued as artist, as Ivy had been reprinted before the team up. Bea's own strip returned for a few issues in 2009, however, this was dropped later that year, mainly due to her older brother's relaunch. In 2010 Bea joined up with Gnipper and Harley, Gran's pet pig, in a new strip titled The Bea Team, the title being a parody of The A-Team (film)
The A-Team (film)
The A-Team is an American action film based on the television series of the same name. It was released in cinemas in the United States on June 11, 2010, by 20th Century Fox. The film was directed by Joe Carnahan and produced by Stephen J. Cannell and the Scott brothers Ridley and Tony...
which was released around the time the strip was in the Beano. This would prove to be Bea's final strip and now she only appears as a recurring character within the Dennis the Menace strips.