The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dennis gets up to his tricks for show
Dundee’s McManus is taking on a more mischievous moniker ahead of a muchanticipated comic celebration.
The art gallery and museum has temporarily changed its name to the McMenace as part of a special collaboration with DC Thomson’s Beano Studios.
Bash Street’s Back at The McMenace is a fun and rebellious look at Beano at 80.
The show takes in the history of DC Thomson and Dundee’s place as the world’s capital of comics.
There is a special focus on the Bash Street Kids and their famous slapstick humour.
The characters were inspired by pupils at the High School of Dundee, situated just yards away from the McManus itself.
Artists and writers who made up the Beano’s team and influenced the look and content of the comics throughout the years also feature.
Visitors will be shown how a comic is put together and given a chance to browse the mix of Beano merchandise that has hit the shelves over the past 80 years. The story behind the birth of Beano will also be revealed.
Objects from the DC Thomson archive and the city’s collections are featured in the display, including a rare first edition Beano, a traditional linotype machine and much-loved Dennis the Menace fan club memorabilia.
The exhibition will look at the introduction of some of the comic’s other characters over the years, including Dennis and Gnasher, Rodger the Dodger and Minnie the Minx.
Beyond the Beano, the exhibition will also host examples from the golden age of comics, including editions of the Dandy and Hotspur, which entertained the nation’s children on a weekly basis for decades.
Beano artist Nigel Parkinson has produced a specially-commissioned comic strip featuring the museum’s name change alongside all the bestknown characters.
The exhibition runs from June 2 to October 21. Admission is free, with opening times 10am to 5pm, MondaySaturday and 12.30-4.30pm on Sundays.