'The Beano' Comic Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1930s

The first edition of 'The Beano' appeared on 30 July 1938 and was published into the 2020s and with many of the same characters appearing in the comic. It was published by the Dundee based company DC Thomson, who had already established a reputation with their other comics such as 'The Rover' and 'The Hotspur', which were aimed at boys. 'The Beano' targeted a wider audience with the strips being more humorous than the earlier publications, which had more dramatic stories.

DC Thomson is also the publisher of various newspapers, primarily for readers in Scotland.

Answer: Gnasher

Dennis had a terrier in the first edition of the comic, with Gnasher being added several years into the comic strip. Gnasher is depicted as resembling his owner, with spiky hair, although lacking the iconic red and black striped jumper (sweater). Gnasher proved popular with the readers, and has had his own comic strips.

He also disappeared for a few weeks in the 1980s only to return with his 'children', six puppies whose names all started with 'Gn'. The most famous was Gnipper, the only male puppy.

Answer: Toots and Sidney

The Bash Street Kids attend the same school, located in Bash Street, which remains based on the type of school common in the 1940s and 1950s. The teachers wear gowns and the desks are equipped with inbuilt inkwells as the pupils are expected to use 'proper' pens. The school has a wide range of pupils, mostly male and troublemakers, although there is, inevitably, a class swot - he is named Cuthbert.

The twins are Sidney and Sydney, the latter being the only girl originally in the comic strip and known as Toots. Olive is the school cook while Winston is a cat. The other names belong to other members of the class. In the 2020s new characters of Asian background have been introduced.

Answer: Minnie the Minx

Minnie the Minx is one of the three characters who have appeared for the longest time in 'The Beano' - the other two are Dennis the Menace and Roger the Dodger. Minnie made her first appearance in 1953 and is still appearing in the twenty-first century.

She wears a red and black striped sweater and a tam o' shanter hat , which is black with a red pom-pom. Minnie is usually depicted with her catapult. Her character would be described as 'hyperactive' these days, but she is more mischievous than wicked.

Answer: Bear

The original front page character was Big Eggo, an ostrich, but, following research, the publishers found that children weren't too engaged with him. Consequently, Biffo the Bear took over, being more humanoid. He was depicted wearing red shorts and was employed as a zookeeper. His best friend was a human boy named Buster.

Biffo eventually lost his front page billing to Dennis the Menace, but the character hasn't entirely disappeared with occasional stories in more recent publications.

Answer: Calamity James

Calamity James is a character who suffers from constant bad luck. He is depicted wearing a sweater adorned with the number thirteen, and the only time his luck improves is when he stops wearing this for a day, giving it to his pet lemming. The bad luck transfers to his pet, who soon returns the jumper so matters can return to the status quo. The pet's name is Alexander Lemming, another play on words which is based on the scientist Alexander Fleming, famous as the man who discovered penicillin.

The name derives from Calamity Jane, the nickname of Martha Jane Cannery. The others I made up, using other well known Americans. As far as I know, they have never been used but if I ever come across them I shall be claiming royalties!

Answer: Marmaduke

Lord Snooty was a regular in the comic from 1938 until 1991, with occasional appearances since. The Earl of Bunkerton was depicted as a pupil at Eton, one of England's fee-paying schools, who alleviated his boredom by disguising himself to escape from his home, a castle. Marmaduke, a typical 'upper class' name of the time, enjoyed nothing better than meeting up with the ordinary children who lived nearby. It was these friends who dubbed him 'Lord Snooty'. Among his friends were Scrapper Smith and Skinny Lizzie.

By 1991, his appeal had waned and Snooty appeared only occasionally from then on.

Answer: Run fast

Also known as the 'world's fastest boy', Billy Whizz appeared for the first time in 1964 and has been a regular in 'The Beano' since then. His younger brother is named Alfie and is shown as having the same turn of speed as Billy on occasions. Billy is rather better behaved than some of the other characters, although he still manages to find trouble through his phenomenal speed and lack of patience.

While you can have maths whizzes and those who are good at climbing trees, these do not feature in the comic. The rugby reference in the wrong answer options is to Jason Robinson, a real life English rugby union player, who was given the nickname Billy Whizz due to his speed around a rugby pitch.

Answer: Pansy Potter

Pansy was an early addition to the characters, with her first appearance being in 1938. She is described as the 'Strong Man's Daughter' and has inherited her father's strength. Pansy tends to create havoc wherever she goes as she is extremely clumsy and unaware of her own strength, which is not a good combination. Pansy appeared regularly until 1949 and has been brought back at irregular intervals since then.

Answer: Dandy

'The Dandy' actually pre-dates 'The Beano', though not by much, with its first edition appearing in late 1937. Its final printed edition was in 2012 and an attempt at an online version lasted only six months. The name hasn't died, though, as the 'Dandy Annual' still appears towards the end of each year in the first quarter of the twenty-first century, and is a traditional Christmas gift.

Among the best known characters to appear are Desperate Dan, Korky the Cat and Freddy the Fearless Fly.