The Beano Annual 2012

The Beano Annual 2012

D.C. Thomson

Celebrating 60 years of mischief and mayhem, it's slightly ironic that with The Beano the younger and usually more radical of D.C. Thomson's perennial bestsellers actually turns in a more traditional British annual than this year's Dandy.

That's preferable to me in terms of its cartooning (albeit that the lack of an adventure strip like Billy the Cat is apparent), though I genuinely think this year's Dandy delivered a higher percentage of quality gag scriptwriting.

Not that one need complain too much as Tom Patterson throws in countless visual asides in both Calamity James and a Dennis the Menace strip, while the plot of A Ratz Christmas Carol has some genuine creative touches that take it beyond the expected parody and Hunt Emerson looks like he had fun drawing the devilish antics of that little nutmeg.

Another Midlands-man, Lew Stringer weighs in offering snow, Santa and a feel-good story in Super School, and it's noticeable how more veteran characters such as Minnie the Minx (exquisitely drawn by Ken Harrison) and the following pages' Roger the Dodger continue that everyone-should-be-happy at Christmas attitude.

Billy Whizz and Winston the Bash Street cat have some fun moments, the Bash Street Kids themselves don't really get enough pages to play havoc across or express their individual characters though there's brain-bashing and more in Meebo & Zuky The Beano's version of rival The Dandy's Puss & Boots. Honestly, this ain't a bad annual at all. I hope the weeklies are this good - kids deserve a laugh while their parents are worrying about the economy!