For 75 years, Dennis the Menace wearing his signature red-and-black striped shirt and joined by his scruffy sidekick Gnasher has been delighting children with his unapologetic mischief. Dennis debuted in the Beano comic for children in March 1951 and quickly became a favourite with readers. His name derives from the music hall song Dennis the Menace from Venice, and his distinctive silhouette was first drawn on a cigarette pack in a pub in the Scottish town of St Andrews.
Coincidentally, on the other side of the Atlantic, another "naughty" boy called Dennis made his first appearance in a syndicated newspaper comic strip on the same day as the British Dennis. In contrast to his British namesake, the American Dennis is a blond five-year-old with a round face and red dungarees. The American version's mischief comes from misguided attempts to be helpful, rather than the British Dennis's deliberate misbehaviour.
The appearance of Dennis the Menace has changed somewhat over time, specifically in his height and the possession of a catapult. However, his spiked hair, red-and-black striped jumper, black shorts, knobbly knees, and oversized boots have remained constant. Like his predecessor William Brown of the Just William books, Dennis has a nemesis – Walter the Softy. Walter has similarities to William’s enemy, Hubert Lane; both are depicted as cowardly, prim, and opposed to fun.
As researchers have explored, there was once a somewhat homophobic element to the depiction of Dennis’s menacing of Walter. Walter was portrayed through ballet dancing, sewing, and playing with dolls. Dennis’s attitude to Walter was modified in 2012 to limit accusations of homophobia related to interests stereotypically considered feminine. He was subsequently renamed Walter Brown.
Another aspect to have changed with time is the way the strips end. Generally, in the 1970s, they would close with Dennis lying over his father’s knee and being beaten with a slipper. Following the ending of corporal punishment in English state schools in 1986, teachers beating the Bash Street Kids or Dennis with a cane was no longer a likely outcome of misbehaviour.
So, what is the appeal of "naughty" characters for children? Researchers have found that different age groups find different things funny. They characterise two types of humour evident in The Beano – disparaging and slapstick. Despite concerns about the impact of popular reading on the morals of young people, there is very little evidence of children being led astray by rule-breaking characters. Instead, comedy can be used to undermine power hierarchies through the upending of social status – or, in children’s media, by making fun of adults.
The comeuppance of naughty characters at the end of a story is rarely permanent. In Beatrix Potter’s stories, Peter Rabbit may end up in bed with a cold after disobeying his mother, but a few books later, he is back having adventures. Humorous stories about naughty children provide an imaginative space to be a rule-breaker and laugh at powerful adults. Like Peter, Dennis’s irrepressible mischief has made children laugh for generations. Long may he continue to do so.
Baker is Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies, University of East London
The Conversation