The Real Dennis the Menace

I have a small tradition that I want to keep up for Dennis. I'd like him to have newspapers from significant dates throughout his life. I had someone purchase one on the day he was born, and we drove all over Chilton County last night to find a paper about the presidential election--a little piece of history for him to read in future years. Today I went to put the election paper in with the paper from the day he was born. I decided to flip through the paper from the day he was born, a day that passed for me in a haze of epidural and morphine and the totally overwhelming feeling of new parenthood. Ok, so I didn't really read the paper, I flipped straight to the comics to see what Dennis The Menace was doing the day our Dennis was born. What a shocker! It turns out that Dennis The Menace was celebrating HIS birthday on the day Dennis was born. I did not know the connection until now, but they share a birthday.

So I did a little research and found this quote about the comic strip:
"Dennis the Menace began on March 14, 1951 (four months after Ketcham's friend and colleague Charles Schulz started his own historic comic strip). He went on to become the second most popular cartoon kid in the world — after Charlie Brown, of course. Dennis the Menace first appeared in 16 American newspapers; by the end of 1951, he was appearing in over a hundred. The reason for Dennis' success is easy to figure out: It was one of the most brilliantly observed and empathetic comic strips about childhood ever drawn. Ketcham captured the mischievousness, rambunctiousness, and anarchy of a kid's world better than any other cartoonist. The strip appeals to both parents and children — while parents shake their heads ruefully at how accurately Ketcham caught the essence of children's natural zest for mayhem, children identify with Dennis and the chaos that he leaves in his wake — just a hop, skip, and a jump away from their own fantasy of themselves! Ketcham was a cartoonist with a vivacious line that was exquisitely suited to depicting adults and children. His gags were funny, subtle and touching. Ketcham drew Dennis the Menace from 1951 to 1994, when he retired and let his assistant take over the strip."

I have always loved the strip myself, never thinking that he was a menace, but just a typical little boy. I especially agree now that I have a little boy!

What a fun discovery to make! I'll have to find a nice vintage Dennis the Menace strip to frame for his room, one that personifies that little boy essence.