The Ultimate Dennis the Menace Thread

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Anyone seen this one? It's not in the guide...

Wow ! I have never seen that Pumpkin comic before. Anyone have one for sale ?

I saw on a website a note that the DTM BIG BONUS SERIES # 190 from 1978, (Hawaii) had 2 totally different front covers. Is this true or untrue ?

I don't know about the Bonus issue question, but i guess i have a rare (or just overlooked) Dennis giveaway in that Pumpkin Festival issue...

Hi everyone,

Mark Arnold, Comic Book and Animation Historian here. I am starting preliminary work on my upcoming Dennis the Menace book, to be published by BearManor Media, probably in 2017. Why so far ahead? Well, I'm still finishing up my DePatie-Freleng and Harvey Comics books and those are scheduled for 2015 and it takes a while to write these things.

The focus on the book will be less on the comic strip and more on the comic books and other non-strip projects.

I found this string and will hopefully learn some things from it. Also, I've interviewed Frank Hill and Lee Holley and am in contact with Ron Ferdinand and Marcus Hamilton and am a member of the Dennis Facebook group.

Anyone interested in helping, please let me know. My email is funideas.mark@gmail.com

-Mark.

Awesome! Good luck! Dan

Anyone out there know who might have painted this art? Done as the cover and back cover on one big board to the Dennis the Menace punch out book from 1960. Was told it might be Lee Holley, but it looks like it more like Al Wiseman to me. Did he ever paint Dennis??

Hello, I am new to this board. I found you by Google'ing "dennis the menace four corners monument".

I've been trying to find out if there was ever a Dennis the Menace Giant Vacation Special (or something like that) that had the Mitchells on vacation and in one sequence Dennis put each of his hands and feet in a different state at the Four Corners Monument (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado).

Does anyone know if there is such a Dennis the Menace issue, and know the details about that issue?

Thank you!

Dirk

Maybe in the Dennis goes to California giant? I don't recall a scene like that though...

You're correct! I was wrong. It's not four states, it's two, California and Nevada. They are at the Cal-Neva building in Lake Tahoe. Thank you!

Here it is:

http://gastaldo.com/IMG_5813.jpg

Meet the new menace

I have that pumpkin one. Haven't been here for about a year, it's been dead for so long.

Well, allow me to liven it up a bit. Here's a link to my Dennis album on flickr...go look at my first 50 issues...

Cool. I have some of those early ones as well.

Hello,

Dennis the Menace has been my favorite comic since I started reading it back in the 50s. Through the past years I've collected every comic having Wiseman artwork, and then when Fantagraphics published all the earlier stuff I had to grab that too.

I always wondered where the "action" took place until I came across the following statement made by Hank Ketcham:

"I set the whole thing in Wichita, Kansas."

Well now . . . was it really?

Ketcham lived in California, he never lived in Kansas. So why there? I've noticed there are a LOT of place-names connected to areas the Mitchell's had activity in.

The Mitchells visit Westlake Zoo. [there is a Westlake Zoo . . . in California. Not Kansas] (FANTA-1951)

Dennis at the Beach (He and his family visit the seashore) [10 miles of beach at an ocean – just how far away from the middle of Kansas did the family travel? It appears they left their house and made it there in an hour or two] (Comic #6 – 1954)

Mr. Wilson makes mention of fishing "I hear the salmon are running good in the bay." (Comic #7 – 1954) [is there a bay near this Kansas town? California has bays. Kansas doesn't]

The Mitchells go to the Monterey County Fair. (Comic #19-1956).

There is a Monterey County in California. There is none in Kansas.

In the nearby park there are various Civil War statues of uniformed soldiers. Often enough can be found bums and hobos in the park. [There are also quite a few sailors in the park implying there is a Naval port nearby . . . which is an odd thing for the middle of Kansas, which has none. To the west, in California, however, there are 6 Naval ports] (FANTA-1958).

Mr. Wilson receieves a letter at his address, 2251 Pine Street, Shadygrove (Comic #23 – In HOLLYWOOD – 1964) [There is a Shady Grove, California ... but I can find no reference to Kansas]

"But the ocean's too COLD now!" Henry tells his son, who wants to go swimming in the winter. "Put on your clothes and we'll drive down to the beach." (Comic #27-1958). [Alright. This isn't Kansas. Not with the ocean nearby. You don't just drive to a beach from anywhere in Kansas . . . But you can in California]

There is a Gallatin's restaurant [seen in a Punky story ... but since the small kid must live in the same neighborhood . . .). And there is a Gallatin's Restaurant in California, but I cannot find one in Kansas. (Comic #30-1958).

The Mitchells visit the Junior Museum of Marin County. There is a Marion County in Kansas, but no Marin. But there is a Marin County in California. Maybe they drove all the way to California, which is doubtful because at this place one is allowed to 'borrow' an animal (like a guinea pig) for a week and bring it back. I don't think the Mitchells would travel almost 1200 miles for something like that. (Comic #31-1958).

"It's a nice deserted beach I found!" Henry says. (Comic #38-1959).

[They visit the ocean again. They must be traveling out of the state of Kansas. They encounter a mother seal and her pup. Various species of seals are found from the Arctic clear down to Florida in both Atlantic and Pacific waters, so it is unknown which beach they were visiting. But this has to be on a California beach.

The odd thing is, they meet the Wilsons' on the very same beach. It would seem natural if the beach were not far from both neighbors, and they ran into each other ... but for both to travel so far out of state – since there is no ocean beach in Kansas, if that's where the Mitchell's live, which they do according to Ketcham the creator]

[The ocean has to be near the Mitchell residence, and since there are so many references to California, particularly Monterey County (which isn't far from the Pacific), I conclude they must live there instead of Kansas] "Mmmm! Smell that salt air!" Henry says as they make a short drive to the 'wharf.' (Comic #54-1961).

Not too far from the Mitchell's, MUNRAS Blvd crosses over CASA St. [There is a Munra's Avenue in California, and a Casa Street in San Luis Obispo, California] (Comic #1-AND HIS DOG RUFF-1961).

There is a wooden crate labeled CAL PAK Portersville in the Wilson's cellar. (Comic #46-1967) [There is a Cal Pak in Portersville, California. It's a freight trucking company]

The Mitchell's have visited a lot of places . . . many of them in California. Carville, CA (Comic #16). Point Lobos, CA (Comic #30). Santa Cruz, CA (Comic #36). Fort Ord, Monterey Bay, CA (Comic #37). Kennolyn Camp, CA (Comic #44). Del Ray Oaks, CA (Comic #53). El Estero Lake, CA (Comic #53). Fountain Springs, CA (Comic #36 – SPRING SPECIAL). Yosemite, CA (Comic #47 – IN CALIFORNIA).

Now, all these trips weren't short drives away. More like 1,200 miles away. This is another point for them living in California and not Kansas

Hi OTTO61, I hope you're still around, but if not I'll still point out this inconsistency: It snows wherever the Mitchell's live...so they don't live near the beach. And they don't live in the mountains, either, so I'd say that Wichita and CA are not where they live. I think Hank was fibbing when he made that statement, and I believe the whole history of Dennis and his family is just a bunch of fiction designed to appeal to as many readers as possible. ie, snow, sledding, beaches, zoos, navy yards, small town atmosphere, etc., etc. Good try tho...but the truth is the Mitchell's didn't live anywhere that was a real place...

He may have been trying to apply middle American values of Kansas but I'm pretty sure my neighbor's boy is Dennis up here in Alaska.

This just shows you how Dennis comics are still the most underpriced and underrated comics in history.10 years ago I know they were nuts as I have proof of record sales on ebay includind dtm #1 FA+ $200.00# 3 vg- $300.004 vg $290.00#20 vg $56.00 #26 G $26.00 These were all doubles. What angers me is how overstreet MUST HATE dennis the menace and hank ketchem. He didn't do a cover for him on his 50th anniversary and has done 2 covers now per guide. Now Hank is gone and never got the recognition he deserved.Pick up a newpaper and see how many price guide covers you can SEE DAILY COMIC STRIPS OF.He didn't like Archies till his big dealers who put full page ads in his guides got them.This I can prove.

They are under rated. One of the funniest series in comic history and few know about them. Dennis and Little Archie were always two of my favorite series to collect growing up, and both are highly under rated. If any one is interested, I have a lot of older Dennis' in lower grades for sale cheap...PM me...maybe we can create some new Dennis collectors.

Your copy I bet is the best in exsistance. In 47 years my best copy is vg and if you now look at slabbed dennis comics, most of them were mine. The 6.0 #1 I sold Was a great price and the buyer is happy.2-5 are crazy to find. you are one of the few people that were around where you used the comics buyers guide to find comics. there was no computers, ebay or here. Now stuff is easier to find,If it doesn't exsist it doesn't matter. I will tell you a couple of my comics. all CGC graded. # 4 CGC 9.s Married cover.( I think the guys name was disneyartz who had all these married copies and they were not cheap.I wonder if you know the story behind these. I still thinkthey had to come from the factory and why? you don't find 9.4 copies white pages with bad covers and then have a mint cover you just put on. You cant tell I would think as these have never been out of the slab)# 6 CGC 6.5 # 7 cgc 6.5,#8 CGC 7.5 and will be selling a 5.5 cgc soon,#9 CGC 8.5 Married cover, # 11 cgc 9.2 NOT MARRIED what a gem you interested?# 12 CGC 9.0 also NOT MARRIED. I'm shocked you don't know me or haven't found me.# 14 CGC 9.4 Married # 26 CGC 9.2 married ( I ON sale at ebay.now # 27 CGC 9.4 MARRIED, # 28 CGC 9.4 # 32 CGC 8.5. Most giants have been sold and I only went to# 50 and as you know many giants after #6 are reprints and I have 4 Dennis in Hawaii 1st printing. All are for sale for the right price. I like my buyer who bought # 1 6.0 and is thrilled with it. No he didn't even pay half of your $2000 offer and it doesn't count unless money in hand and dennis comics were much hotter 10 years ago for some reason