21 July 2008

Happy Birthday Beano! - The Official Anniversary Exhibition

This summer the University of Dundee is hosting the official 70th anniversary exhibition celebrating Britain’s favourite comic The Beano. Running until 20th September 2008, the show has been staged by the University’s Museum Services in association with the School of Humanities and D C Thomson & Co Ltd.

The free exhibition is being held in the Lamb Gallery on the first floor of the Tower Building. It provides a unique opportunity to see original artwork from The Beano, from its very first issue up to today. Most of the material, which has been loaned from D C Thomson, has never been shown in public before. It includes work by legendary artists such as Dudley D Watkins, David Law, Leo Baxendale and David Sutherland.

Among the highlights on display are:

• artwork from the very first issue, including long-forgotten characters such as Contrary Mary and Rip Van Wink
• work by the Torelli brothers, who sent their Futurist-style drawings from Italy before disappearing during the war
• wartime propaganda strips by Dudley D Watkins starring Lord Snooty and his Pals
• some of the earliest Dennis the Menace strips by David Law before he acquired his famous striped jersey
• classic Leo Baxendale drawings including the Bash Street Kids, Minnie the Minx and Little Plum
  
• rarely seen Beano publicity material, letters from readers and other memorabilia

To accompany the exhibition, a special birthday event is being held in the D’Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre in the Tower Building on 30th July. Starting at 5.30pm, the event will feature free talks by comics experts and Beano artists.

The Lamb Gallery is open Mon-Fri 09.30-20.30 Sat 09.30-12.00. Admission is free.

For further information about the exhibition, contact Matthew Jarron on 01382 384310 or m.h.jarron@dundee.ac.uk.

For further information about the 30th July event, contact Chris Murray on 01382 384907 or c.murray@dundee.ac.uk.

www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/beano.htm.

For media enquiries contact:
Anna Day
Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: a.c.day@dundee.ac.uk