Beano marks 85th birthday with star-filled edition – BBC News

The Beano, the world’s longest-running comic, has marked its 85th anniversary with guest appearances from Adele, Stormzy and Harry Styles.

The commemorative issue, out on Wednesday, also includes depictions of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

The guests were drawn after 3,000 children – aged seven to 14 – were asked in a poll which celebrities they would like to see in cartoon form.

Sir David Attenborough, Lewis Hamilton and Jill Scott all appear too.

Footballer Marcus Rashford is in there as well after being voted as the most inspirational celebrity, while TV presenting duo Ant and Dec topped the list of famous people that youngsters would invite to their birthday party.

Spider-Man actor Tom Holland and Manchester City player Phil Foden also figured highly on the list of celebrities that they would like to be best friends with.

Since the Beano launched in Dundee in 1938, more than 4,000 issues have been printed featuring around 700 characters, such as Dennis [the Menace] and Gnasher, the Bash Street Kids and Billy Whizz.

“As Beano proudly celebrates its 85th anniversary, it continues to champion the power and joy of childhood by doing what it’s always done, showing kids being kids,” said Mike Stirling, head of “mischief” at the publication.

“Here’s to the next 85 years, and we dedicate this birthday issue to every child out there, because being a kid never gets old.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, Stirling cheekily suggested that Sir Mick Jagger, who like the Beano also celebrates a big birthday this week – 80 – must be a reader of the publication as his band the Rolling Stones are still young at heart.

“I get to speak to a wider group of kids every week when we’re working on the Beano and that makes you feel young and it keeps you young,” he added.

For its star-studded birthday edition, Beano artist Nigel Parkinson has depicted celebrities assisting the Beanotown kids in stopping Mayor Brown from carving his own face into Mount Beano.

Queen Camilla is seen informing the King that it is in fact the children, not him, that rule in the fictional town.

The Prince and Princess of Wales also appear in the new comic strip, alongside other music stars such as Dua Lipa, Lewis Capaldi and Kate Bush – who enjoyed a chart resurgence due to one of her tracks being used in a key episode of Stranger Things – as well as social media influencer KSI.

“Dennis is still the same 10-year-old kid that he was in the 1950s but he’s got different references,” noted Stirling.

An eight-page pull-out, entitled Beanow, has also been created inside consisting of children’s comments and pictures that best sum up the best things about being a child today – like dancing, rapping and catapults.

To mark the anniversary, 2,023 issues of the special edition Beano – which first went out to subscribers at the weekend – will be given out to classrooms across the country through the Beano for Schools programme this week, while prizes can also be won on its website.