The Beano plans to continue to laugh at the world from “a kid’s-eye view” as the comic celebrates its 80th birthday.
Home to characters such as Dennis The Menace, Minnie The Minx and The Bash Street Kids, it first hit news stands on July 30 1938 as a companion paper to The Dandy, which went on sale eight months earlier.
Created by publisher DC Thomson in Dundee, it sold almost two million copies weekly in the 1950s and has continued to be popular with children over the decades.
Most of its best-known characters were introduced to the comic in the years after its launch, and the first edition was fronted by Big Eggo The Ostrich, who kept top-billing for a decade before being ousted by Biffo The Bear.
Very few first issues of the Beano remain, with one selling for more than £17,000 at auction in 2015.
Dennis The Menace is the longest-running character to appear in the comic. He made his Beano debut on March 17 1951, but the “World’s Wildest Boy” had to wait until May 5 of that year to be given his trademark black-and-red stripped jumper.
A series of events have been staged to mark the 80th anniversary with Dundee’s McManus museum renamed the McMenace for an special exhibition.
It includes original artwork, a first edition of the Beano, fan club memorabilia, and a history of publishers DC Thomson with visitors encouraged to dress up as characters.
Actor and children’s author David Walliams has guest edited a commemorative issue also marking the anniversary.
In his editor’s letter, Walliams said: “What I always loved about the Beano was that it felt naughty. It was a comic that you should read under the duvet with a torchlight.”