"Dennis the Menace" creator, Hank Ketcham, dies
Jaime Jeske
'Dennis the Menace' creator dead at 81
June 1, 2001 Posted: 4:44 PM EDT (2044 GMT)
(CNN) -- Hank Ketcham, the man who created the wildly popular "Dennis the Menace" comic
strip, has died at the age of 81.
His publicist, Linda Dozoretz, told The Associated Press that Ketcham had suffered from
heart disease and cancer.
Ketcham "passed away very peacefully," said Ellen James, a Monterey, California, neighbor
and family friend. "He had had some bad spells and he slipped away in his sleep."
Ketcham created "Dennis the Menace" in 1951. Inspired by the antics of his four-year-old
son named Dennis, he created the lovable brat with tousled hair who tormented crotchety
Mr. Wilson. It made its debut in 16 newspapers and the strip blossomed in popularity
through the decades.
In March, Ketcham's panels celebrated 50 years of publication -- running in 1,000
newspapers, 48 countries and 19 languages. The strip also inspired several books of
cartoons, a musical, a television series, a 1993 movie and a playground in Monterey, where
Ketcham had his studio.
He once said the world related to -- and needed -- a mischievous boy like Dennis.
"Mischief just seems to follow wherever Dennis appears, but it is the product of good
intentions, misdirected helpfulness, good-hearted generosity, and, possibly, an overactive
thyroid," Ketcham wrote in his 1990 autobiography, "The Merchant of Dennis The Menace."
"But what a dull world it would be without any Dennises in it! Peaceful, maybe -- but
dull," he said.
Hooked on cartooning
Henry King Ketcham was born March 14, 1920, in Seattle. He said he was no more than 6 when
he knew he wanted to be a cartoonist. After watching a family friend sketch cartoon
characters, he was hooked on the art.
"I couldn't wait to borrow his 'magic pencil' and try my own hand at drawing these
comic-strip characters," said Ketcham. "It was a major discovery, and I was floating on
air with excitement."
After dropping out of University of Washington and moving to Southern California, he found
work as an animator with Walt Disney, working on "Pinocchio," "Bambi," "Fantasia" and
Donald Duck shorts, among other projects.
After World War II, Ketcham settled in Carmel, working as a freelance cartoonist.
As the story goes, he was working one day when his wife burst into his studio. It seems
their son Dennis had refused to take a nap and had instead wrecked his room.
"Your son is a menace!" she said.
While the strip thrived, Ketcham's family life split apart. He and his first wife were
separated when she died in 1959. He and his son Dennis drifted apart, and they spoke
infrequently in later life.
Ketcham married two more times, having two children in his last marriage. He lived in
Geneva, Switzerland, for a period in his life, still managing to create the cartoon,
before moving back and settling in Monterey.
Ketcham stopped drawing the strip in 1994, letting a team of artists and writers take the
reins. He had always surrounded himself with a team of writers and illustrators who
contributed to his strip, and credited this theory for the strip's longevity.
"Anyone in the humor business isn't thinking clearly if he doesn't surround himself with
idea people," Ketcham told The Associated Press in a 1994 interview. "Otherwise, you
settle for ... mediocrity -- or you burn yourself out."
© 2001 Cable News Network LP, LLLP.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/entertainment/arts/newsid_1365000/1365096.stm
Friday, 1 June, 2001, 20:56 GMT 21:56 UK
Dennis the Menace creator dies
Hank Ketcham, who created the Dennis the Menace cartoon character in the United States,
has died aged 81.
He had suffered from heart disease and cancer, his publicist said.
Ketcham drew the comic strip for 43 years until he stopped in 1994, but let it continue
under a team of artists and writers.
The cartoon appeared in 1,000 newspapers, 48 countries and 19 languages, as well as
inspiring a television show, a musical and a 1993 film.
Ellen James, a neighbour and family friend, said his death had been peaceful.
"He had had some bad spells and he slipped away in his sleep," she said.
Inspiration
The freckle-faced, fair-haired Dennis the Menace has tormented cranky neighbour Mr Wilson
and amused readers for 50 years.
Ketcham got the idea in 1950 when his wife, Alice, burst into his home studio, exasperated
that their four-year-old son Dennis had dismantled his room instead of taking a nap.
"Your son is a menace!" she said.
Born Henry King Ketcham, the artist grew up in Seattle and decided to be a cartoonist at
the age of six.
He began his career with Walter Lantz - creator of Woody Woodpecker - before moving to
Disney, where he worked on Pinocchio, Bambi, Fantasia and Donald Duck shorts.
During World War II, he drew cartoons for Navy posters.
But Dennis the Menace, with his trademark black and white striped T-shirt and red
dungarees, was his biggest success.
Team approach
It was an instant hit, and a collection of Dennis cartoons soon became a best-seller.
Ketcham put its enduring popularity down to a team approach, using comedy writers to
contribute ideas.
"Anyone in the humour business isn't thinking clearly if he doesn't surround himself with
idea people," he said in 1994.
"Otherwise, you settle for... mediocrity - or you burn yourself out."
Ketcham and his first wife had separated when she died in 1959.
He and his son Dennis drifted apart, and they spoke infrequently in later life.
Keeping up
The cartoonist moved to Switzerland and lived in Geneva for 17 years and returned to the
United States infrequently.
But he used the Sears catalogue to keep up with the changing American way of life for his
strip.
He moved back to America in 1977 and settled in Monterey, California, with a third wife
and two more children.
After giving up Dennis the Menace, he concentrated on oil and watercolour portraits.
He said he didn't mind if Dennis the Menace outlived him.
"I'm not in it for posterity. People look at it for 30 seconds... then it gets used to
wrap fish," he said.
© 2001 BBC
http://www.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/books/06/01/ketcham.obit.ap/index.html
'Dennis the Menace' creator dies
June 1, 2001 Posted: 3:06 PM EDT (1906 GMT)
PEBBLE BEACH, California (AP) -- Hank Ketcham, whose lovable scamp "Dennis the Menace"
tormented cranky Mr. Wilson and amused readers of comics for decades, has died at age 81.
Ketcham had suffered from heart disease and cancer, said his publicist, Linda Dozoretz.
"He passed away very peacefully. He had had some bad spells and he slipped away in his
sleep," said Ellen James, a neighbor and family friend.
Ketcham stopped drawing the weekday strip at the end of 1994 but let it continue under a
team of artists and writers.
Inspired by the antics of his 4-year-old son, Ketcham began the strip in 1951. In March,
Ketcham's panels celebrated 50 years of publication -- running in 1,000 newspapers, 48
countries and 19 languages.
Despite its longevity, the strip changed little since the 1950s. Dennis was always a
freckle-faced "five-ana-half" -- an appealing if aggravating mixture of impishness and
innocence.
"Mischief just seems to follow wherever Dennis appears, but it is the product of good
intentions, misdirected helpfulness, good-hearted generosity, and, possibly, an overactive
thyroid," Ketcham wrote in his 1990 autobiography, "The Merchant of Dennis The Menace."
"But what a dull world it would be without any Dennises in it! Peaceful, maybe -- but
dull," he said.
Dennis also inspired several books of cartoons, a musical, a television series, a 1993
movie and a playground in Monterey, where Ketcham had his studio.
Henry King Ketcham was born March 14, 1920, in Seattle and grew up there. He recalled he
was no more than 6 when he knew he wanted to be a cartoonist. One day he watched a family
friend sketch Barney Google and other then-popular cartoon figures.
"I couldn't wait to borrow his `magic pencil' and try my own hand at drawing these
comic-strip characters," said Ketcham, who promptly copied every comic he could get his
hands on. "It was a major discovery, and I was floating on air with excitement."
In 1938, he dropped out of the University of Washington after his freshman year and went
to Southern California to work as an animator, first for Walter Lantz, creator of "Woody
Woodpecker," and then for Walt Disney. Ketcham worked on "Pinocchio," "Bambi," "Fantasia"
and Donald Duck shorts.
When the United States entered World War II, he enlisted in the Navy, where he was put to
work drawing cartoons for Navy posters, training material and war bond sales.
A free-lance cartoonist after the war, Ketcham was living in Carmel when he got the idea
for "Dennis the Menace" in October 1950. His wife, Alice, burst into his home studio,
exasperated that their 4-year-old son, Dennis, had dismantled his room instead of taking a
nap.
"Your son is a menace!" she said.
The strip with the towhead tornado, crabby neighbor Mr. Wilson and a rangy, bespectacled
dad who looked like Ketcham himself made its debut in 16 newspapers. It was an instant
hit, and the following year a collection of Dennis cartoons was a best-seller.
Despite the strip's real-life inspiration, Ketcham didn't depend on family life for ideas.
He used comedy writers and credited the team approach for the strip's longevity.
"Anyone in the humor business isn't thinking clearly if he doesn't surround himself with
idea people," Ketcham told The Associated Press in a 1994 interview. "Otherwise, you
settle for ... mediocrity -- or you burn yourself out."
Ketcham and his first wife had separated when she died in 1959. He and his son Dennis
drifted apart, and they spoke infrequently in later life.
The cartoonist moved to Switzerland, where lived in Geneva for 17 years, relishing the
peace of being thousands of miles away from business associates. He returned to the United
States only infrequently and used the Sears catalogue to keep abreast of details of the
changing American way of life for his strip.
A second marriage ended in divorce, but Ketcham married a third time and had two more
children. He and his family returned to the United States in 1977.
Ketcham settled in Monterey, where he worked on "Dennis" and enjoyed golf at Pebble Beach.
He stopped drawing the Sunday strip himself in the mid-1980s but carefully supervised the
process. He kept up the weekday strip until the end of 1994.
For Ketcham, giving up "Dennis the Menace" did not mean retirement; he concentrated on his
more serious artwork, oil and watercolor portraits. While glad the strip continued,
Ketcham didn't care if it outlived him.
"I'm not in it for posterity. People look at it for 30 seconds ... then it gets used to
wrap fish," he said. "Now my paintings, that's something else. My bid to posterity is my
paintings."
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.
http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/06/01/ketcham010601
Dennis the Menace creator dead at 81
WebPosted Fri Jun 1 15:39:54 2001
CARMEL, CALIF. - Hank Ketcham, the comic strip artist who created Dennis the Menace, died
Friday at the age of 81.
Ketcham created Dennis the Menace in 1950, naming the character after his own
five-year-old son Dennis.
Ketcham died of a heart attack at his home in Carmel.
The comic strip appeared in 1,000 newspapers in 48 countries and was translated into 19
languages.
Every March, when Dennis turned six, he blew out the candles on his cake and became five
again.
Written by CBC News Online staff
Copyright © 2001 CBC
Friday June 1 3:00 PM ET
'Dennis the Menace' Creator Hank Ketcham Dies
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hank Ketcham, the onetime movie cartoon animator who created the
``Dennis the Menace'' comic strip because his wife complained that their five-year-old son
was a menace, has died at home in Carmel, California, a spokeswoman said on Friday. He was
81 years old.
Ketcham, who had been in falling health after a battle with cancer, died of a heart attack
on Thursday night, spokeswoman Linda Dozoretz said. The cartoonist celebrated the 50th
anniversary of his creation of the freckle-faced, golden-haired boy-next-door on March 12.
Ketcham dabbled in cartooning as a child and went to Hollywood where he worked at the
Walter Lantz animation studio until he joined the Navy the day of the Pearl Harbor attack.
After the war, he quickly became one of the country's most successful and prolific
cartoonists with work published in Collier's, The Saturday Evening Post, Ladies' Home
Journal, Liberty and The New Yorker.
Inspired by the antics of his own 5-year-old son Dennis, Ketcham created his own comic
despite a top newspaper editor telling him: ``I don't see how it can last ... there's only
so much you can say about a 5-year-old kid.'' Ketcham boasted that he proved that editor
wrong.
Copyright © 2001 Reuters
Friday June 1 3:37 PM ET
Cartoonists Reflect on Ketcham
By The Associated Press,
When the ``Dennis the Menace'' strip turned 50 earlier this year, fellow cartoonists
reflected on its creator, Hank Ketcham.
``His design is probably the best that exists. It's sort of like a movie where the camera
sits. I keep one of his books by my desk when I'm trying to get the most out of my little
squares.'' - Jan Eliot, creator of ``Stone Soup.''
``One thing about Hank that I feel is that he is the best pen-and-ink line artist in
America today. He still is a brilliant technician when it comes to drawing the lines that
make his cartoons so beautifully artistic. They're little masterpieces.'' - Bil Keane,
creator of ``Family Circus.''
``Dennis is like a classic character in American literature. I think he's going to be
around forever. ... It's beautifully drawn, beautifully written and the characters ring
true.'' - Patrick McDonnell, creator of ``Mutts.''
- ``It's a classic situation combined with beautiful art. It's a good family situation
with an essential element that you need for humor, and that's conflict. If Dennis were a
perfect little boy, he wouldn't have lasted.'' - Jim Davis, creator of ``Garfield.''
``In the Dennis world, there's a swing in the back yard and the houses are close to each
other with picket fences ... This isn't a strip about a contemporary kid growing up in
America today. It's about Hank Ketcham's daydream about childhood.'' - Brian Walker, who
took over writing ``Hi and Lois'' with his brother, Greg. The comic was created by their
father, Mort Walker, who also created ``Beetle Bailey.''
Copyright © 2001 Associated Press
Hank Ketcham gallery: http://www.hankketcham.com
Jaime
--
Nichts ist für dich
Nichts war für dich
Nichts bleibt für dich
Für immer
-- Rammstein, "Adios"
http://www.rammstein.de
http://www.rammstein.com
http://www.herzeleid.com
Aware1
<jaim...@cox-internet.com> wrote:
>http://www.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/books/06/01/obit.ketcham/index.html
>'Dennis the Menace' creator dead at 81
>June 1, 2001 Posted: 4:44 PM EDT (2044 GMT)
>
>(CNN) -- Hank Ketcham, the man who created the wildly popular "Dennis the Menace" comic
>strip, has died at the age of 81.
<snip of really nice article>
Aw, I'm sorry to hear that.
I grew up with Dennis the Menace.
I remember the 'educational' comics, like when the family went to DC,
and a Hawaii one, and more I'm sure.
Back then comics were 12 cents and the big ones a quarter.
Hank Ketcham, thanks for the happy memories,
you made a positive difference in my life.
You will be missed.
Aware1
--
Toto... I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.
John Savard
completely different cartoon character, created by someone else in the
same month, with black hair instead of blond, bears the name "Dennis
the Menace" in that country.
John Savard
http://home.ecn.ab.ca/~jsavard/frhome.htm
Donna Grayson
>completely different cartoon character, created by someone else in the
>same month, with black hair instead of blond, bears the name "Dennis
>the Menace" in that country.
>
Well, I guess Hank Ketcham never got the copyright in the UK then ? Such a
coincidence. I wonder why it was never questioned.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Donna
Donna's Music & Webart & Donna's MP3s
http://www.donnagrayson.com http://www.mp3.com/donnagrayson
Mags The Axe
"Jaime Jeske" <jaim...@cox-internet.com> wrote in message
news:thga0pa...@corp.supernews.com...
> http://www.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/books/06/01/obit.ketcham/index.html
> 'Dennis the Menace' creator dead at 81
> June 1, 2001 Posted: 4:44 PM EDT (2044 GMT)
>
> (CNN) -- Hank Ketcham, the man who created the wildly popular "Dennis the
Menace" comic
> strip, has died at the age of 81.
<<snip!>>
> Ketcham created "Dennis the Menace" in 1951. Inspired by the antics of his
four-year-old
> son named Dennis, he created the lovable brat with tousled hair who
tormented crotchety
> Mr. Wilson.
<<snip!>>
Didn't we have a posting some time back about how Ketcham's son--the
inspiration for Dennis the Menace--was estranged from his father?
Mags
starcro1
"Mags The Axe" <mags...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:LisS6.1936$Ji.1...@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
> Didn't we have a posting some time back about how Ketcham's son--the
> inspiration for Dennis the Menace--was estranged from his father?
>
> Mags
>
>
That's been common knowledge for many years.
If you want something to gossip about, try this:
DISCLAIMER: While all statements of fact that follow are true, the
conclusions I draw from them are unsupported conjecture. They are presented
for entertainment purposes only.
In 1959, Hank Ketcham traveled to the Soviet Union, as part of a cultural
exchange. At that time, Americans could not travel freely to the U.S.S.R.,
so the Central Intelligence Agency recruited the cartoonist to make drawings
of anything he saw in Russia that might be of interest to American spies.
As Ketcham told the story years later, he made numerous sketches as he
looked from the window of the airplane, but he would doodle cartoon faces
over them whenever a flight attendant walked by, so they wouldn't guess what
he was up to. Looking at the drawings later, he couldn't tell where the
strategic maps left off and the doodles began, so none of the drawings were
of any use to the CIA.
FACT: 1959 is also the year that Hank Ketcham's first wife suddenly died of
a drug overdose, after which Ketcham and his son Dennis moved to Geneva,
Switzerland, where they lived until 1977, when they returned to the United
States.
UNSUPPORTED CONJECTURE: Isn't it a bit much to accept that after bungling a
mission for the CIA and losing his wife, Ketcham would just suddenly decide
to leave the country, and live in a neutral land from which he could not be
extradited, and stayed there until the post-Watergate era, when Washington
was a far more forgiving place?
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Actually, no it isn't. Ketcham didn't screw up badly enough for anyone to
want him dead. And if they did want him dead, they would not be deterred by
his moving to Switzerland, where he lived a high-profile existence at the
height of "Dennis the Menace's" popularity (the time of the television
series)
But it's nice to spin conspiracy theories, just for fun
John Savard
wrote, in part:
>>Of course, this news item will confuse people in the UK, because a
>>completely different cartoon character, created by someone else in the
>>same month, with black hair instead of blond, bears the name "Dennis
>>the Menace" in that country.
>Well, I guess Hank Ketcham never got the copyright in the UK then ? Such a
>coincidence. I wonder why it was never questioned.
Basically, both comics originated so close together in time, that it
is unlikely either copied the name from the other, or had a chance to
hear about the other. It is indeed a bizarre coincidence.
But except for the name, the two characters aren't similar at all. The
American Dennis the Menace is about 8 years old, and has a kind heart,
although he still causes damage and confusion. The British Dennis the
Menace is about 12 or so, and I believe he is a thoroughly nasty
character. So only trademark, and not copyright, is involved.
John Savard
http://home.ecn.ab.ca/~jsavard/frhome.htm