Dennis the Menace Bonus Magazine Series 182

To say the 1950s were a simpler time would be to do so through the rose colored glasses of ignorance. While North and South Korea waged war, the Red Scare enveloped America, and those of a different color still drank from separate water fountains, Dennis the Menace was born.

His inspiration was birthed a few years earlier.

Dennis is the namesake of creator Hank Ketcham’s son. By age four Ketcham decided to draw from the adventures of his rambunctious son and start a cartoon strip. Dennis the Menace originally appeared in a meager 16 papers, but his popularity grew.

Dennis the Menace Bonus Magazine Series 182

By 1959 the strip had become popular enough a television sitcom was based on the character.

Cut to 1978 and Dennis the Menace is still appearing in newspapers across the nation and in comic books. For Christmas of ’78 Dennis and gang have convinced themselves their foil, Mr. Wilson, is really Santa Claus. Hence the title:  “Secret Santa.”

Their belief is strong enough to cause Wilson to sleep walk his way through Christmas Eve dressed as the man of the hour himself delivering gifts to the neighborhood children.

The quick telling is supplemented by re-runs of the newspaper strip. Readers are encouraged to cut the stories out and make their own book of holiday fun.

In addition to the 1959-1962 black and white televised adventures, Dennis was animated in 1986 for a syndicated run. The feature was dusted off again in 1993 for re-runs and advertising for a live-action movie that same year.