Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1959-1962Media Release -- Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1959-1962 Box Set is a swell custom-designed case containing the fifth and sixth volumes of Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace with strips from the years 1959 through 1962. (Sorry, case is not peanut butter or root beer resistant.)

Volume 5:

We are proud to present the fifth volume of Hank Ketcham's phenomenal panel covering the end of the Postwar Era, 1959-1960. Ketcham captured the mischievousness, rambunctiousness, and anarchy of a kid's world better than any other cartoonist. The strip appeals to both parents and children — while parents shake their head ruefully at how accurately Ketcham caught the essence of children's natural zest for mayhem, children identify with Dennis and the chaos that he leaves in his wake. Ketcham's gags are funny, subtle and touching, and executed with a vivacious, exquisite line.

Ketcham drew Dennis the Menace from 1951 to 1994, when he retired and let his assistant take over the strip. This fifth volume of Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace publishes every single panel strip from 1959 and 1960 in one handsome brick of a hardcover. Ketcham's legendary pen and ink work is in full flower in this volume as are the various situations and themes that Ketcham would return to again and again, featuring Dennis and his regular group of supporting players: his long-suffering parents, the even longer-suffering neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, Dennis's dog Ruff and his best pal Joey, the annoying Margaret, the adorable Gina, and more.

Volume 6:

Dennis vaults into the 1960s with his anarchic spirit still intact. As always, this book is a series of unrelated panel gags (with the exception of one week-long story involving Dennis's mild-mannered grandpa), but what gags! Hank Ketcham is legendary for being one of the most exquisitely skilled cartoonists of all time, and each and every panel is a small masterpiece of design and draftsmanship.

Dennis the Menace 1961-1962 features Dennis's long-suffering parents, the Wilsons, his dog Ruff, his best pal Joey, his nemesis Margaret, and a seemingly endless parade of babysitters, as well as hapless shopowners, policemen, teachers, and family friends, all of whom come to realize that it's Dennis's world... they just live in it!

Ketcham drew Dennis the Menace from 1951 to 1994, when he retired and let his assistant take over the strip. This sixth volume of Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace publishes every single panel strip from 1961 and 1962 in one handsome brick of a hardcover. Ketcham's legendary pen and ink work achieves its full flowering in this volume as do the various situations and themes that Ketcham would return to again and again.

"With the exception of a few that deal with cowboy shows and drive-in movies, nearly all the gags would fit comfortably on the comics page nearly a half-century later. While most readers will respond to the gentle humor, the visually inclined will appreciate artist Ketcham's confident, inky brushwork." – Gordon Flagg, Booklist

Praise for the series:

"Dennis the Menace stands out for both its chronicling of Baby Boom-generation society and its highly sophisticated humor. Ketcham's grace and economy of both art and punch line are superb, telling a complete story with a single line of dialogue. This beautifully produced series will delight for years to come." – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"When I was a kid, Hank Ketcham's work made me afraid of even attempting to be a cartoonist since I figured (correctly) that I'd never come close to matching his skill no matter how hard I tried. His art is accomplished and complex while being at the same time simple and accessible." – Peter Bagge

"How can comics devotees resist Ketcham's sleek drawing line and the way his technique contrasts so beautifully with the idea of his sloppy bad-boy character?" – Entertainment Weekly

Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1959-1962 Box Set & Slipcase
By Hank Ketcham

two 672-page black & white 5.5" x 6.25" hardcovers in a custom slipcase • $39.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-312-5

slipcase also available separately, exclusively from Fantagraphics • $4.99