Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1953-1954 (Vol. 2)
Erstwhile magazine gag cartoonist Ketcham used masterful composition, line variation, and solid black areas to make the single-panelDennis the Menacethe most visually arresting spot on the comics page. While the Peanuts inhabited their own stylized world into which adults seldom intruded,Denniswas set firmly in suburban family territory. Although the strip's Eisenhower-era elements--drive-in carhops, cowboys and Indians, and uniformed soda jerks--figure prominently in these 1953--54 panels, vintageDennisseems nearly as timeless as the exploits of Charlie Brown and company. Bedtime stories, avoiding baths, and refusing to eat vegetables are as perennial as unself-conscious five-year-old mischievousness.Gordon FlaggCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved