
Beano x The Kelpies - Brand New Adventure!
David Sutherland, the renowned Beano artist, who has been
drawing Dennis and The Bash Street Kids for more than 55 years, has
now captured the latest adventures of Dennis and his faithful dog
Gnasher in an extra-special comic strip which sees the duo
visit the iconic Scottish landmark, The Kelpies.
The all-new artwork sees the infamous Beano characters creating
100ft effigies of themselves next to the 30-metre-high horse head
sculptures. The new illustrations were inspired by David's trip to
the Scottish landmark, designed by his friend the Scottish
sculptor, Andy Scott.
The new comic strip will feature on a range of merchandise
including cushions, mugs, water bottles and tote bags, and is
available to purchase from 17th March 2018 from our
Visitor Centre. The range of products has been manufactured by Star
Editions who are based in the UK.
The launch of the Beano X Kelpies product range coincides with
the anniversary of Dennis' first appearance in print, in issue 452
of Beano on 17th March 1951. David Sutherland, one of Beano's most
famous and beloved artists, responsible for The Bash Street Kids
and Dennis the Menace (1970 - 1998), gifted The Kelpies sculptor
Andy Scott the bespoke comic strip after they visited The Kelpies
in Scotland together.
Scottish sculptor, Andy Scott, said: "I'm
delighted to see the wonderful engineering adaptation of The
Kelpies by those other Scottish icons, Dennis and Gnasher. On
a personal level, I've known their artist David Sutherland for many
years and visited The Kelpies with him and his family a couple of
years ago.
Dennis and Gnasher have brought smiles to the faces of
generations of youngsters, myself included when I was a boy, and
it's a real pleasure to see their unique sense of mischief so
skillfully brought to life with the Kelpies.
We're delighted to work with David and Beano Studios, to bring
this range of merchandise to the public and hope they add a new
light-hearted dimension to the visitor's experience when visiting
The Kelpies."
Renowned Beano artist, David Sutherland, said:
"I have long been an admirer of Andy's work and have seen many
sculptures fashioned by his hands - then along came 'The Kelpies'.
Seeing these iconic sculptures first-hand was an incredible
experience and it felt almost as though they had come to
life.
Each time I draw 'Dennis and Gnasher' they also take on a life
of their own. In this instance, Dennis and Gnasher decided to steal
a little of Andrew's fame, by helping themselves to a few bus
panels and they created their own sculptures. I feel they did a
good job, not to outdo Andy's sculptures, but to keep 'The Kelpies'
company!
Andy is a dear friend of mine, and I'm thrilled that we're able
to work together to release a limited range of merchandise for fans
of both Beano and The Kelpies to enjoy".
We are delighted to launch The Beano X Kelpies range this
weekend in store at The Visitor Centre and it will be available to
buy from Saturday 17th March 2018. As well as
a range of merchandise there will be a limited edition of 48 prints
of the artwork, signed by both artists, available to buy.
