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 17^th 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 17^th 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 17^th 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.