Beano hero: Dennis the Menace turns 70 The perennial naughty schoolboy is entering his eighth decade as youthful as ever, with help from YouTube star Joe Sugg and a panel of young readers ‘The friend everyone wanted when they were growing up’ … Dennis the Menace (right) with YouTuber and guest editor Joe Sugg. Photograph: Beano/PA ‘The friend everyone wanted when they were growing up’ … Dennis the Menace (right) with YouTuber and guest editor Joe Sugg. Photograph: Beano/PA Wed 17 Mar 2021 02.01 EDT Seventy years ago, on 17 March 1951, Dennis the Menace first strolled on to the pages of the Beano. The iconic red and black jumper of today was eschewed for a shirt and tie, and his faithful pooch Gnasher was nowhere to be seen, but – as he defied an order to “keep off the grass” – Dennis was as much of a menace then as he is today.