Comic Strips and Their Cartoonists in The News
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Headlining: Dennis the Menace, Torchy Brown, Thatababy, Dick Tracy, Frazz, and Birch Bark.
New from the Mint: Dennis the Menace-themed Coins
Next month Dennis the Menace celebrates his 75th anniversary and the Mint will join in the celebration by pressing a Dennis the Menace coin. But it is The Royal Mint and the Dennis the Menace of Beano.
The character made his first appearance in issue 452 of the Beano [dated March 17, on sale March 12, 1951].
A new range of Dennis the Menace-themed coins will be minted, marking 75 years of the iconic comic prankster.
A collaboration between the Royal Mint and Beano will see Dennis and his dog Gnasher feature on collectable 50p[ence] coins.
Along with the coin there is an exclusive comic strip by Craig Graham and Nigel Parkinson.
The U.S. Dennis the Menace debuted on March 12, 1951 and also celebrates 75 years next month.
The Zelda Awards
Cartoonist Karla “Moon the Storyteller” Medrano has created The Zelda Awards. The awards are
…inspired by Zelda Jackie Ormes, the first Black woman cartoonist in the United States, The Zelda Awards aim to spotlight the undeniable contributions of women who are shaping the comic book industry.
The awards include various categories and endeavors in webcomics, graphic novels, and comic books but curiously not in comic strips where Jackie Ormes made her name with Torchy Brown and Patty Jo ‘n’ Ginger.
Paul Trap Covered in Local Paper
Paul Trap passed his Thatababy comic strip on to Jonathan Lemon after the last day of last year. Not long after moving to the Moab, Utah area The Moab Sun News began running his comic strip. Now Amanda Gray for the paper notes that the local cartoonist has stepped away from his comic strip.
Print media has certainly changed over the years, but for the past few years, Thatababy consistently found its place in the Sun, landing in the hands of residents and visitors alike.
“There have been some incredible highs during my fifteen years as a syndicated cartoonist,” said Trap. “Meeting my heroes (a beer with Gary Trudeau!), a private tour of Walt Disney’s boyhood home, sitting in on a table read of a new Simpsons episode at Fox Studios — but there has been no greater thrill than seeing my work appear in my hometown newspaper each week, in glorious newsprint.”
Trap has been cartooning for as long as he can remember. Growing up in Detroit, his first stomping grounds included the local library, where he read the comics in both the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News.
Dick Tracy by Matthew K. Manning and Howie Noel
Guest writer Matthew K. Manning (@matthewkmanning) and guest artist Howie Noel teamed up for a thrilling two-week “Dick Tracy” mystery in 2024 [October6-20], featuring the enigmatic villain Mr. Mirror.
This collaboration made Dick Tracy history as the first Minit Mystery ever folded into the strip’s main continuity! The work was so well-received that Manning and Noel were brought back for a six-week sequel run that began this past January 4 and ran through February 14.
Follow the complete original “Mystery of Mr. Mirror” saga across four collections, created by Manning himself—packed with classic noir intrigue, action, and the kind of detective work only Dick Tracy can deliver.
GoComics and Matthew K. Manning (and TCA) have teamed up to present all the Manning/Noel Dick Tracy strips in one place. The entire Mr. Mirror story can be read at Part One – Part Two – Part Three – Part Four.
If you were a subscriber to the GoComics newsletter you would already know about this. If only they would put all the “collections” in one easily accessible place.
Jef Mallett YouTube Interview
That same GoComics newsletter links to a 19 minute 2025 Jef Mallett interview and profile.
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