Al & Fred Visit Hawaii! (Part 1)

This 1956 article, from an unknown Hawaiian newspaper (The "Something or Other" Star-Bulletin), reports on "Dennis the Menace" artist Al Wiseman and writer Fred Toole arriving in Hawaii to gather ideas and for an upcoming "Dennis" comic. This giant special, titled "Dennis in Hawaii", proves not only to be one of the greatest comics ever published, but through it's umpteen reprintings, perhaps the best-selling comic of all time!

Some points of interest in the article:

• "Dennis the Menace" was "...the nation's largest selling comic book..."

• "...the 100 page comic book which sells about 1 and 1/4 million copies each issue."

Well, besides the fact that the regular "Dennis" issues weren't 100 pages (the reporter must have been looking at one of the giant "Dennis" comics), this is a pretty impressive sales figure. Why is no-one reprinting these comics? Hey Fantagraphics, you're doing a great job reprinting the "Dennis" dailies, so how about the comic books too? (And the early Wiseman Sundays while you're at it?) Please?

• "Toole and Wiseman have been with Ketcham for four and one-half years..."

The article seems to be from late August 1956, so Toole and Wiseman would have joined Ketcham's studio in early 1952. Wiseman said he worked on "Dennis" for thirteen years (see Al's flyer from my first post), and in fact, quit Dennis in late 1965. But since one of Wiseman's last "Dennis" comics was dated the Summer of 1967, Fawcett seems to have put out their comics really slowly...

Off topic, but no less important, the paper also reports that "Racing Cars Force Policeman Off Street Into Lamp Post". Damn those kids and their newly-popularized Rock 'n' Roll!

Update: Comic strip historian Allan Holtz informs me that the "mystery" newspaper is The Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Thanks Allan!

Please order "Dennis the Menace" books from Fantagraphics (and ask them to reprint the Wiseman "Dennis" comic books and Sunday strips).