Al & Fred Visit Mexico! (Part 1)

Gee, Al and Fred sure had fun on their vacations, no?

Of course, this was a working vacation. But still, wouldn't it have been great to be a fly on the wall and observe them during their Dennis the Menace in Mexico fact-finding mission? Just to watch the jolts of inspiration hit them- with Fred busily jotting down ideas and Al furiously sketching away for future reference.

I loved this comic as a kid, but the only copy I came across was old and coverless. Thus depriving me of the pleasure of discovering the legendary names "Toole" and "Wiseman" on this inside front cover:


Ask most people about Dennis the Menace in Mexico and they'll joyfully tell you about Al's meticulously rendered giant stone calendar. Or the painstakingly realistic buildings and pyramids. Well, those are pretty impressive, but I mostly remember the smaller, funnier moments. Such as this example of Dennis' personal contribution to the furthering of peaceful international relations:


Or maybe this instance of Dennis' sensitive appreciation of an indigenous people's language:
"Zippy Sam Soupy Gooey Icky Zooie" indeed!

And here's the ever-helpful Dennis encouraging tourists to sample the flavorful local cuisine:

Note to self: Add the phrases "GAAA!" and "WHY, I OUGHTA!..." to my daily conversational vocabulary.

Speaking of which, I wonder how many times a day Dennis' poor mom had to repeat this mantra-like apology to some enraged law enforcement agent:


Dear Lord, won't somebody reprint these comics already?!?


Al & Fred Visit Mexico:
Part 1
Part 2

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

"Dennis the Menace" & related characters are ©Hank Ketcham Enterprises, Inc.