Beano celebrates 85th anniversary with translation partnership

Beano Studios has partnered with rights agency Rights People to bring the Beano fiction series into translation. Global translation rights, excluding German, Spanish, Italian and English will now be fully managed by Rights People. The announcement comes as the brand gears up to celebrate its 85th Birthday later in the year.

Published by Farshore Books in the UK, US, Canada and Commonwealth in English, the series consists of six titles, including Dennis & Gnasher: Battle for Bash Street School and Dennis and Gnasher: Super Slime Spectacular, with more are on the way.

Rob Glenny, head of commercial and business development at Beano Studios, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Rights People, to bring the iconic Beano characters, and their magical ability to and unlock a love of reading, to even more children across the world.” 

Charlotte Bodman, Rights People’s head of rights, said: “Dennis, Gnasher and their friends are well-known international stars, thanks to the TV series, and the comic’s 85-year history of entertaining UK children speaks for itself. We are pleased to shepherd the beloved characters’ natural move into international publishing”.

Glenny added: “Our animated series, Dennis and Gnasher: Unleashed, now distributed in over 100 countries worldwide, is testament to the fact that Beano humour knows no borders.” 

Written by Beano’s creative and editorial directors and former editors of the weekly comic, Mike Stirling and Craig Graham under the pen name I P Daley, the funny fiction stories are aimed at readers seven and up. The books are illustrated by Beano artists, including Nigel Parkinson, and follow the adventures of Dennis, Gnasher and Minnie.

Stirling said: “The world needs more mischief, and translation will help us in our ultimate mission: to make eight billion people laugh.”