Egmont signs partnership with Beano Studios

Egmont Books has signed a publishing partnership with Beano Studios and will release three titles this year to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Dennis the Menace.

Emma Cairns-Smith, licence acquisitions director at Egmont, signed a deal for world English rights with Rob Glenny, head of commercial planning at Beano Studios.

Egmont Books will publish two titles in the new illustrated series for seven to nine-year-olds. The first, a back to school adventure titled The Battle for Bash Street, will publish in July 2021 followed by a Christmas title, There’s Snow Place Like Beanotown, in September 2021. Created in conjunction with Beano comic writers and fully illustrated by Beano artists, the books will feature a combination of comic strips as well as engaging text and illustration. A collection of the best comic strips of Dennis and Gnasher from recent years, Dennis Ultimate Comic Collection, will also publish in October 2021.

Cairns-Smith said: “We are delighted to be working with the Beano team to bring this classic and cherished brand into our portfolio. To the legions of fans out there we look forward to delivering new stories and developing new classic comic formats to enhance and expand the Beano universe.”

Glenny added: “Beano has introduced generations of children to a lifelong love of reading through our characters and hilarious comic stories. It’s an exciting moment for us to team up with Egmont to bring our love and experience in visual storytelling to this new highly illustrated fiction series. We can’t wait for young readers to enjoy these laugh-out-loud adventures and new comic collections.”