Farshore announces new range of activity books with Beano ahead of comic's 85th anniversary

Farshore has announced a new range of activity books with Beano studios ahead of the comic’s 85th anniversary in 2023.

The deal was signed by Emma Cairns-Smith, licence acquisitions director, for world English rights with Rob Glenny, head of commercial and new business at Beano Studios 

Farshore published The Ultimate Dennis & Gnasher Comic Collection and Beano’s new fiction series Dennis & Gnasher last year. Two more fiction titles will be published in April and November 2023. 

The five new activity books will begin publishing in September this year with a brand-new Beano Joke Book. The range will continue through 2023 with “Search & Find” and “Would you Rather” formats. To tie in with the official Beano 85th Anniversary, a completely revised and updated The Ultimate Guide to Beano will be published in June next year. 

Beano’s 85th anniversary will be celebrated across the year with a special comic issue, a national press and media campaign, schools activity and special appearances from the comic’s celebrity fans. The year will also celebrate anniversary milestones of some of Beano’s favourite characters including the 30th anniversary of the Numskulls and the 70th anniversaries of Roger the Dodger, the Bash Street Kids and Minnie the Minx.

Zoe Masters, publisher for brands and licensing at Farshore, said: “We had such a positive response from both consumers and retailers to our Beano launch publishing in 2021, so we are thrilled to have expanded our rights to include activity books from autumn 2022, launching with a laugh yourself silly Beano Joke Book in September. The Beano team have such passion, creativity and energy and are fantastic to work with. The creative brains behind the Beano and authors of the fiction titles, Craig Graham and Mike Stirling, have been selling out events across the UK which have gone down an absolute storm. The demand at Hay Festival this year was so overwhelming we needed a bigger tent! We can’t wait to publish our exciting fun new formats and to celebrate Beano’s 85th anniversary year in 2023.”

Glenny added: “Beano will be celebrating 85 years of unlocking laughter and creativity across the nation in 2023, so we are very excited to expand our partnership with Farshore on our shared mission to get kids laughing through reading with these new activity books. Creating the fiction titles written by Beano geniuses Craig Graham and Mike Stirling has been a dream collaboration with Farshore, so we’re delighted that Farshore’s fantastic team will now be taking the Beano DNA into fresh new formats. I’m personally looking forward to the new Beano Joke Book that’ll keep families giggling this Christmas. I’d test a chemistry joke on you... but it might get an unexpected reaction!”