Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1955-1958 Box Set (Vol. 3-4) [Box set] [Hardcover]

Hank Ketcham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 2008

A swell custom-designed case containing the third and fourth volumes of Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace with strips from the years 1955 through 1958. (Sorry, case is not peanut butter or root beer resistant.)

Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace was Fantagraphics' second "complete" series of newspaper strip collections and one of the most successful books in the company's history, greeted by reviews with praise similar to that garnered by The Complete Peanuts. We are proud to present a slipcased set of the third and fourth volume in the series, covering the years 1955 through 1958 in two gorgeously-designed books, just in time for the holidays.

Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace publishes every single panel strip from handsome and thick hardcover volumes. Ketcham's legendary pen and ink work achieves its full flowering in these collections as do the various situations and themes that Ketcham would return to again and again. 1,252 black-and-white full-page comic panels

Editorial Reviews

Review

This beautifully produced series will delight for years to come. -- Publishers Weekly starred review

About the Author

Hank Ketcham was born in 1920 and created Dennis the Menace in 1950. He passed away in 2001.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1344 pages
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books; Slipcased Edition edition (February 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560978813
• ISBN-13: 978-1560978817
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 6 x 5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,593,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dennis The Menace is not for kids..., April 3, 2008

By 

Chirag Patnaik "collector of odds & ends" (Noida, NCR, India) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1955-1958 Box Set (Vol. 3-4) (Hardcover)

When my mom came to stay over this summer. She saw this collection and Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1951-1954 Box Set in my book cupboard, and her first reaction was. Why are you buying kids comics... :) It isn't one, like any long time DtM reader knows...

Well this set is marvelous. I buy ONLY the box sets (Peanuts is the other series I'm collecting right now) and this is like any other Fantagraphics box set. The slipcase is what you'd expect.

The image implies the book is larger than it actually is. This may well be because of the close up shot, so do pay attention to the book dimensions, if that is a consideration for you. However, each page contains one panel, in a very easy to read size. The book also comes with a fabric book mark. You need it, because you can't read through all of it in one go... and one misses bookmarks in huge collections like The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set).

The dust cover / sleeves on is uncoated paper unlike in the Peanuts collection, so a bit of care needs to be taken when removing and handling the books. The binding is stitched, so you can expect longevity over multiple readings.

The slipcase could have done with a notch to help remove the book, But in reality, it doesn't help. Even in the Peanuts collection, you have to shake out the book. the same is the case here.

On the whole it is a recommended purchase.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful collection. The Dennis the Menace comic strip shines., December 28, 2009

By 

S. Granger (Los Angeles, California United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1955-1958 Box Set (Vol. 3-4) (Hardcover)

These are beautiful collections. Too bad this set is discontinued. You can still buy the individual books but the set with collector's case is gone. Luckily there are still some from the resellers at reasonable prices at this time.

The Dennis the Menace sets are a wonderful and I recommend them all. Hank Ketcham's art is just amazing. The antics of Dennis will have you in tears. The original Calvin (& Hobbes), the Dennis the Menace comic strips has that same timeless humor as the Little Rascals, Calvin & Hobbes, Peanuts, etc. Kids doing those darn things never fails to get a laugh.

Perfect gifts when you're not quite sure what uncle Eddy would enjoy. Plus they are very reasonably priced, lovely printing, and can be read over and over.

5.0 out of 5 stars TOP NOTCH, November 3, 2009

By 

VOICE OF VICTORIA "STEVE" (VICTORIA AUSTRALIA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1955-1958 Box Set (Vol. 3-4) (Hardcover)

Well published, these cartoons are some of the best drawn you will ever see. The themes of 50's life and attitudes are quite nostalgic but could be enjoyed by anyone. A treat that beats most things you would see on the comic pages today hands down.