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{{Short description|Comic strip character from The Beano}}
{{multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=October 2021}}
{{cleanup|reason=Article is clumsy and meandering - needs rewriting to be more concise|date=February 2018}}
{{tone|date=February 2018}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2015}}

{{Beano strip
{{infobox character
⚫
|strip_name=Walter the Softy
⚫
|name = Walter Brown
|image=[[File:Walter_the_Softy_from_The_Beano.jpg|150px]]
|series = [[The Beano]]
|creator=
|writer=
|image =
|caption =
|artist=
|start_issue=577
|first_minor = 577
|start_date=8 August 1953
|first_date = 8 August 1953
|last_minor =
|format=Appears weekly
|last_date =
⚫
|main_character=Walter Brown
|alias=Walter the Softy, Softy Walter
|full_name = Walter Brown
⚫
|alias = Walter the Softy, Softy Walter
|family=Fluffy (pet)<br>Foo-Foo (pet)<br>Claudius (pet)<br>Wilbur (Dad)<br>Muriel (Mum)<br>Priscilla (sister)<br>Pie-Face (cousin)<br>
Slasher Brown (Uncle)
|friends=[[Bertie Blenkinsop]], [[Spotty Perkins]], Sweet William, Jeremy Snodgrass, Softy Matthew and Nervous Rex
|characters=
|other_characters=Matilda
|crossover=
|spin-off=
|stars=''[[Dennis the Menace (UK)|Dennis the Menace]]''
|other_cameos=''[[Dennis the Menace (UK)|Dennis the Menace]]''
}}
}}
'''Walter Brown''', or '''Walter the Softy''' and '''Softy Walter''' as he is sometimes called, is a fictional character in ''[[Dennis and Gnasher|Dennis the Menace]]'', the main comic strip in British children's comic ''[[The Beano]]''. Though Walter is portrayed as the antagonist of the strip, he is often a victim of Dennis' bullying. Walter made his first appearance in the Beano in 1953 and is the primary target of Dennis and his friends. His last name was first mentioned in "A Beano Christmas Carol" strip in 1994. Two issues in 2012 finally confirmed that his surname was indeed Brown.
'''Walter Brown''' ([[pejorative]]ly nicknamed "'''Walter the Softy'''") is a fictional character that appears in the British comic magazine ''[[The Beano]]''. He is the rival and antagonist to [[Dennis and Gnasher|Dennis the Menace]] who is vilified because of his lack of interest in stereotypically masculine activities and attitudes. From his first appearance in 1953, Walter became the target of Dennis' pranks and misbehaviour but would brush it off. Sometime in the 1980s, Walter's characterisation changed after reader backlash and made him a snobbish rich boy [[Foil (narrative)|foil]] to his enemies.


== Character background ==
==Profile==
Walter Brown first appeared in issue 577 of ''[[The Beano]]'' in ''Dennis the Menace'',<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Dennis the Menace|date=1953-08-15|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=577|others=Illustrated by Davey Law|editor-last=Moonie|editor-first=George}}</ref> two years after the comic strip's debut.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Dennis the Menace|date=1951-03-17|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=452|others=Illustrated by Davey Law|editor-last=Moonie|editor-first=George}}</ref> He is a seemingly "perfect" child who is adored by his teachers for his hardworking and polite attitude. He enjoys picking flowers, [[ballet]] dancing in a [[tutu (clothing)|tutu]], playing with tea sets and [[Wendy house]]s, [[knitting]] and [[cross-dressing]], with friends that act similar, owning well-behaved pets throughout the years (Fluffy the cat, Foo-Foo the dog, and Clawdius the cat).
Walter has traditionally been portrayed as a [[Camp (style)|camp]] and [[effeminate]] boy, always very stereotypically girly in his behaviour: this varied from a strong aversion to typically "masculine" interests and situations, to full-blown [[transvestism]]. While these tendencies have vanished in modern years, Walter is still portrayed as a typical "[[geek]]", wearing a blue schoolboy's [[Sweater|jumper]], schoolboy's shorts, a [[bow tie]], and has glasses and slicked-back hair.


Walter has neat black hair and wears round-lensed glasses, a red [[bow tie]] in his shirt collar, a blue jumper and black shorts. His surname was not revealed until 1994.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=A Beano Christmas Carol|date=1994|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=|editor-last=Kerr|editor-first=Euan}}</ref>
Walter lives next door to [[Dennis the Menace (UK)|Dennis]] and his family. In earlier years, he often spent time in his [[Wendy house]] with his gang "the Softies", playing with dolls or pressing flowers etc. He regularly features in the Dennis the Menace strip; when he appears, he is usually either being attacked by Dennis or involved in a plot to attack Dennis himself—traditionally involving either [[chess]] or [[perfume]]. Though these attacks, in earlier years, arguably represented a legitimate feud between the Menaces and Softies, it was often difficult to interpret them as much deeper than his being bullied by Dennis for his effeminate nature or positive attributes.


== Characterisation ==
Walter is often seen as a devoted and seemingly "perfect" child. He does well in school and is adored by his teachers and parents. Indeed, Walter is a stereotypical [[mummy's boy]] and a spoiled brat, luxuriously pampered by his wealthy parents — who, rather uncannily, resemble each other.
Walter's personality and behaviour fluctuated, depending on the writer: he remained a diligent student and uninterested in playing sports, but would be a spoilt [[mummy's boy]] in one story, then a whiny [[coward]] who was scared of [[rain]] in another. Some stories featured Walter being courageous enough to create pranks and traps to irritate or frame Dennis, and other stories showed Dennis and/or [[Gnasher]] intimidating him for their entertainment, with Walter too scared and startled to fight back.


When the [[Dennis and Gnasher (1996 TV series)|1996 ''Dennis the Menace'' cartoon adaptation]] aired on [[CBBC (TV channel)|CBBC]], Walter became a snob and his friends joined in on the stuck-up attitude towards Dennis' group. The behaviour remained in the comic strips.
In earlier years, Walter had a white cat called Fluffy and a pink [[poodle]] named Foo Foo. In 2012, a new cat named Claudius was introduced.


⚫
== Personal life ==
Issue 1712 (10 May 1975) featured a girl named Priscilla, described by Dennis as Walter's sister, but she has not appeared since. In one story, he and Dennis are revealed to be distant cousins, but nothing more has been said of this.
''The Beano'' had a notable generation jump with the ''Dennis the Menace'' and ''[[Minnie the Minx]]'' series after Dennis' parents changed into new designs,<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Dennis and Gnasher|date=2012-08-25|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=|editor-last=Stirling|editor-first=Michael}}</ref> and his father was revealed as the original Dennis three years later.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Dennis and Gnasher|date=2015-05-02|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|editor-last=Stirling|editor-first=Michael}}</ref> Despite this, Walter still lives with his mother and father, and his pets. In his original characterisation, a girl named Priscilla made a one-issue appearance and Dennis refers to her as Walter's sister, but she has not appeared since.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Dennis the Menace and Gnasher|date=10 May 1975|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=1712|editor-last=Cramond|editor-first=Harold}}</ref> The 1996 cartoon revealed he had an uncle who was a barber named Slasher obsessed with Dennis' hair.<ref>{{Cite episode|series=Dennis and Gnasher|title=Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow|series-link=Dennis and Gnasher (1996 TV series)|network=The BBC|date=1996-04-02|number=1|series-no=1}}</ref> Walter's parents were always characterised as a wealthy couple who spoil their son, but Walter's post-2012 reincarnation shows his father, Wilbur, as the prideful, smug mayor of Beanotown, who was once Dennis' father's bullying target when they were children (implying that Wilbur was the original Walter who has now toughened up somewhat).<ref name="Wilbur">{{cite web |title=Who is Wilbur Brown? {{!}} Wilbur Brown {{!}} Profile on Beano.com |url=https://www.beano.com/posts/who-is-wilbur-brown |website=www.beano.com |archive-url=https://archive.today/20211003155706/https://www.beano.com/posts/who-is-wilbur-brown |archive-date=2021-10-03 |date=2017-07-28 |url-status=live}}</ref>


Walter is friends with other schoolboys who are as hardworking and unmanly like him, with similar hobbies. Originally, he had two: Algernon Scott "Scotty" (formerly "Spotty") Perkins and Bertram James "Bertie" Blenkinsop, but the magazine and children's cartoons have also introduced "Sweet" William, Jeremy Snodgrass, "Softy" Matthew and "Nervous" Rex. His girlfriend Matilda was a short-tempered [[redhead]] with a [[lisp]] who notably appeared in the 1996 cartoon; Walter was devoted to her to the point of implications that she bossed him around.
⚫
=== Personal life ===


== Relationship with Dennis ==
Walter is Dennis' neighbour and arch-enemy, most likely because he is the complete opposite of Dennis: Dennis being wild and naughty, and Walter being calm, intelligent and "soft." He is always Teacher's Pet at school. Walter is strongly disliked by Dennis because of his teddy-bear picnics and softy antics.
From Walter's debut, he and Dennis the Menace have been enemies. Walter's [[nerd]]iness, as well as his hobbies, led to his nickname "Walter the Softy" (and his friends collectively dubbed "The Softies"), and often offends Dennis and Gnasher by his presence alone. Despite the tension and violence, Dennis has turned to Walter in desperation, such as when Gnasher disappeared for six issues in 1986, finding [[Gnipper]]'s long-lost sisters when the puppy had been poisoned, helping [[Rasher (comics)|Rasher]] win a pig race, and trying to save Dennis's favourite tree. They once find out the two are distant cousins, but it has only been mentioned once.


==Controversy==
Walter long had two apparent friends named Algernon 'Spotty' Perkins and Bertie Blenkinsop. They were equally as camp as Walter, and the three of them often wore their mothers' clothes and makeup. In more recent years, the former bit player Dudley Nightshirt has replaced Spotty as third-in-command.
For an unspecified time, some former readers have assumed Walter was an [[Queer coding|unconfirmed-but-implied]] [[gay]] character for ''The Beano''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Price |first1=John |last2=Nicholas |first2=Joe |title=AS Media Studies |date=2003 |publisher=[[Nelson Thornes]] |isbn=0748768408 |page=115}}</ref> The magazine's readership historically being young boys looking for masculine role models through characters that were superheroes, military personnel and brave adventurers automatically made male characters like Walter an ideal antagonist for the rebellious, school-hating, [[association football|football]]-loving Dennis, but Dennis' violence towards Walter when Walter was not paying attention to him led to concerns that it would encourage children into [[homophobic bullying]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-13668.html|title=Dennis the Menace to stop bullying 'gay' Walter|date=13 August 2009 |publisher=[[PinkNews]]}}</ref> Dennis' aggression towards Walter softened, and Walter's antagonism increased, his post-2012 version wanting to rid Beanotown of all its fun, as well as his heterosexual relationship with Matilda.<ref>{{cite news |title=Congratulations to the Beano! – 4,000 issues and still going |url=https://www.theoldie.co.uk/blog/congratulations-to-the-beano-4000-issues-and-still-going |work=The Oldie |language=en-gb}}</ref> ''Beano'' spokesman Mike Stirling later said in 2013 that Walter's post-2012 version would hopefully be "dramatically satisfying" reason for readers if Dennis turned violent because "[Walter Brown] doesn't want to be a kid, he wants to be a grownup and is always snitching on kids who are having fun."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jul/20/beano-75-year-anniversary|title=The Beano – a happy 75th anniversary|first=Stuart|last=Jeffries|date=20 July 2013|work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

Walter also got himself a [[girlfriend]] named Matilda, who bore an eerie resemblance to him, except that she was a [[red hair|redhead]], and obviously wore a schoolgirl's uniform. She also spoke with a lisp and can sometimes lose her temper. For example, Walter brings her a bunch of ragged nettles and dandelions because he had lost his glasses, and she angrily slams the door in his face. She appeared in [[Dennis and Gnasher (1996 TV series)|the 1996 TV series of Dennis and Gnasher]] (although a character with the same name appeared in at least one comic library from 1993). Also, his evil uncle, Slasher Brown, who owns a barber shop in Beanotown, tries to cut Dennis' hair live on TV, but fails, as it is revealed that Dennis had a wig, landing Walter in trouble.

Walter is sometimes scared, but can sometimes act spoilt rotten as explained in the 1996, 2009 and 2013 series. Other Softies have included Sweet William, Jeremy Snodgrass, Softy Matthew and Nervous Rex, a boy who was scared of everything and everyone. They all share the same characteristics as Walter.

Walter has been punished many times despite his well-behaved nature.

In the recent comics, he has dropped his soft personality, and now is ingenious, ambitious, intelligent, and wants to rid Beanotown of all its fun.

Truth be told, the Softies often seem to be bound together much more by fear of Dennis than by any real mutual liking; though they are scrupulously polite and strangely devoted to each other, they have occasionally decided to pick on someone perceived as a much bigger wimp than they are. Naturally, there are not many of these people.

There have also been occasions in which Walter has willingly helped Dennis: when [[Gnasher]] went missing in the 1980s, he tried to help Dennis find him, and more recently, he has helped Dennis several times: finding [[Gnipper]]'s long-lost sisters when the puppy had been poisoned, helping [[Rasher (comics)|Rasher]] win a pig race, and trying to save Dennis's favourite tree by chaining himself to it, thus changing his relationship with Dennis from enemies to, if not outright friends, civil rivals. A likely reason for this is increased public awareness of bullying and the increasing unacceptability of a comic featuring a bully/victim relationship that stars the bully as protagonist.

==Depictions over time==

In early years (1950s-60s), Walter was a prim boy but nevertheless brash, snooty, and often sneaky in his attempts to embarrass or otherwise hinder Dennis and Gnasher. By the late 1970s, however, the increasingly "soft" Walter became terrified of Dennis, as well as other (mostly harmless) aspects of life, such as butterflies, birds, rain, and the like. If he encountered the things that scared him, he often cried childishly and ran to his 'mummy', sure that she would pamper and protect him.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Walter often dressed as a girl: typically wearing a pink ballerina [[Ballet tutu|tutu]] for dance purposes, but occasionally simply wearing a dress, along with his mother's makeup. His parents did not seem to be disturbed by Walter's transvestitism; in fact, on some occasions, they appeared to encourage it. In some strips, he was seen to wear pink boxer-shorts, mostly with either love-hearts or bunny rabbits on them. Walter had a teddy bear named 'Teddikins', which he often carried with him to complete the ensemble. In one strip, he was shown to have wet himself when scared by Dennis.

In the 1996 television series, Walter was not scared of Dennis but instead acted like a snob, living in a huge house and behaving more like a spoiled brat than before. His behaviour generally resembled his pre-1970s comics behaviour, and is reflected again in his less "soft" modern comics roles.

Walter's vindictiveness and determination to get Dennis into trouble have been highlighted in recent years, making Dennis' behaviour appear less like bullying. In a 2013 interview with ''[[The Guardian]]'', ''Beano'' editor Mike Stirling said that Walter was Dennis' nemesis because "he strangles the fun out of everything. He doesn't want to be a kid, he wants to be a grownup and is always snitching on kids who are having fun". The paper suggested that Walter had become less weedy not just out of changing attitudes but because it was "hardly... dramatically satisfying" if Dennis could beat him up.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jul/20/beano-75-year-anniversary|title=The Beano – a happy 75th anniversary|first=Stuart|last=Jeffries|date=20 July 2013|publisher=|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref>

==Possible homosexuality==
Because of Walter's profoundly [[feminine]] behaviour, some critics have been led to the assumption that Walter is actually [[gay]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geek-pie.blogspot.com/2008/10/geeks-through-ages-8-walter-softy.html|title=Geeks through the ages #8: Walter Softy|first=Jeffluv Aka Bone Aka Sir|last=Ching|date=6 October 2008|publisher=}}</ref> Because of this speculation, not only did he have a girlfriend created for him, but Dennis the Menace also had to soften his antics against Walter in fear it would be seen as [[homophobic bullying]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://metro.co.uk/2008/09/14/dennis-the-menaces-gay-bashing-banned-492518/|title=Dennis the Menace's 'gay-bashing' banned|date=14 September 2008|work=Metro}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-13668.html|title=Dennis the Menace to stop bullying 'gay' Walter|publisher=[[PinkNews]]}}</ref>


==Parodies==
==Parodies==

* Walter is parodied in some editions of the adult comic [[Viz (comic)|Viz]] as "Cedric Soft" in the strip about popular character [[Biffa Bacon]]. Their relationship is in a similar vein to Walter's with Dennis, with extreme comic violence added.
* Walter is parodied in some editions of the adult comic [[Viz (comic)|Viz]] as "Cedric Soft" in the strip about popular character [[Biffa Bacon]]. Their relationship is in a similar vein to Walter's with Dennis, with extreme comic violence added.
* In the ''[[Judge Dredd]]'' story ''[[Judgement Day (Judge Dredd)|Judgement Day]]'', the villain's origin was a pastiche of the ''Beano'': Soppi Walter, routinely terrorised and attacked by the bully Big Den (surname shown as "Mennis"). Soppi turned out to be a [[Psychopathy#Sociopathy|sociopath]] and learned necromancy in order to kill, resurrect, and torture his bully.<ref>''2000 AD'' issue 797: Judgement Day Part 17</ref>
* In the ''[[Judge Dredd]]'' story ''[[Judgement Day (Judge Dredd)|Judgement Day]]'', the villain's origin was a pastiche of the ''Beano'': Soppi Walter, routinely terrorised and attacked by the bully Big Den (surname shown as "Mennis"). Soppi turned out to be a [[Psychopathy#Sociopathy|sociopath]] and learned necromancy in order to kill, resurrect, and torture his bully.<ref>''2000 AD'' issue 797: Judgement Day Part 17</ref>
* In April 2018, Beano Studios issued a [[cease and desist]] letter to [[Jacob Rees-Mogg]], a prominent British [[right-wing politics|right-wing]] [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP with upper middle-class mannerisms, asserting that Rees-Mogg was imitating Walter.<ref>https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/04/04/jacob-rees-mogg-told-stop-impersonating-walter-softy-beano-threatens/</ref><ref>https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/beano-accuses-jacob-rees-mogg-of-impersonating-walter-the-softy-1-4718271</ref>
* In April 2018, Beano Studios issued a [[cease and desist]] letter to [[Jacob Rees-Mogg]], a prominent British [[right-wing politics|right-wing]] [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP with upper middle-class mannerisms, asserting that Rees-Mogg was imitating Walter.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/04/04/jacob-rees-mogg-told-stop-impersonating-walter-softy-beano-threatens/|title=Jacob Rees-Mogg told to stop impersonating Walter the Softy as Beano 'threatens legal action'|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=4 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/beano-accuses-jacob-rees-mogg-of-impersonating-walter-the-softy-1-4718271|title=Beano accuses Jacob Rees-Mogg of impersonating Walter the Softy}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist}}

== External links ==


{{D. C. Thomson Comics}}
{{D. C. Thomson Comics}}
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[[Category:Effeminacy]]
[[Category:Effeminacy]]
[[Category:Fictional cross-dressers]]
[[Category:Fictional cross-dressers]]
[[Category:Fictional British people]]

Latest revision as of 16:55, 10 May 2024

Walter Brown
The Beano character
First appearance
  • "577"
  • 8 August 1953
In-universe information
Full nameWalter Brown
AliasWalter the Softy, Softy Walter

Walter Brown (pejoratively nicknamed "Walter the Softy") is a fictional character that appears in the British comic magazine The Beano. He is the rival and antagonist to Dennis the Menace who is vilified because of his lack of interest in stereotypically masculine activities and attitudes. From his first appearance in 1953, Walter became the target of Dennis' pranks and misbehaviour but would brush it off. Sometime in the 1980s, Walter's characterisation changed after reader backlash and made him a snobbish rich boy foil to his enemies.

Character background

[edit]

Walter Brown first appeared in issue 577 of The Beano in Dennis the Menace,[1] two years after the comic strip's debut.[2] He is a seemingly "perfect" child who is adored by his teachers for his hardworking and polite attitude. He enjoys picking flowers, ballet dancing in a tutu, playing with tea sets and Wendy houses, knitting and cross-dressing, with friends that act similar, owning well-behaved pets throughout the years (Fluffy the cat, Foo-Foo the dog, and Clawdius the cat).

Walter has neat black hair and wears round-lensed glasses, a red bow tie in his shirt collar, a blue jumper and black shorts. His surname was not revealed until 1994.[3]

Characterisation

[edit]

Walter's personality and behaviour fluctuated, depending on the writer: he remained a diligent student and uninterested in playing sports, but would be a spoilt mummy's boy in one story, then a whiny coward who was scared of rain in another. Some stories featured Walter being courageous enough to create pranks and traps to irritate or frame Dennis, and other stories showed Dennis and/or Gnasher intimidating him for their entertainment, with Walter too scared and startled to fight back.

When the 1996 Dennis the Menace cartoon adaptation aired on CBBC, Walter became a snob and his friends joined in on the stuck-up attitude towards Dennis' group. The behaviour remained in the comic strips.

Personal life

[edit]

The Beano had a notable generation jump with the Dennis the Menace and Minnie the Minx series after Dennis' parents changed into new designs,[4] and his father was revealed as the original Dennis three years later.[5] Despite this, Walter still lives with his mother and father, and his pets. In his original characterisation, a girl named Priscilla made a one-issue appearance and Dennis refers to her as Walter's sister, but she has not appeared since.[6] The 1996 cartoon revealed he had an uncle who was a barber named Slasher obsessed with Dennis' hair.[7] Walter's parents were always characterised as a wealthy couple who spoil their son, but Walter's post-2012 reincarnation shows his father, Wilbur, as the prideful, smug mayor of Beanotown, who was once Dennis' father's bullying target when they were children (implying that Wilbur was the original Walter who has now toughened up somewhat).[8]

Walter is friends with other schoolboys who are as hardworking and unmanly like him, with similar hobbies. Originally, he had two: Algernon Scott "Scotty" (formerly "Spotty") Perkins and Bertram James "Bertie" Blenkinsop, but the magazine and children's cartoons have also introduced "Sweet" William, Jeremy Snodgrass, "Softy" Matthew and "Nervous" Rex. His girlfriend Matilda was a short-tempered redhead with a lisp who notably appeared in the 1996 cartoon; Walter was devoted to her to the point of implications that she bossed him around.

Relationship with Dennis

[edit]

From Walter's debut, he and Dennis the Menace have been enemies. Walter's nerdiness, as well as his hobbies, led to his nickname "Walter the Softy" (and his friends collectively dubbed "The Softies"), and often offends Dennis and Gnasher by his presence alone. Despite the tension and violence, Dennis has turned to Walter in desperation, such as when Gnasher disappeared for six issues in 1986, finding Gnipper's long-lost sisters when the puppy had been poisoned, helping Rasher win a pig race, and trying to save Dennis's favourite tree. They once find out the two are distant cousins, but it has only been mentioned once.

Controversy

[edit]

For an unspecified time, some former readers have assumed Walter was an unconfirmed-but-implied gay character for The Beano.[9] The magazine's readership historically being young boys looking for masculine role models through characters that were superheroes, military personnel and brave adventurers automatically made male characters like Walter an ideal antagonist for the rebellious, school-hating, football-loving Dennis, but Dennis' violence towards Walter when Walter was not paying attention to him led to concerns that it would encourage children into homophobic bullying.[10] Dennis' aggression towards Walter softened, and Walter's antagonism increased, his post-2012 version wanting to rid Beanotown of all its fun, as well as his heterosexual relationship with Matilda.[11] Beano spokesman Mike Stirling later said in 2013 that Walter's post-2012 version would hopefully be "dramatically satisfying" reason for readers if Dennis turned violent because "[Walter Brown] doesn't want to be a kid, he wants to be a grownup and is always snitching on kids who are having fun."[12]

Parodies

[edit]
  • Walter is parodied in some editions of the adult comic Viz as "Cedric Soft" in the strip about popular character Biffa Bacon. Their relationship is in a similar vein to Walter's with Dennis, with extreme comic violence added.
  • In the Judge Dredd story Judgement Day, the villain's origin was a pastiche of the Beano: Soppi Walter, routinely terrorised and attacked by the bully Big Den (surname shown as "Mennis"). Soppi turned out to be a sociopath and learned necromancy in order to kill, resurrect, and torture his bully.[13]
  • In April 2018, Beano Studios issued a cease and desist letter to Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent British right-wing Conservative MP with upper middle-class mannerisms, asserting that Rees-Mogg was imitating Walter.[14][15]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Moonie, George, ed. (15 August 1953). "Dennis the Menace". The Beano. No. 577. Illustrated by Davey Law. D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.
  2. ^ Moonie, George, ed. (17 March 1951). "Dennis the Menace". The Beano. No. 452. Illustrated by Davey Law. D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.
  3. ^ Kerr, Euan, ed. (1994). "A Beano Christmas Carol". The Beano. D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.
  4. ^ Stirling, Michael, ed. (25 August 2012). "Dennis and Gnasher". The Beano. D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.
  5. ^ Stirling, Michael, ed. (2 May 2015). "Dennis and Gnasher". The Beano. D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.
  6. ^ Cramond, Harold, ed. (10 May 1975). "Dennis the Menace and Gnasher". The Beano. No. 1712. D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.
  7. ^ "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow". Dennis and Gnasher. Series 1. Episode 1. 2 April 1996. The BBC.
  8. ^ "Who is Wilbur Brown? | Wilbur Brown | Profile on Beano.com". www.beano.com. 28 July 2017. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021.
  9. ^ Price, John; Nicholas, Joe (2003). AS Media Studies. Nelson Thornes. p. 115. ISBN 0748768408.
  10. ^ "Dennis the Menace to stop bullying 'gay' Walter". PinkNews. 13 August 2009.
  11. ^ "Congratulations to the Beano! – 4,000 issues and still going". The Oldie.
  12. ^ Jeffries, Stuart (20 July 2013). "The Beano – a happy 75th anniversary". The Guardian.
  13. ^ 2000 AD issue 797: Judgement Day Part 17
  14. ^ "Jacob Rees-Mogg told to stop impersonating Walter the Softy as Beano 'threatens legal action'". The Telegraph. 4 April 2018.
  15. ^ "Beano accuses Jacob Rees-Mogg of impersonating Walter the Softy".
[edit]
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