Dan made his appearance in the first issue of The Dandy in 1937. Which means he’s a true icon for many generations of British children. His main characteristic is his strength, he’s able to lift a cow with one hand.

The character was created by Dudley D Watkins, originally as an outlaw or ‘desperado’ (hence his name), but in time he turned into a goodie.
In his earliest comic strips, Dan was depicted as an ill-mannered, rude, and rough criminal. However, his criminal career didn't last very long. By 1938, the comic’s creators decided to soften him up. He quickly switched sides to become a friendly, jovial, and helpful strongman who defended the underdog—though his immense, uncontrollable strength still frequently caused accidental chaos.

This is selected, like many of my panels and images, from the 1960s and 1970s, and should make a great gift to anybody who is into retro, vintage, old school design. I tend to choose material from this era because it was the time I was growing up and my tastes and preferences were being formed. But also it’s a pre-digital age, and the drawings are all made by hand rather than computer aided. Obviously, as I’m a screenprinter, I’m biased in favour of the handmade, so this style is right up my street. I hope it is yours.

The Beano and The Dandy are Britain's iconic sister comic, both published by DC Thomson.  

The Dandy was launched on December 4, 1937 (making it The Beano’s older sibling). 

The print weekly edition ended on December 4, 2012 (its 75th anniversary). It continues today through yearly specials, gift books, and annuals.The Beano was launched on July 30, 1938  which makes it the world's longest-running weekly comic magazine. Its famous characters include Dennis & Gnasher, Minnie the Minx, The Bash Street Kids, and Bananaman. It is still published weekly.Incidentally, the word beano is apparently short for "bean-feast" and means a feast, a celebration and a good time.