Beano celebrates 85th anniversary with special edition

The Beano is the world’s longest-running comic and it marks its 85th anniversary this week with a star-studded special edition.

Fans of the comic will see guest appearances from the likes of Harry Styles and Stormzy.

The special commemorative issue will be on sale on Wednesday and will also feature some royalty with appearances from the King and Queen.

Other notable celebrities include F1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton, former England footballer Jill Scott, singer Adele and broadcaster David Attenborough.

Stormy is among the celebrities that have been made into cartoon form (Image: DC Thomson/Beano/PA Wire)

Beano to release special edition magazine featuring celebrities as cartoons

The celebrity guests were picked after 3,000 children aged seven to 14 were polled to work out which famous faces they would most like to see as cartoons.

Footballer Marcus Rashford was voted the most inspirational celebrity while the children said their top pick for celebrities they would invite to their birthday party would be Ant & Dec.

The TV duo were also picked as the celebrities kids would most like to be best friends with, followed by Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, Manchester City player Phil Foden and Styles.

Beano artist Nigel Parkinson has drawn the celebrities assisting the Beanotown kids in stopping Mayor Brown from carving his own face into Mount Beano for the birthday celebrations.

The King can be seen wondering if he is the monarch in Beanotown and the Queen explains that children rule in the fictional town.

Adele is among the celebrities featuring in the special edition Beano magazine in cartoon form (Image: DC Thomson/Beano/PA Wire)

That’s not all though as the Prince and Princess of Wales will also feature in the comic along with singer Dua Lipa.

Fans of Beano will also find an 8-page pullout titled Beanow in the magazine’s special edition.

Beanow has been created from children’s comments and pictures summing up the highlights of being a child in the present day including dancing, rapping and catapults.

Special subscription prizes will also be made available across the birthday week. More details can be found at The Beano website.

Since its launch in 1938, more than 4,100 issues of The Beano have been printed with more than 70,000 comic strips and 700 characters, including Dennis and Gnasher, the Bash Street Kids and Billy Whizz.

Mike Stirling, head of “mischief” at The Beano, said: “As Beano proudly celebrates its 85th anniversary, it continues to champion the power and joy of childhood by doing what it’s always done, showing kids being kids.

“Here’s to the next 85 years, and we dedicate this birthday issue to every child out there, because being a kid never gets old.”

A total of 2,023 issues will be given out to classrooms across the country through the Beano for Schools programme to make sure as many children as possible get the chance to enjoy the special edition.