The next big YouTube star could be a beloved face from the ’50s: Dennis the Menace.
At least, that’s what could happen if publisher Beano succeeds with its ambitious rebranding exercise.
The publisher is launching a ‘digital entertainment hub’ that will offer content for seven to 10-year-olds, but it will also be pushing fresh content through YouTube and PopJam.
Besides video stories, ‘light touch’ news and games, that content will involve a new CG series, Dennis and Gnasher – Unleashed! This will take the form of 52 11-minute parts – perfect for the YouTube/ADD generation.
“We are taking an incredibly well-known brand and expanding it for the 21st century,” said chief executive of Beano Studios Emma Scott (via The Guardian).
“We are taking the Beano spirit, we aren’t simply trying to transfer the comic online. And we will marry it with the best of the web, commissions from independent producers, YouTube, user-generated content – whatever fits with the Beano ethos.”
Another Beano Studios figure described the new digital destination as “like a fun but trusted babysitter who lets the kids stay up a bit late”.
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The Beano magazine itself is also set for a makeover under Beano Studios, which will apparently be “true to its classic comic-strip roots with a refreshed approach and more wide-ranging characters.”
Naughty school boy Dennis and his god Gnasher first showed up in kids comic The Beano back in 1951, and has since become the longest-running strip in the comic.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
