DAVID SUTHERLAND is a prolific and longtime contributor for DC Thomson’s children’s comic The Beano. Among his early features were ‘Danny on a Dolphin’ (1960), ‘The Great Flood of London’ (1960-61), ‘The Cannonball Crackshots’ (1961) and ‘Lester’s Little Circus’ (1962-63). In 1963, Sutherland took over the ‘Bash Street Kids’ in Beano from the departing Leo Baxendale. In 1967 he additionally created the well-liked adventure strip ‘Billy the Cat’ and, following the death of Dudley D. Watkins, Sutherland took over ‘Biffo the Bear’ in 1969.

Then, in 1970, he was chosen as a permanent replacement for David Law on ‘Dennis the Menace’. He also drew the spin-off strip about Dennis’ pets Gnasher (1977-86) and Rasher (1984-95), and also from the combined strip ‘Gnasher and Gnipper’ from 1986. Sutherland retired from Dennis, after 27 years, in 1998. He continued to draw the occasional strip for the comic, as well as drawing most of Dennis’ adventures for the annuals and summer specials. Sutherland remains the main artist for the ‘Bash Street Kids’, and has worked on many more features, including ‘The Germs’ (1988-92), ‘Korky the Cat’ (1999-2000) and ‘Fred’s Bed’ (2008-2012).