The Merchant of Dennis

    (Fantagraphics, 2005)
™ and © 2005 Hank Ketcham Enterprises

From the Publisher:

Hank Ketcham, the self-styled “Merchant of Dennis,” passed away in 2001 at the age of 81, but not before writing this rollicking, globe-trotting memoir, where he tells his colorful story, starting when he was “five-ana-half” and first picked up the “magic pencil.”

A child of the Great Depression from Seattle, Ketcham abandoned college for Hollywood to pursue his dream of drawing for Walt Disney films. Initially rebuffed at Disney, he persisted in huffing and puffing at the Mouse factory door until finally he was let inside to labor happily on Pinocchio, Bambi, Fantasia, and a host of Donald Duck shorts. After serving a stint in the Navy during WWII, Ketcham developed into a successful freelance cartoonist, appearing in The New Yorker, The Saturday Evening Post, and Collier’s.

Then one fateful day, his harried wife screamed at him that his son Dennis was a menace! That, of course, sparked an idea that became a syndicated comics panel in the fall of 1950.

The Merchant of Dennis not only traces the humorous adventures of Hank Ketchum, it also offers an insight into the life and times of the half-pint “Menace.” In one unique section, Ketcham takes us behind the scenes and provides complete backgrounds for all the major characters. We’re also treated to official model sheets, in-depth analysis of each character’s personality, and a special section at the end of the book devoted to the sketches he drew on his many trips abroad.
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September, 2005
Cover Price: $19.95
3 copies available from $4.00 		Dennis KetchamDennis Ketcham