Hank Ketcham
Encyclopedia
Henry King "Hank" Ketcham (March 14, 1920 – June 1, 2001) was an American cartoonist
who created the Dennis the Menace
comic strip, writing and drawing it from 1951 to 1994, when he retired from drawing the daily page and took up painting full time in his studio at his home. He received the Reuben Award for the strip in 1953. The strip continues today in the hands of other artists.
, Washington. He was the son of Weaver Vinson Ketcham and Virginia King. His great-grandfather was James Weaver, who ran for President
two times on third party tickets in the late 19th century. When he was 6 years old, his father had a guest over for dinner who was an illustrator. After dinner, he showed Hank his "magic pencil" and drew some illustrations. Hank was immediately hooked and soon his father set up a small desk in the closet of his bedroom at which he could draw. After graduating from Queen Anne High School in 1937, Hank attended the University of Washington
but dropped out after his first year and hitchhiked to Los Angeles
hoping to work for Walt Disney.
Hank Ketcham started in the business as an animator for Walter Lantz
and eventually Walt Disney
, where he worked on films such as Fantasia
, Bambi
, and Pinocchio
. During World War II
, Ketcham worked as a photographic specialist with the US Navy Reserve
. Also while in the Navy he drew a cartoon called Half Hitch
. After World War II, he settled in Carmel, California
, and began work as a freelance cartoonist.
In 1951 he started Dennis The Menace, based on his own 4-year-old son Dennis Ketcham. Ketcham was in his studio in October 1950, when his first wife, Alice Mahar, burst into the studio and complained that their 4-year- old, Dennis, had wrecked his bedroom instead of napping. "Your son is a menace," she shouted. Within five months 16 newspapers began carrying the adventures of the impish but innocent "Dennis the Menace." By May 1953, 193 newspapers in the United States and 52 abroad were carrying the strip to 30 million readers.
He made his first journey abroad, for an exchange of cartoons, to the Soviet Union
in 1959. Learning of this trip, the Central Intelligence Agency
enlisted him to draw anything that could be of use to the United States during those cold war
days. If he saw something he would draw it in his sketch book, and if the flight attendant would happen to walk by, he would draw a big nose and eyes to disguise the sketch into a funny face. According to his recollection this resulted in a sketch book full of funny faces and undecipherable sketches.
, Switzerland
, where he lived from 1960 to 1977, while still producing Dennis the Menace. This marriage ended in divorce. In 1977, he moved back to the United States
and settled in Monterey, California
with his third wife the former Rolande Praepost, whom he had married in 1969, and had two children, Scott and Dania. Ketcham and his son Dennis drifted apart, and were estranged for much of Dennis's adult life.
When he retired from drawing the daily page, Ketcham's former assistants, Marcus Hamilton and Ron Ferdinand, took over drawing the strip. At the time of Ketcham's death it was distributed to more than 1,000 newspapers in 48 countries and 19 languages, by King Features Syndicate
.
Ketcham spent his last years in peaceful retirement in his home in Carmel, California
, painting many originals in oil and watercolor. Many of his fine paintings can be seen in a hospital in nearby Monterey, California. In this period he also wrote a memoir The Merchant of Dennis the Menace. Also, Fantagraphics Books
published the complete Dennis by Ketcham from the start of the strip, in thick volumes collecting two years per book.
Ketcham died of prostate cancer
on June 1, 2001. He was survived by his oldest son Dennis, his third wife, Rolande, and their two children Dania and Scott.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
who created the Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace (U.S.)
Dennis the Menace is a daily syndicated newspaper comic strip originally created, written and illustrated by Hank Ketcham. It debuted on March 12, 1951 in 16 newspapers and was originally distributed by Post-Hall Syndicate...
comic strip, writing and drawing it from 1951 to 1994, when he retired from drawing the daily page and took up painting full time in his studio at his home. He received the Reuben Award for the strip in 1953. The strip continues today in the hands of other artists.
Early life
Hank Ketcham was born in SeattleSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington. He was the son of Weaver Vinson Ketcham and Virginia King. His great-grandfather was James Weaver, who ran for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
two times on third party tickets in the late 19th century. When he was 6 years old, his father had a guest over for dinner who was an illustrator. After dinner, he showed Hank his "magic pencil" and drew some illustrations. Hank was immediately hooked and soon his father set up a small desk in the closet of his bedroom at which he could draw. After graduating from Queen Anne High School in 1937, Hank attended the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
but dropped out after his first year and hitchhiked to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
hoping to work for Walt Disney.
Career
Walter Lantz
Walter Benjamin Lantz was an American cartoonist, animator, film producer, and director, best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker.-Early years and start in animation:...
and eventually Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
, where he worked on films such as Fantasia
Fantasia (film)
Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The third feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are...
, Bambi
Bambi
Bambi is a 1942 American animated film directed by David Hand , produced by Walt Disney and based on the book Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Austrian author Felix Salten...
, and Pinocchio
Pinocchio
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Ketcham worked as a photographic specialist with the US Navy Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
. Also while in the Navy he drew a cartoon called Half Hitch
Half Hitch (comic strip)
Half Hitch was a comic strip created originally by Hank Ketcham. It was an example of military humor, but unlike most cartoons and comics, focused on the navy, rather than the army. It first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in 1943 though the character was, at this time, unnamed.During World...
. After World War II, he settled in Carmel, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and began work as a freelance cartoonist.
In 1951 he started Dennis The Menace, based on his own 4-year-old son Dennis Ketcham. Ketcham was in his studio in October 1950, when his first wife, Alice Mahar, burst into the studio and complained that their 4-year- old, Dennis, had wrecked his bedroom instead of napping. "Your son is a menace," she shouted. Within five months 16 newspapers began carrying the adventures of the impish but innocent "Dennis the Menace." By May 1953, 193 newspapers in the United States and 52 abroad were carrying the strip to 30 million readers.
He made his first journey abroad, for an exchange of cartoons, to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1959. Learning of this trip, the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
enlisted him to draw anything that could be of use to the United States during those cold war
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
days. If he saw something he would draw it in his sketch book, and if the flight attendant would happen to walk by, he would draw a big nose and eyes to disguise the sketch into a funny face. According to his recollection this resulted in a sketch book full of funny faces and undecipherable sketches.
Family
Ketcham's first wife Alice Louise Mahar died in 1959 of a drug overdose. Hank and Alice were separated at the time of her death. Ketcham married for a second time to Jo Anne Stevens and moved with her and Dennis to GenevaGeneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he lived from 1960 to 1977, while still producing Dennis the Menace. This marriage ended in divorce. In 1977, he moved back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and settled in Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
with his third wife the former Rolande Praepost, whom he had married in 1969, and had two children, Scott and Dania. Ketcham and his son Dennis drifted apart, and were estranged for much of Dennis's adult life.
Later Life and Retirement
When his Dennis The Menace comic became more than a daily page, Ketcham hired his friends Al Wiseman (a cartoonist) and Fred Toole (a writer) to produce the color Sunday strips and also the many Dennis The Menace comic books that were published. There were always writers who contributed to Dennis the Menace. People from around the country sent captions to him in the mail and he would go through them and find one that he liked and draw a comic to match it.When he retired from drawing the daily page, Ketcham's former assistants, Marcus Hamilton and Ron Ferdinand, took over drawing the strip. At the time of Ketcham's death it was distributed to more than 1,000 newspapers in 48 countries and 19 languages, by King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate, a print syndication company owned by The Hearst Corporation, distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5000 newspapers worldwide...
.
Ketcham spent his last years in peaceful retirement in his home in Carmel, California
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Carmel-by-the-Sea, often called simply Carmel, is a small city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated in 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, the town is known for its natural scenery and rich artistic history...
, painting many originals in oil and watercolor. Many of his fine paintings can be seen in a hospital in nearby Monterey, California. In this period he also wrote a memoir The Merchant of Dennis the Menace. Also, Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint...
published the complete Dennis by Ketcham from the start of the strip, in thick volumes collecting two years per book.
Ketcham died of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
on June 1, 2001. He was survived by his oldest son Dennis, his third wife, Rolande, and their two children Dania and Scott.