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Access-friendly day Saturday 14 September - suitable for ALL particularly those who prefer a more relaxed experience

1001 Stories Collection

Desperate Dan

1001 Desperate Dan
Added on 05th August 2020

Creator Dudley D. Watkins
First published 1937
Publisher DC Thomson

Action and adventure
1001

Desperate Dan, strong man, appeared in The Dandy for over 70 years.

Story

Desperate Dan is the world’s strongest man. He is so strong he can lift a cow up with one hand.

He gets his super human strength from his favourite meal - cow pie, a massive pie with horns sticking out of the crust. Desperate Dan is an outlaw in the wild west but he uses his strength to help those in need, though he often gets in to scrapes along the way!

Why we chose it

Desperate Dan is one of the classic British comic story characters. He appeared in the Dandy for over 70 years.

Where it came from

The character was originally created by Dudley D Watkins as an outlaw or a ‘desperado’ but developed into a Robin Hood type of character, using his strength to help those in need.

Where it went next

Desperate Dan featured in The Dandy for 76 years from 1937 to his final appearance in 2013.

There is a statue of Desperate Dan in Dundee where The Dandy publishers are based.

Associated stories

Other characters that featured alongside Dan (and appeared in their own spin-offs) were Desperate Dawg, Aunt Aggie, Danny and Katey.

Added on 05th August 2020

Creator Dudley D. Watkins
First published 1937
Publisher DC Thomson

Action and adventure
1001