Exclusives

Meet Dennis the Menace Artist

Dennis the Menace, celebrates his birthday in March each year. The much lovable and most syndicated comic panel created by Hank Ketcham in 1951, appears in more than 1,000 newspapers in 48 countries and 19 languages in the 51 years of its existence. Ketcham’s brainchild has been the subject of a hit TV series starring Jay North and the animate adventures produced for General Mills were immensely popular as well. More than 50 million Dennis books have been sold and Dennis the Menace film starring Walter Matthau as Mr. Wilson was a hit all over. The five year old Dennis continues to be a popular character for many worthy causes throughout the world. While still alive, Hank passed on the baton to his associates Ron Ferdinand and Marcus Hamilton but continued to supervise the drawings until his death in June 2001. While Ron draws the Sunday Cartoon, Marcus does the daily panel, both having honed their skills under the hawk-eye of Hank Ketcham.

Click on the image for a exclusive self-caricature
from the Dennis the Menace artist.

This month we feature Ron Ferdinand as he speaks about his art, in an Exclusive chat for ArtYears.

A New Yorker who graduated from the School of Visual Arts, Ron Ferdinand spent a few years printing circuit boards, before taking up a job with Archie Comics. He dreamt of working for Disney and worked his way at sharpening his skills in comic art. It was around this time in 1981, that Hank Ketcham was looking at training youngsters who could successfully master the art of drawing Dennis the Menace. Ron was excited by the offer and was quick to send some of his pencil sketches to Hank. A few weeks later, Hank wrote to Ron that he liked his work. This followed with a few gags that Hank passed on to Ron asking him to illustrate them in the rough. Ron was soon invited to California to assist in the Dennis the Menace Marvel Comic Book. Within a year’s time in 1982, Ron began doing the Dennis Sunday page which he continues to produce up to this day. Currently, Ron lives in Pine Bush, NY with wife Andrea and sons Mark and Jordan.
We contacted Ron in the hope of finding out more about the man who lives and breathes his art and were pleasantly surprised to know that he was more than willing to share his knowledge without any hang-ups.

Following is the conversation we had with a personality that is Ron Ferdinand:

You graduated from the school of Visual Arts. When did you first take to drawing and what initiated you into the art?
I always loved comic books and cartoons. I loved the Hanna Barbera characters designed in the 60's (Flinstones, Top Cat etc.), also Mad Magazine was a big influence, especially Mort Drucker. I always drew on anything I could find and created my own stories, mostly using popular characters like Batman, the Beatles and Beetle Bailey. What kind of comics did you grow up with? Who were your favorite artists?
My favorite comics were The Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis comics in the 60's. Of course, Dennis the Menace comics. Also the TV stuff like Bonanza and Bat Masterson (which I'm recollecting now on ebay). As I said Mort Drucker was a huge influence, also Chuck Jones. Disney stuff like Pinocchio and Sword in the Stone really thrilled me, so the Nine old men of Disney would have to be up there. TV stuff like Hanna Barbera really had me hooked in the 60's, so designer Ed Benedict is one of my heroes.

What sort of work did you start your career with? What kind of a portfolio did you carry before you did Dennis the Menace?
I really wanted to be a Disney animator at visual arts, but my life drawing needed work. I studied anatomy at the Art Students League under Gustav Rehberger for a year after I left SVA. I did some sample stuff for Archie comics which led nowhere, so I freelanced a little bit before starting with Hank in '81.Hank Ketcham supervised the cartoons until his death in June 2001.


I'd say perseverance is a needed quality.
We all have 10,000 bad drawings in us that have to come out
before we can get to the good ones.

How has the greatness of the man who created Dennis the Menace changed you?
Hank Ketcham was a joy to work for. He was truly a genius. He could draw ANYTHING. I just loved to watch him sketch even though it was usually to correct my work. I received a training from him that money couldn't buy. He was truly consumed by his art, which is rare these days.

How can one bring out a character that is both artistic and entertaining?
I'd say perseverance is a needed quality. We all have 10,000 bad drawings in us that have to come out before we can get to the good ones. Hank was untiring in his art. He always sketched wherever he went and tried to get me to do the same. He enjoyed life to the fullest. A great sense of humor is also critical and the ability to laugh at yourself. Also an appreciation for God's creation. The design of everything all around us is truly amazing. An ability to draw the human body is also a must, which it took me a while to appreciate. If you can draw the body, you're 95% there.

Could you describe your work-table? The stationery you use and the softwares you handle.
I'm a bit scatterbrained when it comes to organization. But I keep telling myself that most creative people are. I use 2-ply plate finish Strathmore for paper and Gillott 170's for inking. I'm kind of experimenting with Micron Pigma markers after seeing what Frank Cho can do with them. I use white acrylic paint for touch-up. I use a light table for finished inking over my roughs.

Does one have to be a workaholic to produce a non-stop cartoon character like Dennis the Menace for 50 years? What work pattern do you follow and how do you relax?
My work is my relaxation. The other parts of life (vacationing, socializing etc.) are work for me. I try never to stray too far from the drawing board but with a wife and two boys sometimes that's not possible. I can't wait till I'm too old to do anything but draw.

I try to be as simple and clear as I can with color and not get too confusing or muddy. The black and white drawing should stand on its own without color and color should be the icing on the cake.

You harbored a hope of getting into animation earlier on in your career. Do the antics of Disney excite you to take a plunge into the field still?
I've cooled a bit towards Disney, although I thought The Emperor's New Groove was GREAT! I guess the future, for a while at least, is computers and the Pixar films are awesome. But I'm sure hand drawn animation will make a comeback someday. Richard Williams said 2D animation shouldn't try to imitate 3D but just do what does best – and I agree. Besides the illustration style, the colors you use make the characters come alive.

What tips do you have to offer on the use of color?
I'm still doing color guides and letting American Color handle the computer stuff. Actually I try to be as simple and clear as I can with color and not get too confusing or muddy. The black and white drawing should stand on its own without color and color should be the icing on the cake.

How does it feel to co-ordinate with various people, to bring out the essence of Dennis the way Hank Ketcham visualized it? Does Dennis run out of gags ever?
I work with 4 or 5 excellent writers, so I get to be picky with the material. I can afford to use only the best scripts and that's a luxury. The cast of DTM is so beautifully defined that they virtually write themselves anyway.

What advantages would you have, if you reversed roles with Marcus Hamilton and did the daily cartoon?
I suppose the simplicity of a single panel has its advantages and not having to deal with word balloons. But there's a whole other set of challenges in the daily panel that Marcus handles beautifully.

Will Dennis ever grow up, or will he simply accept the changes around him in the technological world of the future?
Dennis will always celebrate his 6th birthday then go back to being 5 again. He's fooling around with computers and faxes occasionally now, so he's right at home in the 21st century. But, despite the new toys, people will always be people.

The team of Dennis the Menance is a close kit group despite the geographical distance between them. They come together once a year at the National Cartoonists Society convention for an annual reunion. You can find out more about Hank Ketcham Enterprises and Ketcham Studios situated in Monterey, CA. at www.hankketcham.com


In advertising not to be different is virtually suicidal.
— Bill Bernbach