"I’m very proud to be Beano’s current Director of Mischief! People sometimes comment on what a ‘great’ job title I have. The next question is almost always, ‘But what does that mean?’

I’m responsible for guaranteeing our characters are as funny and as mischievous as they can be.  

That keeps me feeling young at heart. It also guarantees I get to be one of the first people to enjoy reading Beano every week! 

You get to do something fun and enjoy a genuine laugh with your pals every day – it’s part of the job.

Beano is real life, written and illustrated just a little larger. Probably the best part of all is when you spot a kid reading Beano and laughing along – usually with a grown-up doing the same over their shoulder.

I never take it for granted that I get to do what I do every day". -- Mike Stirling, Director of Mischief, 2024

Tell us about a childhood memory of reading Beano

"I was very lucky to get both Beano and Dandy every week. Even then though Beano was my favourite because more of the characters were kids, about the same age as I was.  

I used the stories of their antics as a sort of manual for mischief, although I was quite a safe kid in comparison to Dennis and Minnie. I did own a catapult though and used to set up tin cans on a bench for target practice!"

Which Beano character is your favourite / do you think you're most like? 

"My favourite character has always been Dennis. When I was kid, my hair looked very similar to his and because I always had Beano and was a member of the fan club friends would make that comparison, which I was very proud of.

Oh, for the same amount of hair nowadays! I loved the movie Superman which was the BIG thing when I was wee, but it seemed impossible to be like him. Dennis was an achievable target, even if I never scaled his heights of mischief!"

What's the naughtiest thing you did as a child (or grown-up)?

"Well, I once set the house on fire – but my dad got the blame for that, as he’d left matches unguarded, and I was only three.

When I was four, I helped a burglar hide behind the curtains in my parents’ bedroom and then escape into the night, as the police searched the house. This was all before I started reading Beano, so it must’ve been a good influence upon me ever since!"

Tell us a joke…

"Oh, I love jokes and even collect joke books. I’ve just been a judge in a competition to select the World’s Funniest Joke…about Crabs!

I’ve ‘pinched’ one from that: Why didn't the crab help the chicken cross the road? Because it was eaten by a pelican crossing! Superb!"