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Every Beano Annual EVER! Part 1 – 1940-1949. What’s YOUR birthday Beano Annual?

To celebrate Beano’s amazing 80th birthday, we dug out every Beano Annual from our archive. In Part 1, you can see the first ever Beano Annual cover AND the first time Biffo the Bear became a cover star…

1940

Before Star Wars, Harry Potter and even Jurassic Park, there was Beano!The first Beano comic was published in July 1938, and it was such a hit that it was quickly followed by the Beano Annual for 1940. 

The first ever Beano Annual, The Beano Book from 1940

1941

The first Beano cover star was an ostrich called Big Eggo. Big Eggo had to look after his precious egg, which was always in danger of being stolen by crafty crocodiles, wily lions or hopeless humans!Pansy Potter, the Strongman’s Daughter and Lord Snooty were other early Beano superstars.

Beano Annual 1941

1942

The1942 World Cup was cancelled, due to World War Two, but Beano carried on regardless, every issue poking fun at Hitler and his allies.Paper shortages meant some comics had to stop printing, but Beano was so popular that the government let it carry on to keep people’s spirits up.  

Beano Annual 1942

1943

Other comics weren’t so lucky, and one of those was Magic, Beano’s sister comic. The stars of Magic didn’t disappear straight away. They popped up in the Beano Annual for 1943, which was renamed  The Magic-Beano Book. Two for the price of one!

Beano Annual 1943

1944

By the end of the war, Beano was only ten pages long, and came out every fortnight instead of every week.

Beano Annual 1944

1945

The war ended in 1945, but shortages continued. Magic would never be relaunched as a weekly comic, but the name lived on in the annuals for a few years.

Beano Annual 1945

1946

If you know someone born in 1946, then this is their birthday Beano Annual…

Beano Annual 1946

1947

The characters on the cover of the Beano Annual for 1947 won’t be too familiar to today’s Beano fans. Most of their heroes would come along later…

Beano Annual 1947

1948

Here’s the Beano Annual for 1948…

Beano Annual 1948

1949

In the Beano Annual for 1949, a new star made his first appearance on the cover – his name was Biffo the Bear, and he would stay on the cover of Beano for the next 26 years! 

Beano Annual 1949

If you want to see more Beano Annuals from the last 80 years, you’re in luck! Check out the rest of the series…

Part 1 – click here to see 1940 – 1949

Part 2 – click here to see 1950 – 1959

Part 3 – click here to see 1960 – 1969

Part 4 – click here to see 1970 – 1979

Part 5 – click here to see 1980 – 1989