| The Beano Annual | |
|---|---|
 The cover of "The Beano Book 1972" | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | D.C. Thomson & Co |
| Schedule | Annual |
| Format | Children's |
| Genre | Comic strips |
| Publication date | 1940–present |
| No. of issues | 85 (as of 2023) |
| Main character(s) | Dennis the Menace and Gnasher |
| Creative team as of 2015 | |
| Written by | D.C. Thomson |
| Editor(s) | D.C. Thomson |
The Beano Annual is the current name of the book that has been published every year since 1939, to tie in with the children's comic The Beano. As of 2023[update] there have been 85 editions. The annuals are traditionally published in July or August, in time for Christmas, and since 1965 they have had the date of the following year on the cover. Before then no date was given.
From 1943 to 1950 the annual was called "The Magic-Beano Book", which referred to the short-lived Magic Comic that had ceased publication in 1941 due to the Second World War's paper rationing. The name reverted to the original title of "The Beano Book" in 1950 and continued, the year changing for each subsequent annual, until the release of the 2003 book in 2002 when it was renamed "The Beano Annual". The 2011 Beano Annual is taller and wider than previous annuals.
After paper rationing had ended, The Magic Comic was never revived, but some of the characters who had originally appeared in the pre-war Magic Comic remained as regular strips in the post-1950 Beano Comic (such as Koko the Pup).
Because of his popularity, Dennis the Menace has appeared on the front cover of every annual since the release of the 1979 book in 1978.
The latest version came out 2023 and was dated 2024. The book consistently retails at 6.98 from 2024 (released 2023)