On sale last week, DC Thomson says the comic’s storyline celebrates two of the most empowering female trailblazers in modern day Britain, Minnie and Leah.
Leah has been immortalised on the front cover, alongside Minnie the Minx, who was the first female character to be featured on the front cover of Beano. The publisher says Minnie has been inspiring children to be who they want to be, since 1953.
Minnie the Minx has appeared in over 3,000 issues of the Beano and is widely considered as the world’s first female comic heroine.
The special anniversary edition features Leah starring in an impromptu musical, called The Lioness Sings, with the Bash Street School children, where she finds her inner Minnie and plays pranks in assembly.
Leah also encourages readers and her fellow Bash Street Kids to dare, to never worry about failing, and to always try something new.
Leah Williamson, OBE said: “Minnie has shown children for generations, through mischief and laughter, that it’s okay to blaze their own trail through life, and strong role models like her empower young girls, helping them break down barriers. I’m honoured to have got the chance to guest edit this historic issue of the comic, and I hope Minnie will continue to inspire many more generations to come!”
DC Thomson says the anniversary edition kicks off a month of celebrations for Minnie, up until 19th December, marking her first appearance in the comic in 1953.
Mike Stirling, director of Mischief at Beano Studios said: “Leah Williamson is a real-life Minnie, and this formidable duo is at the centre of an anniversary issue like no other. Together, they are the ultimate Min-fluencers, telling their Beano friends, or rather singing, loud and clear, that there’s no greater person to be than yourself. And as Minnie is now 10 years old for the seventieth time, this might just be the secret to staying a kid forever.”
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