Wee Peem

Wee Peem ("He's a Proper Scream") was a British comic strip, created by James Jewell. It ran in The Beano from 1938 on and ceased publication in 1957.

History

The series was first published in the first issue of the comic book magazine The Beano , dated July 30, 1938, and ran until the 89th issue, dated April 6, 1940. This first incarnation also appeared in the 1940 and 1941 Beano Books.

The central character "Wee Peem" was a young boy who gets up to various forms of mischief in a similar way to later Beano strips such as Dennis the Menace and Minnie the Minx. The name "Peem" is commonly a diminutive form of "James" in North East Scotland.

Publication history

These first Wee Peem strips were later reprinted in D.C. Thomson's magazine-cum-newspaper The People's Journal which were followed by new Wee Peem strips in The People's Journal this time drawn by James Malcolm. The character then reappeared in issue 486, dated 10 November 1951, this time drawn by Charles Grigg, in a new strip entitled Wee Peem's Magic Pills in this new strip the character was redesigned to have a massive head and took pills which gave him magic powers. This new strip lasted until issue 507, dated 5 April 1952, and appeared in the 1953 Beano Book. The character then reappeared for a third and final time in 1956 in a new strip this time simply entitled Wee Peem. In this final Wee Peem strip, drawn by Hugh Morren, the character was redesigned yet again and this final Wee Peem comic strip lasted until 1957.

Dipper the Dodger

A similar character in both appearance and mannerisms appeared in the first Dandy Monster Comic under the name Dipper the Dodger.