The Three Bears (comic)

Beano strip


strip_name=PAGENAME
artist=Mike Pearse
start_issue=881
start_date=6 June 1959
finish=The Beano Annual 2008
characters=Ma Bear, Pa Bear, Ted, Hank

The Three Bears was a long-running comic strip in the UK comic "The Beano". It made its first appearance in issue 881, dated 6 June 1959, drawn by Leo Baxendale at first and later by Bob McGrath and Chris McGhie.

Ma and Pa Bear and their young son Teddy (later called Ted) were lazy and gluttonous, and lived in a cave upon a hill. Most storylines revolved around their attempts to steal "grub" from the local storekeeper Hank (who often shoots the Three Bears with his blunderbuss for trying to rob him). Originally disappearing from the comic after issue 2253, dated 21 September 1985, the strip has returned to The Beano several times since then, re-appearing in issues 2391 and 2674 (dated 14 May 1988 and 16 October 1993). The first re-launch was drawn by Bob Dewar, and the second originally by David Parkins, then Robert Nixon later on.

One re-appearance was in 2000, when, after being a 'Guest Star' since the previous year, it was voted into the comic by Beano readers, beating Tricky Dicky, Inspector Horse and Jocky and Gordon Bennett. This time it was drawn by Mike Pearse.

After a vote in 2006, the Three Bears re-appeared as reprints from 1993-94 drawn by David Parkins, who had drawn them from 1993 to 1997. He had also drawn Fred's Bed, Dennis the Menace and Gnasher, and Billy Whizz, all of which have been reprinted in some form. In the 2007 Christmas special, The Three Bears guest-starred where Billy Whizz delivers them a present, then they return to Beanotown at the end of the strip. They then return in the Beano Annual 2008 in which Ted shaves off animals' hair including Pa's. This was drawn by Ken Harrison.

The strip was the subject of two parodies by the adult comic "Viz".

*The first was a surreal parody entitled The Three Chairs, about a family of three chairs who lived in a cave and frequently robbed Frank's Store for food.

*The second was called 'Three Blairs' in which Pa represented the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Ma represented Cherie Blair (Tony Blair's wife), Ted represented Leo Blair (Tony Blair's youngest son), and Hank represented the then British Chancellor Gordon Brown. In this story the Three Blairs plan to rob "Hank's" store so that "Pa" won't faint in the House of Commons due to hunger. To distract "Hank" while "Ma" and "Ted" rob the store "Pa" stages a press conference outside "Hank's" store and states that all the conditions have been met for Britain to start using the Euro. "Hank" promptly states this is untrue and chases after "Pa" while shooting at him. Though this plan works "Ma" and "Ted" have eaten all the food by the time "Pa" has returned home. In the last panel the newspaper reads that the Prime Minister has fainted in the House of Commons.