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Jonah is a comic strip character published in the magazine ''
The Beano ''The Beano'' (formerly ''The Beano Comic'', also known as ''Beano'') is a British anthology comic magazine created by Scottish publishing company DC Thomson. Its first issue was published on 30 July 1938, and it became the world's longest-runn ...
''. He made his first appearance in his eponymous comic strip in 1958, illustrated by Ken Reid. Although his comic strip sporadically appeared throughout the magazine, it has been published in other DC Thomson comic magazines.


Synopsis

Jonah is a skinny, gormless, chinless wonder of a sailor, feared by other
mariner A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the s ...
s because of his clumsiness. He has (accidentally) sank every ship he has sailed on (as well as all other vessels surrounding, at times), and started a war between the nations of Gorgonzolia and Parafinalia and this resulted in the utter destruction of the combined fleets of both countries (a possible reference to the Cold War). Although unconfirmed, he has similarities to the long-established sailor's superstition, which is based on the Biblical prophet
Jonah Jonah or Jonas, ''Yōnā'', "dove"; gr, Ἰωνᾶς ''Iōnâs''; ar, يونس ' or '; Latin: ''Ionas'' son of Amittai, is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran, from Gath-hepher of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th cen ...
, whose ship nearly sank in a storm).


Publication history

Jonah's series first published in issue 817, authored by an uncredited Walter Fearn and illustrated by Ken Reid. Reid's passion for the artwork over-stretched Fearn's scripts by several panels (sometimes more than 30) but are seemingly trimmed down to print on the back cover of ''The Beano''. The strip finished after issue 1090. Jerry Swaffield would later illustrate a one-off ''Jonah'' strip in 1988.


Subsequent appearances


''The Beano''

There have been two spin-offs. In the year ''Jonah'' ended, a new comic strip began entitled ''Jinx,'' also drawn by Ken Reid. This strip was similar to ''Jonah'', but starred Jonah's lisping, equally clumsy sister at school; ''Jinx'' ended in 1964. Another, entitled ''Son of Jonah'', drawn by Jerry Swaffield, appeared in ''The Beano'' from 2606 to 2957. The ''Jinx'' series would feature in '' The Beano Book 1965'', and a reprint appeared in issue 4 of ''The Best of Topper''. Jonah appeared in a background cameo with
Big Eggo ''Big Eggo'' was a British comic strip series about an eponymous ostrich, published in the British comic magazine ''The Beano''. He first appeared in issue 1, dated 30 July 1938, and was the first ever cover star. His first words in the strip w ...
and
Jack Flash Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...
in the comic strip ''Lord Snooty's Day Out'' in issue 3093, revealing formerly popular characters known by previous generations of readers now live in the Beano Retirement Home. The series had a one-off appearance in issue 2331, as part of the ''Reader's Request'' series. In 2014, Jonah had a supporting role in '' The Bash Street Kids'', revealing he is Plug's uncle. Throughout the rest of ''Beano'' media, Jonah's stories have featured in ''Beano'' annuals between 1960 and 1964's editions, and a cameo in 2019's, as well as in ''The Beano Summer Special 1988''.


DC Thomson

Jonah appeared frequently outside of ''The Beano'' franchise in a variety of DC Thomson's magazines. In 1971, reprints of his ''Beano'' strips published in '' Hornet'' from issue 395, and then in the entirety of ''Buddy'' run. New stories also appeared in ''
The Dandy ''The Dandy'' was a British children's comic magazine published by the Dundee based publisher DC Thomson. The first issue was printed in December 1937, making it the world's third-longest running comic, after ''Il Giornalino'' (cover dated 1 Oct ...
'' as part of "The Dandy-Beano Collection", in which a few ''Beano'' characters featured in ''The Dandy'' during 1986 and 1988, followed by new stories in ''The Dandy'' from 1993 where he meets
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Timmy "Thick" Fogg and can shapeshift into a monster humanoid with the help of a water gypsy's magic earring. Jonah was the star of 17 ''Beano Comic Library'' books, notably meeting Puss 'n' Boots from '' The Topper''.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jonah (Comics) Beano strips Fictional sailors Male characters in comics 1958 comics debuts 1963 comics endings 1993 comics debuts Comics characters introduced in 1958 British comics characters Humor comics Nautical comics Dandy strips Comics set in the United Kingdom