Biffo the Bear

In 1947, market research by the Beano staff showed that children didn't relate to the comic's cover star, Big Eggo, because the ostrich wasn't humanoid. So the first issue of 1948 (#326, dated January 10, 1948) had a new masthead with Biffo in place of the Peanut character introducing himself. That cover would be the last one with Eggo as the cover story. Two weeks later (issue 327, dated January 24, 1948), Eggo was in that spot on the masthead, and Biffo took over the front cover. Drawn by Dudley Watkins, who was already drawing Lord Snooty for the Beano, Biffo was originally a fun loving bear who seemed to be a school age child. With a human lifestyle and having two arms and two legs like a human (unlike Eggo, who had hands at the end of his wings!) children could more easily relate to him. It wasn't long before he was aged up, depicted as living alone, with his best friend Buster (a human boy) living next door, and with two nephews occasionally appearing, Cuddly and Dudley, who later got their own story in the revived 1970s version of Magic comic. Biffo would be shown doing various jobs, before it was eventually settled on him being a zookeeper. Biffo would remain on the front cover of The Beano until issue 1677, dated September 7, 1974. Dennis the Menace and Gnasher took over the following week.

In 1969, Dudley Watkins suddenly died at his drawing board with a Biffo strip pencilled but not inked. David Sutherland, the Bash Street Kids artist, took over from this point, inking that one and drawing all future instalments until Jimmy Glen took over. He drew it until 1986, when the character was replaced, along with Little Plum, by Calamity James. However, Biffo returned in issue 2445 (dated May 27, 1989) drawn by Sid Burgon, in a mute strip which no longer featured Buster. This half page strip ran until issue 2954 (dated February 27, 1999). David Sutherland drew a special Biffo story for the Beano's 70th anniversary in 2008.