Roger the Dodger

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Roger Dawson
Character from Robert Nixon (1964–1973, 1986–2002) Tom Lavery (1973–1976) Frank McDiarmid (1976–1986) Barrie Appleby (2003–2011, 2012–2013, 2014 – present) Jamie Smart (2013–2014) Wayne Thompson (2014)
Roger Dawson (first generation)
Family	Bill Dawson (father), Willow Dawson (mother), Dodge Cat (pet), Roger's sister
Friends	Dave, Crafty Colin, and Sneaky Pete
Enemies	Cruncher Kerr
Roger Dawson (second generation)
Family	Alfred Dawson (father)[3]
Friends	Dave
Also appeared in
Beano works	The Beano Annual (1955 – present) The Beano Summer Special (1964 – present) Beano Comic Library (issues 12, 22, 30, 46, 58, 63, 72, 78, 94, 108, 150)
DC Thomson works	Fun Size Comics The Dandy (1987) The Best of The Beezer (issues 1 and 2) Hoot (1986)

Roger the Dodger^[3] is a comic strip character from the comic magazine The Beano. He first appeared in his eponymous comic strip in 1953,^[4] and is one of the longest-running characters, characterised by his tactics for avoiding responsibility and his parents rules, or simply making chores easier, usually with the help of instructional "dodge" books.

Character background

Ken Reid was recommended to DC Thomson by his brother-in-law Bill Holroyd, who illustrated for The Beano. Reid travelled to Dundee and was first tasked to design comic strip panels for a new character: a boy who did anything to evade responsibilities and favours.^[5]

After the design was approved, a three-panel advertisement printed in issue 560, showing Roger failing to sneak out the house before his father noticing, finding out instantly that his father had set up a

Characteristics

Unlike most Beano characters, Roger does not intentionally cause chaos and mayhem, despite his attempts at dodging responsibilities and punishments often creating it. Ken Reid's early stories frequently had Roger get caught by his family members, that do not hesitate with the cruelty of their vengeance. Reid's final panels would show Roger being forced to do his chore (or clean up after his antics create more damage than intended) as a family member (usually his father) supervises with a smirk.

Roger has dark hair with a shaggy tuft at the front. He wears a red-and-black

chequered

jumper over his white, collared shirt. Initially he wore a tie, but this was discontinued in the 21st century, as well as the black shorts he also wore, that were changed to black trousers in the 1970s.

Publication history

He first appeared in issue 561, dated 18 April 1953.

in 1976.

Ten years later, after

and special scroll. Roger is often shown in other Beano characters' stories offering "help", which he took to a new level in Beano issue 2648 from April 1993. This issue marked Roger's 40th birthday, and to celebrate he made appearances in every strip in the comic.

Nixon continued drawing it until his death in October 2002, though due to the strips being drawn months in advance, his strips continued appearing in the Beano until the end of January 2003, when artist

as Roger's artist, until Barrie Appleby returned to draw the strip temporarily, before Wayne Thompson surprisingly returned. In 2017, writing duties for the strip were taken over by Danny Pearson.

Roger is currently the second-longest-running character in the Beano, behind only

.

Other characters in the strip

• Willow and Bill Dawson . In one strip in the Beano Book from 1957, his dad's is referred to as Bill. He has occasionally been shown to have been a dodger in his youth and on occasion asks Roger for dodging help. His parents were renamed in later years to Les and Ada.[3]
• His rival is a bully named Cruncher Kerr (believed to be named after
  Euan Kerr
  , though his earliest appearances predate Kerr's appointment as Beano Editor in 1994).
• Roger has had two different pets, firstly a Crow called Joe the Crow, and secondly a Cat called Dodge Cat.
• Roger also had two friends, called Crafty Colin and Sneaky Pete. These two mainly appeared in the 1990s, though Pete did reappear in the 2006 Beano Annual. However, in the late 2000s Roger gained a new friend called Dave.

Timeline

18 April 1953: Roger The Dodger made his debut in issue 561, drawn by

.
1959: becomes the artist.
1960: Roger's first series ends.
April 1961: Roger returns to the Beano, drawn by Bob McGrath.
1962: Reid becomes Roger's artist again.
1964: takes over.
1973: Tom Lavery takes over.
1976: Frank McDiarmid takes over.
1986: Nixon returns to draw Roger again, he moves to two pages and Roger The Dodger's Dodge Clinic is introduced.
1992: Roger The Dodger's Dodge Clinic ends.
April 1993: Roger's 40th anniversary is celebrated.
January 2003: Barrie Appleby takes over after Nixon's death.
2011: Appleby stops drawing Roger to focus on , and Roger's Dodge Diary is introduced alongside Nixon reprints.
2012: Appleby resumes drawing Roger after Nigel Parkinson takes over Dennis and Gnasher.
July 2013: Jamie Smart takes over as artist.
April 2014: Wayne Thompson takes over as artist.
July 2014: Barrie Appleby returns as artist.
April 2023: Roger's 70th anniversary is celebrated.

In other media

TV

Roger appears on the cover of 1994's Beano Videostars but not on the video itself. He also made a non-speaking appearance in an advert for The Beano along with Dennis and Gnasher, Minnie the Minx, Billy Whizz, Teacher from The Bash Street Kids and Biffo the Bear. As such, Roger the Dodger is yet to have been given a voice actor.

Theme park

• Roger appeared in the Beanoland section at Chessington World of Adventures with his own ride Roger the Dodger's Dodgems.

Video games

• Roger appeared in the PC racing game Beanotown Racing as a playable character. His vehicle was a checkered bumper car.
• Roger also featured as a character in The Beano Interactive DVD which consisted of mini-games and a few short animations.

See also

• The Beano

References