Ping the Elastic Man
Ping the Elastic Man (also named Here Comes Ping the Elastic Man) was a British comic strip that appeared in The Beano. It was about a boy who could stretch his limbs as if they were made of elastic and was created by Hugh McNeill.
| Ping the Elastic Man | |
|---|---|
| Comic strip character(s) from The Beano | |
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Other names | Here Comes Ping the Elastic Man Indy (The Rubber Man) |
| Creator(s) | Hugh McNeill |
| First appearance | Issue 1 (30 July 1938) |
| Last appearance | Issue 126 (21 December 1940)[1] |
| Also appeared in | The Beano Annual |
| Current status | Discontinued |
| Main Character | |
| Name | Ping |
| Alias(es) | Indy |
Background
Hugh McNeill responded to R. D. Low's newspaper ad hoping to be hired as a new artist for a developing comic. After sending samples of his work in the Kayebon Press advertising agency, Low saw McNeill's potential and hired him immediately.[2] The story of Ping was developed and McNeill began designing for the series, which was published in the first issue of The Beano.
In the early stages of development, Ping was called Indy and the strip was called, "Indy the Rubber Man". McNeill's work allowed him to create other comic strips, most notably Pansy Potter.[2]
Common strips
Ping varied in situational comedy. He varied from being helpful to being too cocky for his own good. In the first issue, his boasting leads to people in the area playing with his limbs and dragging him out of shape.[3] In another story, he uses his elastic arm to catch his elderly friend's vandaliser trying to break his friend's fence.[2]
Declining appearances
McNeill would depart in the 1940s to join the Second World War. The comic was quietly discontinued after he left,[2] although, like many Beano comic strips, Ping had Blitz-themed strips either encouraging the young readers to help the grown-ups, or mocking Nazis.
Cameos
After an absence of several decades, he met Minnie the Minx in issue 3185, a special 65th Anniversary issue.[4] His head and neck also appeared in the inner cover of the 2019 Beano Annual with 254 other characters.[5]
References
- Riches, Christopher, ed. (2008). "The Beano index". The History of The Beano: The Story So Far. Dundee (DC Thomson); New Lanark (Waverly Book): DC Thomson; Waverly Books. p. 304. ISBN 978-1-902407-73-9.
- Riches, Christopher, ed. (2008). "The Beano artists". The History of The Beano: The Story So Far. DC Thomson. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-902407-73-9.
- Moonie, George, ed. (30 July 1938). "The Beano". No. 1. DC Thomson. Cite magazine requires
|magazine=(help) - Kerr, Euan, ed. (2 August 2003). "The Beano". No. 3185. DC Thomson. Cite magazine requires
|magazine=(help) - Anderson, John, ed. (2018). Annual 2019 Beano. DC Thomson.