Ping the Elastic Man
{{Short description|British comic strip}}
{{italic title}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Beano main character
|name={{PAGENAME}}
|stars=Here Comes Ping the Elastic Man
|image=Here_Comes_Ping_the_Elastic_Man.jpg|img_size=180px
|creator=Beano staff
|writer=
|artist=Hugh McNeill
|first_issue=1
|first_date=30 July 1938
|last_issue= 126 |last_date=21 December 1940
|main_character=Ping
|first=1
|last=126
}}
Ping the Elastic Man (also named Here Comes Ping the Elastic Man) was a British comic strip that appeared in The Beano from 1938 to 1940. The comic was about a boy who could stretch his limbs as if they were made of elastic. It was created by Hugh McNeill.
Background
Hugh McNeill responded to R. D. Low's newspaper ad hoping to be hired as a new artist for a developing comic. After samples of his work were sent to the Kayebon Press advertising agency, Low saw McNeill's potential and hired him immediately.{{cite book|title=The History of The Beano: The Story So Far|chapter=The Beano artists|year=2008|page=56|publisher=DC Thomson|editor-first=Christopher|editor-last=Riches|isbn=978-1-902407-73-9}} The story of Ping was developed and McNeill began designing for the series, which was published in the first issue of The Beano.{{cite magazine|title=Ping the Elastic Man|magazine=The Beano Comic|issue=1|date=1938-07-30|editor1-first=George|editor1-last=Moonie|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|others=Illustrated by Hugh McNeill}}
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.
Common strips
Ping 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.{{cite magazine|issue=1|title=The Beano|date=30 July 1938|editor1-first=George|editor1-last=Moonie|publisher=DC Thomson|title-link=The Beano}} In another story, he uses his elastic arm to catch a vandal trying to break his elderly friend's fence.
Declining appearances
McNeill would depart in the 1940s to join the Second World War. The comic was quietly discontinued after he left, 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.{{cite magazine|issue=3185|title=Minnie the Minx|magazine=The Beano|date=2 August 2003|editor1-first=Euan|editor1-last=Kerr|publisher=DC Thomson|title-link=Minnie the Minx}} His head and neck also appeared in the inner cover of the 2019 Beano Annual with 254 other characters.{{cite book|title=Annual 2019 Beano|year=2018|publisher=DC Thomson|editor-first=John|editor-last=Anderson}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{D. C. Thomson Comics}}
{{Beano}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ping The Elastic Man}}
Category:Comics characters introduced in 1938
Category:Fictional characters who can stretch themselves
Category:Fictional characters who can change size