Desperate Dan

Desperate Dan is a British comics character created by Dudley D. Watkins. He first appeared in the debut issue of The Dandy on December 4, 1937, and became the magazine's mascot.

Dan is an impossibly strong cowboy living in the town of Cactusville with his Aunt Aggie, nephew Danny, and niece Katey. Originally conceived as an outlaw (a "desperado"), he evolved into a well-meaning strongman who uses his abilities to help others, though his sheer power causes constant collateral damage. He shaves with a blowtorch because no razor can cut his stubble.

His signature meal is cow pie, a massive pie with horns still protruding through the crust, which is the source of his superhuman strength. Dan replaced Korky the Cat as The Dandy's front-page star in 1984 and held the position for the remainder of the magazine's run. He appeared in The Dandy for 76 years, from 1937 until the magazine ceased publication in 2013. A statue of the character stands in Dundee, Scotland, home of The Dandy's publisher DC Thomson.