The crime fighting mouse, famed for foiling the plans of Baron Silas Greenback and having his headquarters in a postbox, is turning 40.
To celebrate the secretive spy's birthday, a new ‘bookazine’ has been created featuring classic cartoons and a new Danger Mouse adventure: Danger Mouse 'The Wilderness Years'.
A move away from the traditional enemy of Baron Silas Greenack, Danger Mouse finds himself involved in the private sector, putting his spy skills to work in some of the most pivotal political events of the time.
The show was famously created at the Chorlton-based Cosgrove Hall animation studios and ran from 28 September 1981 to 19 March 1992 on ITV.
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While the animation studio became Cosgrove Hall court retirement flats, a plaque was placed there to commemorate Danger Mouse’s home.
The show ran for more than 10 years and, in 1983 raked in 21 million viewers, beating Coronation Street and setting a record for the highest viewings of a children’s show.
It was believed that Danger Mouse was based on Ian Fleming’s James Bond, however creator of Danger Mouse Brian Cosgrove told the Guardian that the character was actually based on the 1960s show Danger Man.
He said: “We based Danger Mouse on a 1960s TV series, Danger Man with Patrick McGoohan, not James Bond as people always thought.
“We reckoned a secret service mouse foiling the plans of an evil toad – Baron Silas Greenback – was suitably ridiculous.”
In 2015, Danger Mouse was resurrected with the title character played by Alexander Armstrong, opening the postbox to a whole new generation of fans.
Meanwhile, back in September, a resident of Chorlton called for a Danger Mouse statue to be erected on the corners of Barlow Moor Road and Wilbraham Road, creating a centrepiece of the village.
The call was met with a positive response from other residents, but sadly the statue has not been commissioned.
As well as a new adventure for Danger Mouse and Penfold, the bookazine features an exclusive interview with creator Brian Cosgrove and puzzles.
One puzzle to look out for could win you a collection of Danger Mouse memorabilia.
Baron Greenback has been up to his evil plans again and has stashed clues throughout the book for readers to find.
The clues, in the shape of golden bombs, link together to reveal a code word, if correctly guessed, you could be in with a chance of winning.
The bookazine is available to buy now in WH Smith and Waitrose and online by clicking here.
