Cartoonist who created The Beano’s Bash Street Kids and Minnie the Minx dies aged 86

Cartoonist Leo Baxendale (pictured), has died at the age of 86 after a battle with cancer. The artist from Preston, Lancashire, created the Beano’s Bash Street Kids and Minnie the Minx.

His family said Mr Baxendale passed away after a long fight with cancer.

Fellow Beano artist Kev Sutherland broke the news on Facebook, writing: ‘Sad news that Leo Baxendale has died. Aged a rather admirable 86, I’d forgotten quite how long ago he started in comics.

 He said: ‘Creating Minnie and the Bash St Kids over 60 years ago, then Wham comic and all its characters ten years later, then Sweeney Toddler & Willy The Kid in the 70s, which is where I first came across him, he’s done more than most to leave their mark on our business.

He added: ‘To think that just yesterday I was dissing him here on Facebook for being more influential than actually readable, it is truly a shame that the industry he was in at the time didn’t lend itself to long stories collected up in volumes.

‘But stumbled across randomly, his strips are always a delight, and his designs live on in the house style of The Beano.’

MORE: Leo Baxendale, Beano’s Bash Street Kids creator, dies | Daily Mail Online