A NEW cartoon character will join comic legends Dennis the Menace and Desperate Dan on the pages of Beano and Dandy if nine-year-old Lewis Rogers has his way.
The youngster from Haydon Wick has beat off competition from hundreds of other children to earn a place in the semi-finals of a contest in Bristol to find the best young cartoonist in the UK.
Run in conjunction with the Beano and Dandy, the winner will see his or her cartoon printed in the two comics and enjoy an all expenses paid trip to their Dundee HQ to see their strip roll off the presses.
Westlea primary school pupil Lewis got into the semi-finals with a comic strip he created featuring Brad Armpit and Major Halitosis.
He said: "Brad Armpit is trying to avoid taking a bath, and calls for help from Major Halitosis.
"He breathes on the bath water with his really bad smelling breath and makes it all go away.
"I would love to be a cartoonist one day and I can't wait to go to Bristol."
When he goes to Bristol to take part in the next round of the competition on August 7, Lewis will visit Bristol Zoo to learn the art of cartooning from two professional artists from the comics.
He will then submit a second cartoon in a bid to become the UK's Best Young Cartoonist 2003.
Lewis's mother Stella said: "Lewis loves drawing, whenever he gets the chance he will pick up a piece of paper and start doodling.
"We're all really looking forward to going to Bristol and I am sure he will have a great time." Chetna Patel of Capri-Sun, which run the contest, said: "We've had an outstanding response to the competition and have been so impressed with all the talent out there. It is all about letting kids show their silly sides and cartoon drawing provides a great forum for them to do this in a creative way."
The overall winner will also pick up a flat-screen computer with printer and drawing programme, a year's supply of Capri-Sun juice, £250 worth of art materials and an original signed caricature of themselves with Dennis the Menace and Desperate Dan.
Lewis will find out if he has won at the end of August.
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