"Dennis the Menace" likely means something very different to you depending upon whether you were raised in the United States or in the United Kingdom. In the US, Dennis is an irrepressible young blond boy who's a bit of a scamp; in the UK he is a glowering bully who actively and willingly harms people, often with the help of his dog Gnasher.

These two characters are completely unrelated, but they first appeared in print during the same week in March of 1951 -- March 12 for the US version, March 17 for the UK version. It is an example of a seriously weird coincidence, and one that has since had consequences for how each property is marketed in the respective counter-territory.

Still... given the limitations of 1950s technology and the relative initial size of each market for these comics, how long did it take for news of this coincidence to make it across the Atlantic? Which side discovered it first? And what was the initial reaction?