Roger the Dodger - Definition and Overview

Roger the Dodger is a fictional character in a strip cartoon of the same name which first appeared in the UK comic the Beano in 1953, originally drawn by Ken Reid. The late Robert Nixon, who died in 2002, has also drawn him.

Roger's basic remit is to avoid doing chores such as homework, and this involves him inevitably in complex and ultimately disastrous plans, the undoing of which results in him being punished (usually by his long-suffering father). To perform these tasks he enlists the help of his many dodge books.

His worst enemy is a bully named Cruncher Kerr (whose name could be based on the Beano editor Euan Kerr) who has a dog called Muncher. He has a crafty pet cat called Dodge Cat, who is a rival to Muncher, and he used to have a pet crow called Joe the Crow, who appeared during the 1970s to the early 1980s.