Desperate Dan Desperate Dan Desperate Dan is a wild west character in the British comic magazine "The Dandy" and has become their mascot. He made his appearance in the first issue which was dated 4 December 1937. He is apparently the world's strongest man, able to lift a cow with one hand. The pillow of his (reinforced) bed is filled with building rubble and his beard is so tough he shaves with a blowtorch. The character was created by Dudley D. Watkins, originally as an outlaw or ‘desperado’ (hence his name), but evolved into a more sympathetic type, using his strength to
Grand Rapids Hotel manager Glenn Goodart. The Grand Rapids Hotel burned to the ground on July 24, 1929, due to a suspicious blowtorch incident involving Glenn Goodart. According to newspaper articles, Goodart was alone and accidentally burned the hotel by dropping a blowtorch. At the time, there were suspicions whether the fire was intentional, but Goodart was never prosecuted for arson. Goodart had only one leg due to a train accident. Shortly after the hotel burned down, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 occurred and the hotel was never rebuilt due to a lack of money caused by the Great Depression. Goodart became