Walter's vindictiveness and determination to get Dennis into trouble have been highlighted in recent years, making Dennis' behaviour appear less like bullying. In a 2013 interview with "The Guardian", "Beano" editor Mike Stirling said that Walter was Dennis' nemesis because "he strangles the fun out of everything. He doesn't want to be a kid, he wants to be a grownup and is always snitching on kids who are having fun". The paper suggested that Walter had become less weedy not just out of changing attitudes but because it was "hardly... dramatically satisfying" if Dennis could beat him up.