The Beano/Les Pretend

Lesley Presley Pretend is a fictional character in a comic strip (Les Pretend) in the UK comic The Beano. Originally drawn by John Sherwood, he first appeared in issue 2493, dated 28 April 1990. In each issue, Les pretends to be something and dresses up like it, beginning with a martian in his debut appearance. His dad is called Des (and is thus one of the few Beano parents to be given a name rather than 'mum' or 'dad'), an Elvis Presley fan and impersonator, hence Les' middle name of Presley.

Sherwood continued to draw the strip until his death in late 2003. The strip then disappeared from The Beano for a short while, as it was originally planned to retire the character. Eventually, though, it returned to the comic drawn by Trevor Metcalfe, the current artist.

It is thought the name "Les Pretend" is a play on the commonly used children's phrase, "Let's pretend", often said when they want to play a game which involves dressing up.