8 November: Rupert Bear

Rupert Bear is 100! On this date in 1920 the first Rupert Bear cartoon appeared in the Daily Express. 10 things you might not know about him:

1. Rupert’s creator was an artist named Mary Tourtel, who drew the cartoons until 1935, when Alfred Bestall took over. He worked on it until he was over 90.
2. Rupert’s purpose, initially, was to sell newspapers; more specifically, to entice readers to the Daily Express from the Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail. A Rupert Bear cartoon still appears in the Daily Express daily.
3. He was originally going to be a Brown Bear, but ended up being White to save on printing costs. He wears a Red sweater and Yellow checked Trousers with a matching scarf.
4. The first Rupert adventure in the Daily Express was called Little Lost Bear and ran for 36 episodes.
5. Rupert lives in the fictional village of Nutwood with his parents. Most of his friends are anthropomorphic animals, all the same size as Rupert regardless of their species. They include his best friend Bill Badger, Edward Trunk the Elephant, Willie, a mouse, Pong-Ping the Pekingese, Algy Pug, Podgy Pig, Bingo the Brainy Pup, Freddie and Ferdy Fox, identical twins Reggie and Rex Rabbit, and Ming the Dragon. Other characters include the Wise Old Goat, Raggety, a grumpy woodland troll made from twigs, the Professor, the Conjuror and his daughter, Tiger Lily, Sailor Sam, Gaffer Jarge, Captain Binnacle, Rollo, the Gypsy boy and Police Officer, PC Growler, who is a Dog.
6. The Girl Guides, Beryl, Pauline and Janet, were based on real people. They were actual Girl Guides at Alfred Bestal’s church, who once asked him if they could star in an adventure with Rupert. They remain part of the comic series today, more than 70 years later.
7. Unlike most comic books, the story appears in text below the cartoons rather than speech bubbles being used. In addition there are headings and a two line verse for each picture. This format was developed by Alfred Bestall.
8. It seems likely Paul McCartney is a fan, since not only did he produce an award winning music video featuring Rupert in 1984 – Rupert and the Frog Song, featuring the track We All Stand Together – but Sailor Sam gets a mention in the lyrics of Wings’ Band on the Run.
9. The first Rupert Bear Annual was produced in 1936 and to date there have been 84 of them. There was even one every year during World War II when there was a Paper shortage.
10. Rupert appears in a number of animated TV programmes and also a couple of video games. Plans in 2000 to make a Hollywood film about him, however, never happened.

Killing Me Softly

Sebastian Garrett is an assassin. It wasn’t his first choice of vocation, but nonetheless, he’s good at it, and can be relied upon to get the job done. He’s on top of his game.

Until he is contracted to kill Princess Helena of Galorvia. She is not just any princess. Sebastian doesn’t bargain on his intended victim being a super-heroine who gives as good as she gets. Only his own genetic variant power saves him from becoming the victim, instead of Helena. 

Fate has another surprise in store. Sebastian was not expecting to fall in love with her.

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-book