Rupert Bear is an anthropomorphic (an animal with a humanoid face) who is synonomous for his bright yellow checked trousers and scarf, his red jumper and pristine white boots.
He lives in the village of Nutwood with his mother and father and it is whilst running errands for his mother that he often finds himself starting out on magical adventures along with his friends Bill Badger, Algie Pug, Tigerlilly and Edward Trunk to name but a few.
Rupert Bear
was created by author and artist Mary Tourtel (1874 - 1948) in 1920.
Mary was the wife of the editor of the British daily newspaper the Daily
Express and it was in this newspaper that Rupert was first shown.
Rupert Bear started life as a daily comic strip in the
newspaper in order to compete with the Daily Mail's Teddy Tail (Published in
1919) and the Daily Mirror's Pip Squeak and Wilfred, Britain's first ever comic
strip, which was published in 1915.
Since then Rupert Bear has remained a firm favourite
with his young British readers and has become one of the forerunners of British
children's illustrated literature and British childhood culture which can still
be found in the Daily Express to this day.
Although Rupert Bear is not the first comic strip hero
to appear in a British tabloid he is most certainly the one who has stood the
test of time, having been seen in the Daily Express every day for over ninety
years and appearing in his own Rupert Annuals since 1936.
Several reasons have been attributed to his success,
from his mild mannered personality to his magical story lines, from his very
Britishness to the beautifully drawn illustrations, from the ease of which his
stories are read, coming as they do in four different types - cartoon, headline,
verse and storyline - making it possible for any child to follow his stories
what ever level their reading skills may be, to the clever way the stories are
written, which make his stories completely unbiased and classless.
RUPERT AUTHORS
When Mary Tourtel retired in 1936 both the Rupert
storylines and the illustrations were taken over by Welsh artist Alfred
Bestall, who started his career illustrating books for another world renowned
children's author, Enid Blyton, when she wrote for Punch magazine.
It is Bestall's beautiful illustrations that have been
merited Rupert's success and it is he, whom for over forty years, has become more recognised as the Rupert author
more so than that of his creator.
Since Bestall's retirement in 1974 there have been
several Rupert authors and illustrators, they have been -
Mary Tourtel 1920 - 1935.
Alfred Bestall
1935 - 1965.
Freddie Chaplin 1965 - 1978.
James Henderson 1978 - 1990.
Ian Robinson 1990 - 2002.
Stuart Trotter 2002 - present.
RUPERT ARTISTS
Ruprt Bear has had six official artists since his
creation in 1936, they are:
Mary Tourtel 1920 - 1936.
Alfred Bestall
1936 - 1974.
Alex Cube 1975 - 1977.
John Harrold 1978 - 2007.
Stuart Trotter 2008 - present.
RUPERT MEDIA
Rupert has also been portrayed in three other book
series, one short film, two video games and four TV series, they were -
.
The 'Adventures of Rupert Bear', 'Little Bear Lost', which were published by Thomas Nelson and Sons, in 1921.
Forty six books depicting Mary Tourtel's original
newspaper, comic strip stories which were published by Sampson Law between 1928 -
1936.
Eighteen of these original forty six stories were
published by the retail chain Woolworth's.
Twelve story books published by Purnell and Sons Ltd
in 1968 collectively known as the Rupert Little Bear Library.
A short video film written by musician Paul McCartney entitled 'Rupert and the Frog
Song', which was published in 1985.
A video game, ‘Rupert and the Toymakers Party’ which
was published by Quicksilva for Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum in 1985.
A video game, ‘Rupert and the Ice Castle’ which was
published by Quicksilva for Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum in 1986.
The ‘Adventures of Rupert Bear’, which were published
as one hundred, ten minute episodes, screened by ITV Television between 1970 -
1974.
Thirty six, five minute, still cartoon animations
which were narrated in rhyme by Ray Brookes and screened by BBC Television
between 1985 - 1988.
A sixty five episode children's series which was
filmed for Canadian TV company Nelvana in 1991.
Thirteen, ten minute episodes called Follow the Magic,
screened by Channel Five Television in 2006.
RUPERT FACTS
Rupert's official title is Rupert Bear and not Rupert
the Bear.
When Mary Tourtel first created Rupert she dressed him
in grey checked trousers and a blue jumper.
In the early years both Rupert's story lines and illustrations
were done by his creator Mary Tourtel.
The first Rupert Bear story line was called ‘Little
Bear Lost’ and was published on the 8th of November 1920 in the Daily Express
newspaper.
The first Rupert Annual was called ‘The New Adventures
of Rupert’ and was published in 1936. Since then there have been a total of
eighty (2016) published to date.
Rupert Bear is always portrayed as having a brown face
on the cover of the Rupert Annuals but has a white face inside.
The Rupert annuals are published by Egmont Books of
London.
The Rupert Bear comic strips are synonomous for being
the only comic strip NOT to have their text written in bubbles.
All things Rupert are known as Rupertabilia.
from 1936 until 1956 Rupert annuals all had individual
titles and were not known as the ‘Rupert Annual’ until 1957.
Rupert has a museum dedicated to him situated in The
Museum of Canterbury on Stour Street in
Canterbury, Kent. Canterbury was the home town of his creator Mary
Tourtel.
Rupert Bear Annuals were the only books to be
published throughout the war years from 1939 - 1945, despite there being a
paper shortage during those years. It was thought that to have scrapped Rupert
during that period would have been detrimental to the British morale.
Most Rupert publications such as books and annuals are
highly sought after by collectors with prices which can be as much as a five
figure sum for an old first edition.
The two most prized Rupert annuals are the very first
Rupert Annual from 1936 and a rare 1973 annual with Rupert featured on the
front cover with a white face and white boots instead of the usual brown.
Other annuals show Rupert with a light brown face and
brown boots and the white faced, white booted Rupert was a publishing error on
the part of the annual's publishers of that year. That resulted in Alfred
Bestall never writing or illustrating another Rupert story.
RUPERT ON-LINE
Rupert has his own website called the ‘Followers of
Rupert Bear’. The website address is
For a full listology of the Rupert annuals check out
John Beck's ‘Rupert Index’ on his website
www.rupertannuals.com
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