Bonzo the dog
Bonzo the Dog is a fictional cartoon character first created in 1911 by George Studdy. He quickly became one of the most popular dogs around. He was a widely known celebrity in the 1920s. He starred in one of the world’s first cartoons, became an inspiration for mass-marketed merchandise, and became a favorite among children and adults.
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[edit] George Studdy
George Ernest Studdy was born June 23, 1878 in his family home in Davenport. His parents were Ernest and Constance Studdy and he was the second of three children. George pursued his education at Dulwich College in London while living with his aunt. He later left England in the summer of 1896. He worked as an engineer and then in a stockbroking firm to make ends meet. He had always dreamed of going back to school, so with £100 given to him from his aunt, he attended night classes at Heatherley’s Art School in London to study drawing as well as studying animal anatomy at Calderon’s Animal School. After art school, he shared a studio with several friends from art school while working to complete a portfolio. He was able to sell a few of his sketches to local newspapers and magazines. A few newspapers later commissioned Studdy to draw action scenes to go along with articles on the Boer War. In 1900, as Studdy’s sketches started to gain popularity, Comic Cuts, Boys Own and Pick-Me-Up began to publish Studdy’s sketches regularly. It was also about this time that he started his long relationship with Valentine’s Postcards of Dundee. One of the first set they published was a series of six sketches called “The Evolution of the Motor Car”[1] In 1912, Studdy married his wife, a beautiful French woman named Blanche Landrin. That same year, he also signed a contract with The Sketch to produce a weekly full-page drawing. When war broke out, he was commissioned by Gaumont to produce a series of short films called “Studdy’s War Studies.” Studdy later introduced Bonzo into his sketches. Bonzo’s massive popularity allowed Studdy and his wife to live a very confortable life until he died in 1948.[2] Creation Bonzo the Dog came about in the 1920s around the same time as other similar cartoons like Felix the Cat.[3] He had a lovable vibe and look. He was a white, chubby dog with a droopy face and saggy skin. He had big blue eyes and expressive ears which communicated his feeling to the audience through either film or sketch. He had one black ear and one white, some small black spots on his body, and a short, stubby tail. Bonzo the Dog was originally created in 1911 in sketches by British cartoonist George Studdy. Bonzo quickly became a popular icon not only in the United Kingdom, but was one of the first cartoon characters to be loved around the globe.[4] Famous Works Bonzo originally appeared in several of Studdy’s sketches in 1922 in magazines like The Sketch, Pearson’s, American Weekly, Bemrose Prints, The Bystander, Fantasio, Holly Leaves, The Tatler, and TitBits. Some of Studdy’s most famous Bonzo sketches include: “Bonzo discovers the Bonzosaurous egg,” “Bonzo recognizes a lost brother,” “Bonzo finds a trace of his ancestral courage in an old tapestry,” “Bonzo finds his Father – and wonders where the cash went.” There were all drafted in 1924 as part of the sketch series “Bonzo in search of his forefathers.” [5] Bonzo’s film career launched in 1924 at the Marble Arch Pavillion with the premier of Bonzo’s first cartoon, “Sausage Snatching Sensation.” This would be the first of Bonzo’s 26 cartoons.[6]
[edit] Merchandise
Like most celebrities, Bonzo had a huge following and was the ultimate source of inspiration for a major merchandise campaign. In the 1920s, several bookstores, department stores, and toy stores were mass producing Bonzo merchandise. Merchandise was mass produced and manufactured not only in Bonzo’s home country of England, but in countries such as: America, Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.[7] Some of the major merchandising campaigns involving Bonzo include: Dean's Annuals and other books, Valentine & Son's postcards (approximately 500), the Artisco Series of Plaster Figures, Badges and Pins, Celluloid figures, Chad Valley and Steiff Soft Toys, Cowan’s Toffee Tins, Grafton China, Royal Worcester and Royal Doulton Figures, German and Japanese produced ceramics and most recently The Richard Dennis China Collection.[8]
[edit] Social Impact
Bonzo not only reflected the events of his day, sometimes he was used to create events. Bonzo's stage debut was in 1923 in Jack Buchanan's production of "Battling Butler" at London's Adelphi Theatre, followed by "From Dover Street to Dixie" at The London Pavillion. George Atterbury played the part of Bonzo in a velvet dog costume in both productions. He also appeared alongside Lupino Lane in Pantomime. A well-known dog breeder, Major J.E. Power, even sought Studdy’s help and advice in attempting to producing a new breed of terrier inspired by Bonzo to be named the Bonzo Terrier. His attempts were a failure.[9]
The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band takes its name from the eponymous terrier.
[edit] Notes
- Fitzpatrick, Richard. "Who Is Bonzo." Bonzo and George Studdy. 1998. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. Web.
- Bryant, Mark. "Dr. Who? The First Cartoon Character." PeriodicaList A to Z :: Montana State University Libraries. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
- “Gromit Saves the Day; Arts.” Times. [London, England] 9 Apr. 2005: 16. Academic OneFile. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
