Rupert Bear
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| Rupert Bear | |
 Logo for Rupert Bear |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Daily Express |
| Publication date | 1920– |
| Main character(s) | Rupert |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Mary Tourtel (1920-35) Alfred Bestall (1935-74) Freddie Chaplain (1965-78) James Henderson (1978-1990) Ian Robinson (1990-2002) Stuart Trotter(2008-) |
| Artist(s) | Mary Tourtel (1920-35) Alfred Bestall (1935-74) Alex Cubie (1975-77) John Harrold (1978-2007) Stuart Trotter(2008-) |
Rupert Bear is a children's comic strip character who features in a series of books based around his adventures. The character was created by the English artist Mary Tourtel and first appeared in the Daily Express on 8 November 1920. Rupert's initial purpose was to grab sales from the rival Daily Mail and Daily Mirror. Since then he has become significant to children's culture in the United Kingdom. In 1935 the mantle of Rupert artist and storyteller was taken over by Alfred Bestall, who was previously an illustrator for Punch and other glossy magazines. Bestall proved to be successful in the field of children's literature and worked on Rupert stories and artwork into his 90s. Since then various other artists and writers have continued the series, which still runs to this day.
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[edit] Characters and story
Most of the characters in the series are anthropomorphic (animals with humanoid forms); for instance, Rupert himself is a humanoid bear and his best friend Bill is a humanoid badger. Rupert's pals include both an elephant (Edward Trunk) and a mouse (Willie) who are both scaled to be about the same size as Rupert and Bill. There are also a few human characters in the stories, such as the Professor (who lives in a castle with his servant), Tiger Lily (a Chinese girl) and less frequently occurring characters such as Sailor Sam, Captain Binnacle and Rollo, the Gypsy boy.
The series often features fantastic and magical adventures in faraway lands. The comic strip was, and still is, published daily in the newspaper, with many of these stories later being printed in books, and every year since 1936 a Rupert annual has also been released. The success of the Rupert series has led to the creation of several television series based on the character. It also has a large fan following, with such groups as The Followers of Rupert.
Ruperts is the other ranks' nickname for junior officers in the British Army, as Rupert Bear is thought to epitomise traditional public school values.[1]
Rupert is a bear who lives with his parents in a house in Nutwood. He usually sets out on a small errand for his mother or to visit a friend and ends up in fantastic adventures. Rupert is drawn wearing a red jumper and bright yellow checked trousers, with matching yellow scarf.
Rupert has many friends, both animal and human. His animal friends are referred to as his "chums" or "pals". Bill Badger, Pong-Ping the Pekingese, Algy Pug (who actually predates Rupert[2]), Edward Trunk the elephant, Podgy Pig, and Ming the dragon are some of the most enduring. One of the most unusual and evocative characters is Raggety, a woodland troll-creature made from twigs, who is often very grumpy and annoying. In the recent TV series, Raggety has been transformed into a friendly elf with broken English.
The kindly Wise Old Goat also lives in Nutwood, and helps Rupert in some of his adventures. Rupert's adventures are often due to his friend, "The Professor", he is always inventing things that open the door for an adventure.
[edit] Style
Unlike most modern comic strips, Rupert Bear has always been produced in the original form of strip with illustrations accompanying text, as opposed to text being incorporated into the art through the use of speech bubbles, etc.
Bestall developed the classic Rupert story format, whereby the story is told in picture form (generally two panels each day in the newspaper and four panels to a page in the annuals), in simple page-headers (e.g. "Rupert goes to School"), in simple two-line-per-image verse and then as running prose at the foot. Rupert Annuals can therefore be "read" on four different levels. He also established the shape and form of the Rupert stories themselves. Each story begins in Nutwood (an idyllic English village), takes Rupert to exotic places such as King Frost's Castle, underground or to the bottom of the seas, then back to Nutwood, where all is safe and well and where Mrs. Bear is not at all surprised.
[edit] History
Rupert's unspectacular debut was in a single panel, the first of 36 episodes of the story "Little Lost Bear" written and drawn by Tourtel.
Bestall improved the stories and plots of Rupert; more importantly, he created beautifully crafted illustrations in the Rupert Annuals. Bestall drew Rupert until his 1973 retirement. Much of the landscape in Rupert is inspired by the Snowdonia landscape of North Wales, the Sussex Weald and East Devon. The successor to Bestall was Alex Cubie. Cubie created Rupert annual artwork between 1974 and 1977. His images are recognizable from the thicker black outlines around the characters and the use of more vibrant colours than Bestall employed. Rupert appears each day in the Daily Express; his new adventures are illustrated by John Harrold. A Rupert Annual is still produced every year, with Harrold's drawings usually coloured by Gina Hart.
Rupert appeared in Paul McCartney's 1984 music video "We All Stand Together"; McCartney also made an animated video starring Rupert called Rupert and the Frog Song.
The Rupert Bear Museum, part of the Museum of Canterbury, Canterbury, Kent, has collections that cover much of the history of Rupert and his Friends, as well as Tourtel and other illustrators. The museum is geared toward families and to those interested in the general history of Rupert.
On October 31, 2005, UK Media Group Entertainment Rights purchased majority interest to the Rupert Bear character from the Daily Express. There are plans for a film, books, Limited Edition Prints and DVDs that will see Rupert joined by new friends in addition to established characters.
[edit] Books
[edit] Rupert Bear Annuals
Every year since 1936, a Rupert Bear annual has been released, even during the years of World War II, when a paper shortage was occurring.
- 01-39 = Bestall
- 40-43 = Alex Cubie
- 44-73 = John Harrold
- 74 = Stuart Trotter
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[edit] Rupert Little Bear Library
All of these books were written and illustrated by Mary Tourtel.
- Rupert and the Magic Toy Man
- Rupert at the Seaside
- Rupert and the Enchanted Princess
- Rupert and Edward at the Circus
- Rupert and Bill and the Pirates
- Rupert and the Magician's Umbrella
- Rupert in the Wood of Mystery
- Rupert and Prince Humpty Dumpty
- Rupert and the Magic Whistle
- Rupert and Dapple
- Rupert and the Greedy Princess
- Rupert and the Wonderful Boots
[edit] Television series
[edit] The Adventures of Rupert Bear (1970-1974)
Rupert first appeared on television in an ITC series produced for the ITV network that ran for over 100 ten-minute episodes. The characters were all puppets, although the opening sequence featured a toy Rupert bear sitting in a live-action child's bedroom. Rupert's friends and flying chariot appeared straight from the Daily Express pages, although he was joined by some new friends including a sprite called Willy Wisp.
One of the most memorable elements of the series was the catchy theme song, sung by Jackie Lee, which reached number 14 in the UK charts in 1971. The song included the erroneous lyric "Rupert the Bear", even though Rupert has never had the definite article in his name.
[edit] Rupert (1991)
In 1991, Rupert Bear got his own animated television series, with 39 episodes produced by Nelvana (Canada), Ellipse (France) and Scottish TV, and with another 27 episodes by Nelvana alone to bring the total to 66.
It was broadcast in syndication on YTV in Canada. In the United States the show first aired on Nickelodeon before moving to CBS [1]; repeats of the series came to qubo's digital service in January 2007. The show was broadcast in the UK on CITV. In Australia, the show was broadcast on the ABC and on TV 2 in New Zealand as part of the Jason Gunn Show. The series has been re-aired in the UK on the satellite and cable channel Tiny Pop.
[edit] Rupert Bear, Follow The Magic... (2006)
In 2006 a new Rupert Bear animated television series was produced. Notable changes to the characters are that Rupert wore trainers and his fur had a slight tan. Pong Ping became a girl and had his name reversed, Raggety became an elf, and one of the fox twins (Ferdie) wass changed into a girl named Freda.
Rupert Bear, Follow The Magic... was broadcast on Five from November 8-December 7, 2006. Thirteen ten-minute original episodes were broadcast and subsequently repeated.
[edit] References
- ^ See "Inside the British Army" by Antony Beevor ISBN 071134658
- ^ George Perry and Alfred Bestall, Rupert, A bear's Life, Pavilion Books: 1985, p. 18
