Mary Tourtel
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| Mary Tourtel | |
| Birth name | Mary Caldwell |
| Born | January 28, 1874 Canterbury, England |
| Died | March 15, 1948 (aged 74) Canterbury, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Area(s) | artist, writer |
| Notable works | Rupert Bear |
Mary Tourtel (January 28, 1874, Canterbury - March 15, 1948, Canterbury) was an English artist and creator of Rupert Bear.
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[edit] Biography
Tourtel was born as Mary Caldwell and raised in an artistic family, daughter of a stained glass artist and stone mason. She grew up studying art, in particular animal drawings, and became a children's book illustrator. She eventually married an editor of The Daily Express newspaper, Herbert Tourtel.
Rupert Bear was created in the 1920s as the Express was in competition with The Daily Mail and its comic strip Teddy Tail, and Pip, Squeak and Wilfrid in The Daily Mirror. Rupert Bear was first published as a nameless character in a strip titled Little Lost Bear on November 8, 1920.[1] Published as two cartoons a day and a short story underneath, the strip featured a brown bear until the Express cut inking expenses and made Rupert's colour white.[2]
Tourtel retired in 1935 after her eyesight deteriorated, and the strip was continued by a Punch illustrator, Alfred Bestall.[2] Tourtel died in 1948.
[edit] Bibliography
- A Horse Book Grant Richards, London, 1901.[3]
[edit] Sources
- Footnotes
- ^ BBC News. Rupert the Bear turns 80.
- ^ a b The Independent (November 6, 2006). Rupert Bear gets 21st Century makeover.
- ^ Project Gutenberg eBook
[edit] External links
- Mary Tourtel biography on Lambiek Comiclopedia
- Mary Tourtel at Project Gutenberg
