Norman Thelwell (1923-2004)
Michael Rhodes
died in a nursing home, 7 February, 2004, after a prolonged illness,
his agent Ann Mansbridge announced. He had also been suffering from
Alzheimer's disease.
The artist's first cartoon for Punch was published in 1952 and led to
a relationship which lasted for 25 years and over 1,500 cartoons,
including 60 front covers. His first pony cartoon was published in
1953 and, by accident, led to a lifetime of association with the image
of a little girl on a fat, hairy pony.
He was born 3 May, 1923 in Birkenhead, Cheshire, his earliest
surviving drawing is a pencil self-portrait done at the age of 10, on
which his teacher has written in red ink: "V. good indeed". He
remembered always wanting to draw as a child and recalls finding
drawing and painting much easier than other subjects.
His love of the countryside was fostered by childhood visits to a
North Wales farm and was strengthened throughout his life. He joined
the Army in 1941 and, through the years of war which followed, both in
Britain and in India, he always travelled with his sketchbooks.
The first cartoon he ever had reproduced was an Indian subject for the
London Opinion. After taking evening classes at Nottingham Art School
in 1944, where he met his wife, he took a degree course at Liverpool
College of Art and in 1950 started teaching design and illustration at
Wolverhampton College of Art. He left teaching to take up illustration
full-time in 1956 and his first book, a collection of his cartoons,
Angels on Horseback, was published in 1957. The first book produced
from cover to cover rather than collected from drawings previously
published was A Leg at Each Corner, published in 1961. This was
serialised in the Sunday Express and led to the development of the
strip cartoon characters Penelope and Kipper.
Thelwell's range as a cartoonist went far beyond ponies - fishing,
gardening, house-hunting, motoring, sailing, dogs, cats, farming,
stately homes, children and country pursuits were all given the
treatment. He was a master of sharp social comment and sheer zany
humour, and the foibles of the British at work or at play were his
favourite themes. He was also a serious landscape artist, painting in
water-colour and oils.
His 32 books have sold over two million copies in the UK and been
translated into languages as diverse as Finnish and Japanese. His
drawings have been used on many different kinds of merchandise
including stationery, jigsaws, table mats, china, glass, door mats,
socks and bed linen. He leaves wife Rhona and two children.
--
Brian Watson
"Michael Rhodes" <migx73all...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4e5e1d66.0402...@posting.google.com...
> Artist and cartoonist Norman Thelwell has died at the age of 80. He
> died in a nursing home, 7 February, 2004, after a prolonged illness,
> his agent Ann Mansbridge announced. He had also been suffering from
> Alzheimer's disease.
>
> The artist's first cartoon for Punch was published in 1952 and led to
> a relationship which lasted for 25 years and over 1,500 cartoons,
> including 60 front covers. His first pony cartoon was published in
> 1953 and, by accident, led to a lifetime of association with the image
> of a little girl on a fat, hairy pony.
A very funny and perceptive artist.
--
Brian
"Let's be grateful for our Fridays and face our Mondays with good humour."