Bear with me...
That’s it. I promise that on Monday the first of the blog posts relating to my trip will be up. By mid-afternoon today my first major batch of holiday pics should be up in my Facebook photo gallery. In case my computer skills fail me and the gallery isn't accessible to all (not just my Facebook friends), you'll be pleased to know that a highlight package of pics will be appearing here anyway.
Moving on...
Since my trip to the UK I have had Paddington Bear on the brain - I've even scrounged around in the cupboard for my "Big Book of Paddington" annual, and sent my mother on a mission to get the books out of her primary school library. Ah, childhood nostalgia.
Anyway, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the marmalade-loving bear's creation and it really got me thinking about just how many famous bears there are in 20th Century pop culture, particularly in the realms of written fiction and animated television. It turns about that there's already a comprehensive Wikipedia list of fictional bears, but what follows is the list that popped up in my mind without Wiki prompting (For the record I completely forgot about Baloo and the TaleSpin gang, Golden Compass's Iorek, as well as the very annoying Yogi Bear).
Of course, you really have to ask why do bears, in reality quite dangerous, feature so prominently as heroes in children's entertainment? Forgetting their fluffy, cuddly look, Paddington author Michael Bond makes a very good point - "Bears, I reasoned, often stand on their two back legs, so they are already halfway to being human." If you think about it, it's actually quite easy to humanise bears and give them a definite personality.
Paddington:
Incredibly polite, principled, and loveable, it's easy to forget that Paddington is actually originally an illegal immigrant from Peru. Paddington was adopted by the Brown family who found him on a train platform at Paddington station, with a "Please look after this bear" sign around his neck. Always in trouble, always making a mess, Paddington has an especial love of marmalade sandwiches, cocoa and the Portobello Market.
Apart from the series of books, Paddington has appeared in 3 different animated TV series. And apparently a CGI-live action film is also in the works.
Winnie the Pooh:
"Oh bother!" Although originally a fictional creation by author A. A. Milne (with the stories illustrated by E. H. Shepard), it was really Disney who shot Winnie the Pooh to new heights of popularity thanks to a series of feature films, straight-to-video releases and animated TV series. Merchandise featuring the character apparently nets the Mouse House an estimated $1 billion a year.
It's arguable that the character of Winnie the Pooh has lost some of his fan following to other residents of Hundred Acre Wood - especially the fun-loving Tigger and mournful Eeyore - but this absent-minded lazyass has a heart of gold, and, if you can tear him away from his jar of "Hunny", he'll do anything for his friends.
Rupert the Bear:
Poor Rupert has always been lacking in the "coolness" stakes. Perhaps it's because he wears a checkered yellow scarf with a red pullover? Regardless, Rupert has been around since 1920 when he began life in a newspaper comic. Annuals and TV series followed, but Rupert doesn't seemed to have achieved much popularity outside of the UK.
Although I remember reading one or two Rupert annuals, my memories of the character are hazy. He seems to be a good-natured Tintin type, always having wholesome adventures with his friends.
Gummi Bears:
Ah, probably the finest animated series of the 1980s. Disney's Gummi Bears was actually originally inspired by the range of gummi bear candies.
Mixing wholesome family values with medieval fantasy, Gummi Bears focused on the last few members of a great Gummi civilisation, driven quite literally underground. With the help of 2 young human allies, these bears attempt to keep their advanced technology and strength-enhancing magic potion out of the hands of Duke Igthorn and his ogre minions. Hey Disney, we're still waiting for the Volume 2 DVD set!
Care Bears:
The Gummi Bears may share their origins with candy, but the Care Bears actually stem from a range of greeting cards. Relaunched several times over the past 25 years across all media, the Care Bears have never been able to shake their saccharine image - the bears spread love and joy by shooting a concentrated beam of happiness out of their belly symbols.
Personally I remember being quite disturbed by the Care Bears Movie, where the world is corrupted by an evil talking tome of magic and an unloved illusionist's apprentice. Pretty dark stuff.
Teddy Ruxpin:
I vaguely remember the animated adventure series, and I owned a Teddy Ruxpin Colouring-in/Activity book, but I had no idea that the actual origin of the character was an animatronic toy with a built-in tape deck... so the entire point of the wholesome TV show was to sell toys! Talk about shattering my illusions;).
Sooty:
Another British bear institution, Sooty is a mischievous hand puppet who has been around since the 1950s. Famous for waving his magic wand, performing tricks and playing the xylophone, Sooty has done it all - TV shows, theatre productions and storybooks (I remember these). In fact, according to the Guinness Book of Records, Sooty is the longest-running children's programme in the UK. Go figure...
SuperTed:
Appearing on UK television for the first time in 1982, SuperTed tells the story of a discarded toy bear who is sprinkled with cosmic dust and gains superpowers. Whenever he or his friends (including the strange, yellow Spotty) are in trouble, SuperTed need only whisper his secret word, unzip his fur(!) and suddenly he's transformed into a Captain Marvel-esque hero with great strength and the ability to fly. Apparently the series was never especially strong when it came to logic or coherence.
Berenstain Bears:
Finally, a return to literary bears that haven't been spawned to sell sweets, toys or greeting cards. The Berenstain Bears were introduced to the world in the 1960s by Stan and Jan Berenstain as a way to discuss issues relevant to both parents and children (especially those just learning to read) in a fun, educational way.
An immediate hit, the family foursome of the Berenstain Bears have since featured in several TV specials, 2 cartoon series and even video games. And unlike many of the bears mentioned, these guys haven't dated. According to my mother her First Graders still get a kick out of the Berenstain Bears.
Moving on...
Since my trip to the UK I have had Paddington Bear on the brain - I've even scrounged around in the cupboard for my "Big Book of Paddington" annual, and sent my mother on a mission to get the books out of her primary school library. Ah, childhood nostalgia.
Anyway, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the marmalade-loving bear's creation and it really got me thinking about just how many famous bears there are in 20th Century pop culture, particularly in the realms of written fiction and animated television. It turns about that there's already a comprehensive Wikipedia list of fictional bears, but what follows is the list that popped up in my mind without Wiki prompting (For the record I completely forgot about Baloo and the TaleSpin gang, Golden Compass's Iorek, as well as the very annoying Yogi Bear).
Of course, you really have to ask why do bears, in reality quite dangerous, feature so prominently as heroes in children's entertainment? Forgetting their fluffy, cuddly look, Paddington author Michael Bond makes a very good point - "Bears, I reasoned, often stand on their two back legs, so they are already halfway to being human." If you think about it, it's actually quite easy to humanise bears and give them a definite personality.
Paddington:
Incredibly polite, principled, and loveable, it's easy to forget that Paddington is actually originally an illegal immigrant from Peru. Paddington was adopted by the Brown family who found him on a train platform at Paddington station, with a "Please look after this bear" sign around his neck. Always in trouble, always making a mess, Paddington has an especial love of marmalade sandwiches, cocoa and the Portobello Market.
Apart from the series of books, Paddington has appeared in 3 different animated TV series. And apparently a CGI-live action film is also in the works.
Winnie the Pooh:
"Oh bother!" Although originally a fictional creation by author A. A. Milne (with the stories illustrated by E. H. Shepard), it was really Disney who shot Winnie the Pooh to new heights of popularity thanks to a series of feature films, straight-to-video releases and animated TV series. Merchandise featuring the character apparently nets the Mouse House an estimated $1 billion a year.
It's arguable that the character of Winnie the Pooh has lost some of his fan following to other residents of Hundred Acre Wood - especially the fun-loving Tigger and mournful Eeyore - but this absent-minded lazyass has a heart of gold, and, if you can tear him away from his jar of "Hunny", he'll do anything for his friends.
Rupert the Bear:
Poor Rupert has always been lacking in the "coolness" stakes. Perhaps it's because he wears a checkered yellow scarf with a red pullover? Regardless, Rupert has been around since 1920 when he began life in a newspaper comic. Annuals and TV series followed, but Rupert doesn't seemed to have achieved much popularity outside of the UK.
Although I remember reading one or two Rupert annuals, my memories of the character are hazy. He seems to be a good-natured Tintin type, always having wholesome adventures with his friends.
Gummi Bears:
Ah, probably the finest animated series of the 1980s. Disney's Gummi Bears was actually originally inspired by the range of gummi bear candies.
Mixing wholesome family values with medieval fantasy, Gummi Bears focused on the last few members of a great Gummi civilisation, driven quite literally underground. With the help of 2 young human allies, these bears attempt to keep their advanced technology and strength-enhancing magic potion out of the hands of Duke Igthorn and his ogre minions. Hey Disney, we're still waiting for the Volume 2 DVD set!
Care Bears:
The Gummi Bears may share their origins with candy, but the Care Bears actually stem from a range of greeting cards. Relaunched several times over the past 25 years across all media, the Care Bears have never been able to shake their saccharine image - the bears spread love and joy by shooting a concentrated beam of happiness out of their belly symbols.
Personally I remember being quite disturbed by the Care Bears Movie, where the world is corrupted by an evil talking tome of magic and an unloved illusionist's apprentice. Pretty dark stuff.
Teddy Ruxpin:
I vaguely remember the animated adventure series, and I owned a Teddy Ruxpin Colouring-in/Activity book, but I had no idea that the actual origin of the character was an animatronic toy with a built-in tape deck... so the entire point of the wholesome TV show was to sell toys! Talk about shattering my illusions;).
Sooty:
Another British bear institution, Sooty is a mischievous hand puppet who has been around since the 1950s. Famous for waving his magic wand, performing tricks and playing the xylophone, Sooty has done it all - TV shows, theatre productions and storybooks (I remember these). In fact, according to the Guinness Book of Records, Sooty is the longest-running children's programme in the UK. Go figure...
SuperTed:
Appearing on UK television for the first time in 1982, SuperTed tells the story of a discarded toy bear who is sprinkled with cosmic dust and gains superpowers. Whenever he or his friends (including the strange, yellow Spotty) are in trouble, SuperTed need only whisper his secret word, unzip his fur(!) and suddenly he's transformed into a Captain Marvel-esque hero with great strength and the ability to fly. Apparently the series was never especially strong when it came to logic or coherence.
Berenstain Bears:
Finally, a return to literary bears that haven't been spawned to sell sweets, toys or greeting cards. The Berenstain Bears were introduced to the world in the 1960s by Stan and Jan Berenstain as a way to discuss issues relevant to both parents and children (especially those just learning to read) in a fun, educational way.
An immediate hit, the family foursome of the Berenstain Bears have since featured in several TV specials, 2 cartoon series and even video games. And unlike many of the bears mentioned, these guys haven't dated. According to my mother her First Graders still get a kick out of the Berenstain Bears.
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