[Andrew999]

This year marks the centenary of the little bear that encapsulates Middle England's childhood - much more so than the radical and innocently subversive Paddington.

Appearing in the Daily Express when it was a newspaper (and not the hysterical click-bait driven rag of rapidly diminishing sales it has become today - making the Weekly World News seem thoughtful and intelligent), Rupert was created by Mary Tourtel in 1920 before being taken over in 1935 by Alfred Bestell for the next four decades.

It raises the question - who would be your top three bear characters. I think I would have to go for:

1) Yogi
2) Winnie (pre-Disney)
3) Three Bears (Beano)

[paw broon]

Without a doubt and for me an absolute no brainer - Rupert.  I've read and loved Rupert since I was  wee boy.  Bestall  really was streets ahead of the other artists.
I was never a Biffo fan but the Three Bears were fun.  Yogi and Boo Boo also.

[Robb_K]

As for comic book bears, the most famous are probably:
1. Hanna-Barbera's Yogi Bear
2. Disney's Bre'r Bear - from "Song of The South", and "The Li'l Bad Wolf" comic book story series first drawn by Paul Murry, later, by Gil Turner, and also in Disney's "Uncle Remus" newspaper strip by Murry and Dick Moores
3. Walter Lantz's Andy Panda
4. MGM's Barney Bear - especially drawn and written by Carl Barks and teamed with Benny Burro
5. Danish Bamse Bear - popular also in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Germany
6. British Rupert - Bruintje Beer in Holland
7. Marten Toonder's Herr Bommel - from "Tom Poes"
8. Disney's Winnie The Pooh - (Milne's original version of Winnie didn't get long popular runs in comic books)
9. Disney's "Bongo and Lumpjaw" Bear - in Dell's "Four Color Comics" series
10. Ken Hultgren's Izzy & Dizzy Bear, who used Aladdin's lamp to go on adventures in their Ha Ha Comics stories
11. Jack Bradbury's Bagshaw Bear - in Nedor's Barnyard, Coo Coo, Goofy, and  Happy Comics
12. Smokey The Bear - from Dell's "Four Color Comics"
13. Disney's Humphrey Bear - in "Silly Symphonies" Dell Giant series, and also in most Disney Dell Giants
14. Baloo Bear - from "The Jungle Book" - in "Mowgli" and "Jungle Book Comics", and in "Tailspin Comics"
15. Neddy Bear - from "Frisky Fables", "Frisky Animals", and "Mighty Bear Comics", drawn by Al Fago
16. Ernie Hart's Beanie Bear - from Quality's "Egbert Comics", and "Marmaduke Mouse Comics"
17. Ace's Tuffy Bear - from "Monkeyshines" and "Fun Time Comics"
18. Nedor's (and Frank Frazetta's) - Bruno Bear - from Barnyard, Coo Coo, Goofy, and  Happy Comics
19. Ellis "Holly" Chambers' Bertie Bruin - from Farrell/Four Star Comics' "Hi-Ho Comics"
20. Roscoe Bear - from Fox Features' "Cosmo Cat", "Jo-Jo Comics", "Zoot Comics", and "Ribtickler Comics"
21. Quality's "Buster Bear" series
22. Fawcett's Fuzzy Bear - in Benny Beaver & Fuzzy Bear stories, and Fuzzy Bear stories in "Fawcett's Funny Animals"

[crashryan]

Though my wife and I are fond of bears, I've never developed a strong attachment to any outside our "family." I never heard of Rupert until I was well past middle age so while I have a great appreciation for him, it's not the same feeling as if I'd grown up with him.

When they were young the kids introduced us to Paddington (books, not movie). He became an immediate favorite when he said with a hard stare, "Bears are good at eating ice cream." That line was a family catchphrase for years. We also suffered through plenty of the Berenstain Bears books. The kids liked them but I found them preachy (even when I agreed with the sermon) and the Bears themselves didn't look much like bears.

On Robb's list I'm lost after number 7. Except for Smokey the Bear. I'd rate him higher in terms of "famous." He's still a solid part of the American culture. To this day most American kids would recognize him.

A sentimental favorite of mine is Edward Bear,

"Who gets what exercise he can
By falling off the Ottoman,
And yet he always seems to lack
The energy to clamber back."

[Robb_K]

Though my wife and I are fond of bears, I've never developed a strong attachment to any outside our "family." I never heard of Rupert until I was well past middle age so while I have a great appreciation for him, it's not the same feeling as if I'd grown up with him.

When they were young the kids introduced us to Paddington (books, not movie). He became an immediate favorite when he said with a hard stare, "Bears are good at eating ice cream." That line was a family catchphrase for years. We also suffered through plenty of the Berenstain Bears books. The kids liked them but I found them preachy (even when I agreed with the sermon) and the Bears themselves didn't look much like bears.

On Robb's list I'm lost after number 7. Except for Smokey the Bear. I'd rate him higher in terms of "famous." He's still a solid part of the American culture. To this day most American kids would recognize him.

A sentimental favorite of mine is Edward Bear,

"Who gets what exercise he can
By falling off the Ottoman,
And yet he always seems to lack
The energy to clamber back."

I meant "comic book bears, famous for their existence in comic books.  Not all that many people remember that Smokey The Bear had a series run in Dell's "Four Color Comics".

[The Australian Panther]

I will go with
Winnie the Pooh -from the book
Yogi Bear [from Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (May 12, 1925

[Robb_K]

I've got 2 Bre'r Rabbit stories currently in different states of production, that have B'rer Bear as a secondary character. 

Two of my friends in Sweden currently draw Bamse.  A 3rd Swedish friend of mine writes Bamse stories for those Scandinavian comics publications (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland).

Two of my Dutch work partners are currently working on Tom Poes, drawing Herr Bommel. 

[Andrew999]

Sooty wasn't real? There goes my childhood!

[SuperScrounge]

Not all that many people remember that Smokey The Bear had a series run in Dell's "Four Color Comics".

There was also a later Gold Key series based on a Smokey Bear cartoon. https://www.comics.org/series/18083/

And it's officially Smokey Bear, not Smokey the Bear. This has been a public service announcement. 

I had trouble thinking of many bears oddly enough.

I watched Gentle Ben as a kid and even have a Big Little Book based on it... and remember very little about the actual episodes or story.

I remembered the true life story of Wojtek https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojtek_(bear)

Finally I remembered Doc of The Whiteboard http://www.the-whiteboard.com/index.html

[crashryan]

I'd never heard of Wojtek. What a great story! And he lived out his days in Paw Broon's neighborhood. Did you ever visit him, Paw?

[Andrew999]

Thanks SS - I'd never heard of Wojtek - that was a brilliant story.

Also, I've added The Whiteboard to my list of things to read each day - which now takes about twenty-five hours to get through :>

[paw broon]

Oops, sorry.  I was so upset finding that Sooty wasn't real that I missed the bit about Wojtek. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-34748795
That's one statue we won't need to tear down.

[The Australian Panther]

Thanks Paw, I needed that right now. I almost teared up!
We did see Sooty in Australia. But I have only vague memories of him
I do remember Shari Lewis and her glove puppets. I remember Shari Lewis, not the puppets. Funny what a pretty face will do to the memory.
And here's Blinky Bill.
https://www.qbd.com.au/blinky-bill/dorothy-wall/9780732284350/
That's him sneaking home up the back of the tree to avoid Mum's wrath. Note the slingshot. Dorothy Wall's illustrations were wonderful.
The Movie and TV shows were travesties.
Cheers!
Grin and Bear it!               

[Robb_K]

Thanks Paw, I needed that right now. I almost teared up!
We did see Sooty in Australia. But I have only vague memories of him
I do remember Shari Lewis and her glove puppets. I remember Shari Lewis, not the puppets. Funny what a pretty face will do to the memory.
And here's Blinky Bill.
https://www.qbd.com.au/blinky-bill/dorothy-wall/9780732284350/
That's him sneaking home up the back of the tree to avoid Mum's wrath. Note the slingshot. Dorothy Wall's illustrations were wonderful.
The Movie and TV shows were travesties.
Cheers!
Grin and Bear it!

Should Koalas be considered on this thread?  They are marsupials, not considered real bears.  IF we have them, then we have to add Australian and US Toby Kokey Koala, and Andy Panda, as I didn't realise that Pandas are true bears.

[The Australian Panther]

Oh I forgot, in Australia a famous children's bear is Blinky Bill - but then he is a koala and a Koala is strictly speaking not a bear. It's a marsupial.

It's traditional to call them 'Koala Bears' - probably when they were first introduced to Europeans, that's how they were categorised.  That's why I mentioned Blinky. But I wanted to introduce the original Blinky books by Dorothy Wall to those not aware of them. They deserve to be introduced to a wider audience. And they were pre-WW2, Robb, so within your time frame!

Cheers!   

[Andrew999]

New Rupert Bear stamps issued today

Get your British friends to drop you a card if you want one:

https://shop.royalmail.com/special-stamp-issues/rupert-bear

[Andrew999]

Happy 145th birthday to Mary Tourtel, creator of Rupert the Bear:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Tourtel

Fifty million copies must put her up there amongst some of the world's most-read authors