Japhet and Happy
Encyclopedia
Japhet and Happy was a British
newspaper
cartoon strip originally appeared as 'The Adventures of the Noah Family' initially in the Daily News during 1919 and transferred in 1930 to the News Chronicle. It was originated and drawn by J. F. Horrabin, James Francis Horrabin (1884–1962) who was a British journalist, cartoonist and cartographer, and he was elected Labour Member of Parliament for Peterborough from 1929-1931. He wrote Political books as well as the 'Dot and Carrie' strip for the Star that ran from 1922 to 1964. The Noah Family names are based on religious names, but the cartoon strips have no religious theme.
The human Noah Family characters were styled like wooden puppets with human faces but without elbow or knee joints or fingers. The styling changed in the early years from very skinny and stick-like bodies to the more familiar rounded figures as seen by 1924. An early-introduced character was an elderly gentleman, Mr Cheery, who helped Japhet when he was lost in an early story. His adopted son, Tim Tosset featured in the earlier strips but had left by the time Happy was introduced in c1926-27. Happy was a small fat bear that never spoke, unlike other cartoon animals. Later additions included Oswald the tortoise who had a liking for hiding. Jerry was their odd-job handyman who was an ex-sailor & dressed similarly. Adelaide was an Ostrich, Archibald (Archie) was a donkey and Gerald was a goat. Their garden later had a Golobosh Tree brought from a trip visiting the Panjandrum. By the time of a 1950s annual, Cracky the dog & Pukky, a parrot-type bird, were added. Despite the Noah characters names, there was no actual religious theme to the series.
The cartoon strips included a whimsical take on everyday life and misunderstandings through the eyes of Japhet including scenes at school and appearing in a Circus. In later annuals from the mid 1930s visits were made to an imaginary African country 'Andamalumbo' where they met His Highness the Grand Panjandrum of Andamalumbo, Lord of the Golden Umbrella, Eater of the Purple Goloboshes, and wearer of the Top Hat (as quoted from the 1933 Annual). The Panjandrum could speak no English, but an invented phrase he used as Welcome was Wamblety Oola. In later stories The Panjandrum and his friend Bom would visit the Noah's in England. Also see Panjandrum
for a later use of this Samuel Foote
invented word, probably influenced by its popularised pre-War usage in the 'Japhet and Happy' strips.
with the Teddy Tail League, Pip, Squeak and Wilfred
with the WLOG and Bobby Bear
with the Bobby Bear Club, Japhet and Happy also had a club in the mid 1930s, The Arkubs. The club had a badge, with Happy and AK on it. There were secret codes, hand signs and rules for The Grand United Order of Arkubs. To join the Arkubs, if you were under 15, you had to collect 12 'Happy' Badges from the 'News Chronicle' and send off three pence. You could also get a 'Japhet and Happy' breakfast set of a cup, saucer, plate and egg cup by enrolling 6 new members.
Also issued were at least 3 'Holiday Annuals', 'The Noahs on Holiday with Japhet', 'The Japhet Holiday Book' and 'The Japhet and Happy Holiday Book'.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
cartoon strip originally appeared as 'The Adventures of the Noah Family' initially in the Daily News during 1919 and transferred in 1930 to the News Chronicle. It was originated and drawn by J. F. Horrabin, James Francis Horrabin (1884–1962) who was a British journalist, cartoonist and cartographer, and he was elected Labour Member of Parliament for Peterborough from 1929-1931. He wrote Political books as well as the 'Dot and Carrie' strip for the Star that ran from 1922 to 1964. The Noah Family names are based on religious names, but the cartoon strips have no religious theme.
Characters
The main Noah Family characters initially were Japhet, a boy, his brothers Shem & Ham, their parents Mr & Mrs Noah. Selina and Matilda were their cousins who lived with them together with Fido the dog. They all lived in a house on Ararat Avenue in South West London, as mentioned on the 1924 book.The human Noah Family characters were styled like wooden puppets with human faces but without elbow or knee joints or fingers. The styling changed in the early years from very skinny and stick-like bodies to the more familiar rounded figures as seen by 1924. An early-introduced character was an elderly gentleman, Mr Cheery, who helped Japhet when he was lost in an early story. His adopted son, Tim Tosset featured in the earlier strips but had left by the time Happy was introduced in c1926-27. Happy was a small fat bear that never spoke, unlike other cartoon animals. Later additions included Oswald the tortoise who had a liking for hiding. Jerry was their odd-job handyman who was an ex-sailor & dressed similarly. Adelaide was an Ostrich, Archibald (Archie) was a donkey and Gerald was a goat. Their garden later had a Golobosh Tree brought from a trip visiting the Panjandrum. By the time of a 1950s annual, Cracky the dog & Pukky, a parrot-type bird, were added. Despite the Noah characters names, there was no actual religious theme to the series.
The cartoon strips included a whimsical take on everyday life and misunderstandings through the eyes of Japhet including scenes at school and appearing in a Circus. In later annuals from the mid 1930s visits were made to an imaginary African country 'Andamalumbo' where they met His Highness the Grand Panjandrum of Andamalumbo, Lord of the Golden Umbrella, Eater of the Purple Goloboshes, and wearer of the Top Hat (as quoted from the 1933 Annual). The Panjandrum could speak no English, but an invented phrase he used as Welcome was Wamblety Oola. In later stories The Panjandrum and his friend Bom would visit the Noah's in England. Also see Panjandrum
Panjandrum
Panjandrum, known also as The Great Panjandrum, was a massive, rocket-propelled, explosive-laden cart designed by the British military during World War II. It was one of a number of highly experimental projects, including Hajile and the Hedgehog, that were developed by the Admiralty's Directorate...
for a later use of this Samuel Foote
Samuel Foote
Samuel Foote was a British dramatist, actor and theatre manager from Cornwall.-Early life:Born into a well-to-do family, Foote was baptized in Truro, Cornwall on 27 January 1720. His father, John Foote, held several public positions, including mayor of Truro, Member of Parliament representing...
invented word, probably influenced by its popularised pre-War usage in the 'Japhet and Happy' strips.
The Arkubs
As with other annuals, such as Teddy TailTeddy Tail
Teddy Tail was a cartoon mouse featured in The Daily Mail from 5 April 1915 and was the first daily cartoon strip in a British newspaper, The character survived until the 1960s with several artists drawing him for Newspaper strips and the varied Annuals...
with the Teddy Tail League, Pip, Squeak and Wilfred
Pip, Squeak and Wilfred
Pip, Squeak and Wilfred was a long-running British newspaper strip cartoon published in the Daily Mirror from 1919 to 1956, as well as the Sunday Pictorial in the early years. It was conceived by Bertram Lamb, who took the role of Uncle Dick, signing himself in an early book, and was drawn until...
with the WLOG and Bobby Bear
Bobby Bear
Bobby Bear was a Cartoon Character in the Daily Herald newspaper starting in 1919. He was a young male bear character based on the Steiff Teddy Bear that was popular at the time. His friends were Ruby Rabbit and Maisie Mouse. Later Percy Porker the pig became a regular character as well as Freddy...
with the Bobby Bear Club, Japhet and Happy also had a club in the mid 1930s, The Arkubs. The club had a badge, with Happy and AK on it. There were secret codes, hand signs and rules for The Grand United Order of Arkubs. To join the Arkubs, if you were under 15, you had to collect 12 'Happy' Badges from the 'News Chronicle' and send off three pence. You could also get a 'Japhet and Happy' breakfast set of a cup, saucer, plate and egg cup by enrolling 6 new members.
Annuals
The first book published containing their stories was the 1920 Cassell & Co small format hardback Some Adventures of the Noah Family including Japhet. A large format paperback book The Japhet Book from 1924 (date found from an advert at the back) features 120 cartoon strip reprints. Later Hardback annuals followed with non-annual type titles in 1926 About Japhet & The Rest Of The Noah Family; 1927 Japhet & Co. Including Happy; 1928 Japhet & The Arkubs; 1929 Japhet & The Arkubs At Sea; 1930 Japhet & Co. On Arkub Island. 1931 had the Japhet & Happy Book. The yearly dated Japhet and Happy Annual appeared from 1932 to 1939 (though dated for the following year as typical with Annuals). They featured newspaper reprints and added stories. During the war they changed in format. The 1940 annual was undated, but portrait style, like those that preceded it. In 1941 the annual switched to landscape. From 1942 they slimmed considerably, perhaps due to paper shortages. In style they became reprinted cartoon strips with songsheets at the end, having dropped the longer stories. After the war from 1946 to circa 1951 they continued as undated annuals, mostly in the smaller landscape style, but with two in a larger format in similar size to the 1924 one. For book collectors, the hardback annuals 1926 to 1934 were of a smaller size than the later hardback ones. The slim landscape format hardback books are from 1941 onwards.Also issued were at least 3 'Holiday Annuals', 'The Noahs on Holiday with Japhet', 'The Japhet Holiday Book' and 'The Japhet and Happy Holiday Book'.