Roger Bradfield
Encyclopedia
"Jolly" Roger Bradfield is a children's book author, illustrator, cartoonist, painter, and world traveller.
cereal boxes of the early 1960s. These included children's cereals, such as Kix
, Trix
, Wheaties
and Jets, among other work. He also worked on Mr Bubble and some projects for the Pillsbury Company. In 1964, he did the spot illustrations for the Bisquick Cookbook for the Bisquick
baking product.
Bradfield illustrated some of the earliest Sesame Street
storybooks, including The Together Book, the first Sesame Street book in the popular Little Golden Books
line. He also illustrated Bert's Hall of Great Inventions, Big Bird's Birthday Party, and Sherlock Hemlock and the Great Twiddlebug Mystery.
In addition to the little boy, Dooley, recurring characters were the Professor, a know-it-all wind-up toy figure, Norman, a sophisticated and reflective wind-up knight, Thelma, an unhappy and bullying rag doll, and Max, an introverted mouse.
, Norway
, Portugal
, France
, Italy
, Mexico
, England
, and Spain
. On one trip to Mexico, Bradfield's plane had a minor accident resulting in some damage to the plane's wing tanks. So, he enlisted the help of some of the local children getting them to patch the damage up with large wads of bubble gum. The scheme did not work, as the gasoline melted the bubble gum, but the plane managed to reach its destination safely anyway.
that came free with the purchases of some of their toy vehicles in the early 1970s:
Art
Roger Bradfield won several art contests as a child and had early encouragement from his high school art teacher to pursue a career in the arts. His preferred medium is watercolor although he has also proven himself to be proficient in pencil, pen and ink, and acrylic.Food products
Bradfield worked on the General MillsGeneral Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
cereal boxes of the early 1960s. These included children's cereals, such as Kix
Kix (cereal)
Kix is a cereal introduced in 1937 by the General Mills cereal company of Golden Valley, Minnesota.Kix is an extruded expanded puffed grain product made with whole grain corn. The grain is processed and expanded...
, Trix
Trix (cereal)
Trix is a brand of breakfast cereal made by General Mills for the North American and by Nestlé for the European, South American and Asian markets. The cereal consists of fruit-flavored, sweetened, ground-corn pieces. They started out as round cereal pieces, but in 1992, they were changed to puffed...
, Wheaties
Wheaties
Wheaties is a brand of General Mills breakfast cereal. It is well known for featuring prominent athletes on the exterior of the package, and has become a major cultural icon...
and Jets, among other work. He also worked on Mr Bubble and some projects for the Pillsbury Company. In 1964, he did the spot illustrations for the Bisquick Cookbook for the Bisquick
Bisquick
Bisquick is a pre-mixed baking product sold by General Mills under their Betty Crocker brand, consisting of flour, shortening, salt, and baking powder ....
baking product.
Children's books
"Jolly" Roger Bradfield is perhaps best known for his work as a children's book author and illustrator. He began his writing career when he was teaching himself how to type. Bored with the tutorials of his text book, Bradfield chose to practice his typing by writing something fun. Thus, his first book There's an Elephant in the Bathtub was created. Bradfield went on to write and illustrate several other titles including Pickle-Chiffon Pie, Benjamin Dilley's Thirsty Camel, Giants Come in Different Sizes, The Flying Hockey Stick, and Benjamin Dilley's Lavender Lion. The "Jolly" Roger books are known mostly for their colorful illustrations and wildly imaginative stories.Bradfield illustrated some of the earliest Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
storybooks, including The Together Book, the first Sesame Street book in the popular Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books is a popular series of children's books. The first 12 titles were published on October 1, 1942:#Three Little Kittens#Bedtime Stories#Mother Goose#Prayers for Children#The Little Red Hen#Nursery Songs...
line. He also illustrated Bert's Hall of Great Inventions, Big Bird's Birthday Party, and Sherlock Hemlock and the Great Twiddlebug Mystery.
Comics
From 1972 to 1978 Bradfield worked as a newspaper syndicate cartoonist creating the daily and Sunday comic strip Dooley's World. The strip featured stories centering around a boy and his collection of living toys. These comics featured many unique visual gags and puns. The strip was distributed by King Features Syndicate.In addition to the little boy, Dooley, recurring characters were the Professor, a know-it-all wind-up toy figure, Norman, a sophisticated and reflective wind-up knight, Thelma, an unhappy and bullying rag doll, and Max, an introverted mouse.
Paintings
Bradfield creates vibrant and colorful paintings. These paintings mostly depict subjects that he finds on his world travels and playful and fun images that he conjures up with his imagination. His preferred medium is watercolor, but he will also dabble in acrylic, ink, and pencil.World travel
Bradfield is an extensive world traveller and has visited and sketched in such places as GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. On one trip to Mexico, Bradfield's plane had a minor accident resulting in some damage to the plane's wing tanks. So, he enlisted the help of some of the local children getting them to patch the damage up with large wads of bubble gum. The scheme did not work, as the gasoline melted the bubble gum, but the plane managed to reach its destination safely anyway.
Family
Bradfield was raised by his mother and grandmother. Currently, he is a married man and he and his wife Joan have raised five children.Book featuring Dooley's World
- Everybody's Somebody!: A Christian Cartoonist Explores the Foibles and Frailties of Ordinary Folk with Dooley and His Friends by Roger Bradfield
Children's books
- There's an Elephant in the Bathtub (1964)
- Hello, Rock (1965)
- Hello Friend (1965)
- The Big, Happy 1-2-3 (co-authored with Joan Bradfield) (1965)
- The Big, Happy ABC (co-authored with Joan Bradfield) (1965)
- Pickle-Chiffon Pie
- Giants Come in Different Sizes
- The Flying Hockey Stick(1966)
- A Good Knight for Dragons (1967)
Benjamin Dilley series
- Benjamin Dilley's Thirsty Camel
- Benjamin Dilley's Lavender Lion
Tonka Tale stories
Mini books for TonkaTonka
Tonka is an American toy company most known for its signature toy trucks and construction equipment.-History:On September 18, 1946 Mound Metalcraft was created in Mound, Minnesota with three men as partners, Lynn Everett Baker , Avery F. Crounse, and Alvin F. Tesch. The first products produced by...
that came free with the purchases of some of their toy vehicles in the early 1970s:
- Magic Garden: A Tonka Tale by Jolly Roger Bradfield (came with Tonka Jeepster Runabout No. 2460)
- Toby Digs In: A Tonka Tale by Jolly Roger Bradfield (1973)
- Toby and Smokey: A Tonka Tale by Jolly Roger Bradfield (1974) (came with Tonka Frantic Flivver, number 458 and Camping The Smokey Bear Way, number 5020) - featuring Smokey the Bear
As author only
Books that Roger Bradfield wrote or co-wrote, but did not illustrate:- Who are You (co-authored with Joan Bradfield, and illustrated by Winnie Fitch) (1966)
- Charles Schulz Master Cartoonist (Art Instruction Schools Inc, 1975)
Illustrations for other authors
- The Bisquick Cookbook: Recipes from Betty Crocker in Answer to Your Requests by General MillsGeneral MillsGeneral Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
- The Box of Important Things by Ann Hellie (1968)
- Toby the Rock Hound by Jane Dwyer Walrath (1979)
Sesame Street tie-in books
- The Together Book by Revena Dwight (1971)
- Bert's Hall of Great Inventions by Revena Dwight (1972)
- Big Bird's Birthday Party (A Golden Play and Learn Book) (1972)
- Sherlock Hemlock and the Great Twiddlebug Mystery: or The Mystery of the Terrible Mess in My Friend's Front Yard by Revena Dwight (1972)
Punch-out kits
Punch-out kits illustrated by Roger Bradfield for Pillsbury:- Circus Party Kit from Pillsbury ("Today Only Greatest Little Show on Earth!") (1958) (illustrated circus themed punch-out kit)
- Country Fair Party from Pillsbury (1958) (illustrated country fair/farm themed punch-out kit)