The art of Bob Monkhouse

The entertainer Bob Monkhouse (1928 - 2003) was well known for his numerous TV, film, and radio appearances, his stand up act, and as a game show host, but at one time he was also an accomplished cartoonist and comic artist. 

In the 1940s and 1950s Bob wrote and drew various strips, a few for the big publishers such as DC Thomson, but mainly for the smaller independent outfits that thrived at the time. One of his best known works (some might say notorious) was the issue of Oh Boy! Comics launched in 1948 by Paget Publications (shown above) with its phallic aliens. I think there'd be a public outcry if that appeared on newsagent's shelves today but Bob apparently got away with it back then. Using the alias 'Ramon', Bob not only scripted and drew this strip he also lettered it and designed the logo. 

When he was at school Bob's classmate was Denis Gifford, who of course would become a comic artist and author in his own right. They even set up their own comics company, Streamline, for a short time.

As we know, Bob's career took off in other directions with him writing gags for people such as Max Miller and then becoming a comedian and performer himself, first on radio, then on television, and acting in several British movies including Carry On Sergeant. This left him with no time to pursue a career in comics, although he retained his enthusiasm for comics all his life, collecting comics and original artwork. 

I always felt it was a shame we didn't see more of Bob Monkhouse as a comics artist, but in 1981 Arrow books published The Book of Days, - 'A whacky day-by-day guide to history's strangest facts'. It was written by Bob, and also illustrated by him, proving that he definitely still had his artistic talent. Here are a few of the cartoons that appeared in the book. Click images to see them larger...

In this age of celebrity status being given to people just for appearing in a reality TV show I think we appreciate the stars of the past more than ever. Bob Monkhouse was a fascinating and truly multi-talented person, and as a comics artist and enthusiast he was also 'one of us'. 

(The cover of Oh Boy! Comics at the top of this post is scanned from the book Super-Duper Supermen by Denis Gifford. The book Great British Fantasy Comic Book Heroes (reviewed here) reprints the entire 5 page story.)