The "Two Types," Being the saga of the two jaunty heroes who have given us the best laugh since the campaign began
NP: British Army Newspaper Unit, C.M.F., ND (ca 1944-1945). First edition. Softcover. Oblong quarto. Unpaginated. [52]pp. Original illustrated wrappers.
This splendid album features 47 humorous cartoons of two WWII battle-hardened British officers, wearing a mixture of military and non-military clothes.
William John Jones - the creator of the two characters - sent some of his cartoons under the pseudonym 'JON' to Hugh Cudlipp, formerly the editor of the "Sunday Pictorial," and, at the time, working as Editor-in-Chief of the British Army Newspaper Unit, producing a series of army newspapers. The cartoons were accepted, and the officers made their first appearance in the "Eighth Army News" in July 1944 under the title 'Page Two Smile'. Then in August 1944 they began appearing as 'The Two Types', a name that became popular and, therefore, stuck. The characters became so popular that Cudlipp arranged for Jones to join the British Army Newspaper Unit in Italy as a full-time cartoonist. The cartoons were extremely liked by the ranks and were syndicated to other publications, including the "Daily Express" from 1944. However, some officers, including on at least one occasion, Montgomery, did not approve of his cartoons and the offending ones were banned. But overall Jones's work was accepted and he was awarded the MBE for his services.
Minor and sporadic creasing along edges of wrappers. Previous owner's name in ink, dated July '45, at upper corner of front cover. Pages slightly and evenly age-toned throughout. Wrappers in overall good+, interior in very good condition. g+ to vg. Item #40373
About the artist: 'Jon' was the pseudonym of William John Philpin Jones who was born in Wales, in 1913, the son of bookmaker John Jones. Although his parents wanted him to become a doctor, he was always determined to draw and become an artist and his talent came as early as the age of 10, when he won a prize at the National Eisteddfod. And then in 1928 his first published cartoon appeared in the "Radnor Express." Realizing that his son was determined to pursue a career in art, his father arranged for him to attend the Birmingham School of Art, where he remained for three years. From there he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art but his stay there was relatively short-lived as, when the director, objected to him spending too much time on drawing cartoons, he left the College. In 1937 he joined Godbolds advertising agency in London as an artist but the call of Wales was too much for him and he returned home, from where in 1938 he began working as a political cartoonist for the "Cardiff Western Mail." At the outbreak of World War II he enlisted in the Coldstream Guards and did his first seven months' training at Pirbright and Caterham. At the end of November 1940 he went to Sandhurst OCTU where he was offered a commission in the Guards. But when the authorities discovered that he did not have the necessary £500 private income to complete the commission he joined the Welch Regiment, serving on the Home Front and in North Africa. In September 1943 he became Assistant Military Landing Officer (AMLO) attached to a Canadian Division at Salerno in Italy and worked on the beach on "D" Day of the Sicily invasion. He was later AMLO at Anzio, where he remained for four months. Evacuated to North Africa with shell shock he began drawing cartoons of the two battle-hardened British officers... the "Two Types."
Price: $250.00