Norman Thelwell

The artist Norman Thelwell (1923–2004) was famous for his horse and pony cartoons, but his work was far more wide ranging. He focused his exceptional talent and humour on many diverse subjects, with his witty and wry observations providing amusement and sharp social comment. 'This Desirable Plot' is the artist’s inimitable guide to navigating the property market and buying or selling a house. First published in 1970, it introduces prospective purchasers and sellers to estate agents’ jargon, gives cautionary advice on country cottages and the perils of any projects involving conversion or renovation. From structural surveys to rising damp and dry rot to roof repairs, this is an entertaining look at finding the ideal home and moving up the property ladder.

The artist Norman Thelwell (1923–2004) was famous for his horse and pony cartoons, but his work was far more wide ranging. He focused his exceptional talent on many diverse subjects, with his witty and wry observations providing amusement and sharp social comment. Brat Race, which was first published in 1977, takes a comical look at the world of children and the joys of parenthood. Thelwell chronicles youngsters’ behaviour with hilarious accuracy noting the mysteries, curiosities and characteristics, while providing humorous hints and advice for anxious parents and well-meaning relatives. From names, toys and birthday parties, to pets, health and happiness, all elements of childhood are depicted in the artist’s inimitable and entertaining style.

The artist Norman Thelwell (1923–2004) was famous for his horse and pony cartoons, but his work was far more wide ranging. He focused his exceptional talent and humour on many diverse subjects, with his witty and wry observations providing amusement and sharp social comment. In this book, the artist turns his attention to a different form of horsepower – the internal combustion engine. Belt Up: Thelwell’s Motoring Manual depicts the delights and downfalls of driving, car ownership and life on the open road. First published in 1974, this collection of cartoons features driving lessons, road rage, accidents, technical terms, hazards, and the varying temperaments of men and women drivers. Prepare to travel back to an age before electric cars and discover Thelwell’s inimitable style and enduring appeal.

The artist Norman Thelwell (1923–2004) was famous for his much-loved cartoons depicting stubborn, plump ponies and their determined young riders. In this book, originally published in 1982, he gives expert advice on how to draw ponies and horses of all temperaments, shapes and sizes. He focuses on topics including the anatomy of horses, and how they move and stand. Writing in an entertaining style and featuring many of his wonderful illustrations, Thelwell offers clear guidance, top tips and encouragement to aspiring artists. He shares his skill, knowledge and experience in a down-to-earth way and provides a fascinating insight into his work.

The artist Norman Thelwell (1923–2004) was famous for his horse and pony cartoons, but his work was far more wide ranging. He focused his exceptional talent and humour on many diverse subjects, with his witty and wry observations providing amusement and sharp social comment. Some Damn Fool’s Signed the Rubens Again is Thelwell’s look at life in Britain’s stately homes, and what happens when they are opened to the public. Here are the castles, country estates, and the quirks of the British class system all depicted in the artist’s inimitable style. When an ancestral home is crumbling, or an aristocratic family is debt-ridden, the solution calls for drastic action. It is time to welcome in the paying public. Thelwell’s cartoons capture the comic situations that result when the noble residents come face to face with the curious visitors. See the duke in his tower preparing to repel the coachloads with boiling oil; a ghost train in the family vault; toddlers wrecking treasured heirlooms; and animals in the safari park watching the hilarious human spectacle unfold.

Compleat Tangler brings together a glorious collection of Thelwell's fishing cartoons. What do fishermen really get up to when they abandon a warm bed before the crack of dawn, stuff a haversack with tins of assorted maggots, half a hundredweight of pulped bread and a folding campstool, and disappear into the drizzle? Thelwell presents his report.

Three Sheets in the Wind brings together a glorious collection of Thelwell's sailing cartoons. Arriving on a summer weekend at any stretch of water without one's own craft behind the car or swaying proudly at its moorings is like attending a dance with a broken leg - not to mention the damage to one's social status. This is a humorous manual of instruction for sailors anywhere.

Up the Garden Path brings together a glorious collection of Thelwell's gardening cartoons. This humorous cartoon guide covers all aspects of gardening, from how to make a hole in the frozen fish pond to how to get your mower out of the shed, and includes a calendar of essential work throughout the year.

Play It As It Lies brings together a glorious collection of Thelwell's golfing cartoons. The perfect gift for any golfer who has experienced the horrors of sporting the wrong attire on course, losing his ball, or been wronged by unforgivable gamesmanship. Thelwell guides the reader out of the bunker and onto the fairway.

Artist Norman Thelwell is best known for his cartoons depicting plump, petulant ponies and their young riders, but The Effluent Society shows another aspect of his work and character. Thelwell was passionate about the countryside and nature. During his life he became increasingly concerned about the impact of development, pollution and society’s treatment of the environment. When The Effluent Society was first published in 1971, his concerns were way ahead of their time. Today, environmental and conservation issues are in the mainstream and have become a global priority. Although the cartoons focus on a serious topic there is no mistaking Thelwell’s inimitable style. He used his talent and humour to convey a powerful message: the need to protect the environment. He also takes a wry look at modern life and so-called progress. Thelwell admitted that out of all his books, The Effluent Society was the one that gave him the greatest ‘personal satisfaction’ and, as such, the re-issue of this title is a fitting tribute to the artist.

The artist Norman Thelwell published his first pony cartoon in 1953, and quite by accident, his name became synonymous with images of little girls and fat hairy ponies. The “Thelwell pony” quickly became the most-often referenced source of horse-humor the world over, and today, as we prepare to celebrate the centennial of the artist's life in 2023, his caricatures remain as popular as ever. Thelwell's 34 books have sold over 2 million copies in the United Kingdom alone, and his cartoons are found on a diverse array of merchandise, from puzzles and stationery, to socks and bed sheets. Upon discovering his comic niche in the equestrian world, a subject for which—although an outsider without personal horse experience—he became best-known, Thelwell developed a cartoon strip about a particular horse-crazy young lady and her wicked pony called “Penelope and Kipper.” This became a book called Penelope, first published in 1972 and now found bound with other favorites in the popular collection Pony Panorama. Seventeen years later, a second series of adventures found its way to print in Penelope Rides Again. Thelwell's plucky, pint-sized equestrian was back in the saddle (or, more frequently, out of it) as she braved both showgrounds and countryside with the still-devilish Kipper. Many years have passed since Penelope Rides Again was last widely available in print. Given that these highly recognizable characters helped marry the Thelwell name to horses and the equestrian experience the world over, a special 100th Anniversary Edition seems fitting. With Penelope's help, readers of all ages will learn to pick themselves up after a fall, no matter how hard…and laugh about it.

A classic collection from the original horse humorist with over two million books in print. Following the 1953 publication of British artist Norman Thelwell's first pony cartoon, his name became synonymous worldwide with images of little girls and fat hairy ponies. In 2017 Thelwell's Pony Cavalcade, featuring many of the earliest Thelwell cartoons, was re-released in North America, reviving the artist's fervent fandom and initiating calls for more. Now, in this second hilarious collection, readers are treated to three additional Thelwell classics: Gymkhana Thelwell Goes West Penelope. Those new to Thelwell will fall in love with his uniquely irreverent-yet-informative view of the equestrian world, while long-time enthusiasts can indulge in a delightful dose of equine-friendly nostalgia. Sure to please anyone with a pony-littered past or a horse-crazy present.

Thelwell made a study of this strange phenomenon of human behaviour and set it all down in his Book of Leisure.

This omnibus edition - now in hardback - contains much of Norman Thelwell's invaluable advice to aspiring equestrians on how to get into the saddle and stay there; each item illustrated with inimitable and deadly clarity. From the first publication of Angels on Horseback in 1957, the Thelwell pony entered the language ? and the libraries of horse-lovers everywhere. The angels in Angels on Horseback are children, but there is plenty here about their parents. Both for those who know Thelwell, and for those who have not met him before, this book is a savoury at all times ? but especially after attending a gymkhana. Since their debut appearance in Punch over sixty years ago, Norman Thelwell's cartoons and drawings have delighted millions of people all over the world. His portrayals of sporting pursuits, human beings at play, the life of the countryside and, of course, ponies, are the products of a unique comic genius.

Thelwell really understood the English countryside, its animals and people, and appraised with sympathetic eye both horses and the horsey. That is why his drawings adorn the studies of some of the fiercest Master of Fox Hounds in the country as well a being sure pin-up material in many Pony Club Members' dens. The angels in Angels on Horseback are children but there is plenty here about their parents. Both for readers of Punch who knew Thelwell, and those who did not meet him before, this book is a savoury at all time but especially after attending a gymkhana. J. B. Boothroyd writes in the Foreword: 'Punch has had equestrian artists before. In mid-Victorian times it was difficult to open a copy without being trampled. But the creations between the present covers achieve something entirely new: they combine portraiture with caricature, a thing which most artists would hesitate to try with human beings, let alone the more temperamentally elusive and psychologically inscrutable horse. This means that while no horse could possibly look exactly like a Thelwell horse, all Thelwell horses manage to look exactly like horses.'

Little girls. Fat hairy ponies. Hook-nosed riding teachers, riders on backward, and horses gone madly off course. The artist Norman Thelwell published his first pony cartoon in 1953, and quite by accident, his name became synonymous with these kinds of images. "The response was instantaneous," he wrote in his autobiography. "Suddenly I had fan mail...I dreamed up some more horsey ideas and people went into raptures." The "Thelwell pony" soon became the most-often referenced source of horse-humor the world over. In 1957, Thelwell's first collection of pony cartoons, Angels on Horseback, was published, followed by A Leg at Each Corner in '61, and Riding Academy in '63. In this Anniversary Special Collection, readers get all three classics, featuring page after page of Thelwell's hilarious cartoons along with his often blisteringly accurate advice for survival in and around the equine herd. Whether audiences open Pony Calvacade out of nostalgia or curiosity, the delightful details of Thelwell's illustrations and timeless wit of his caricatures and asides are a surefire way to change a day for the better, and certain to send a new generation of fat-hairy-pony-lovers out to the barn to test the truths within.

Over the centuries human beings have had such a passion for cats that not only have they invaded our homes – occupying the sunniest corners and sitting on the softest mats they can find – they have also invaded our language. Norman Thelwell's collection of drawings is a celebration of this. From The Cat's Whiskers and Scaredy cat to Cat's Paw and Cat Nap, Thelwell's delicious and sleek drawings remind us of these phrases in hilarious and often unexpected ways. Moving beyond phrases to words, Thelwell's endearingly witty vignettes also offer punning feline interpretations of such words as catarrh, platypus and opus. For lovers of cats and pictures of cats – above all for fans of Thelwell – this latest collection is a must.