Toonhound - Dilbert (1977-1990)

    Those of you expecting to find a page devoted to Scott Adams' office-bound star
     here will be disappointed to learn that this particular Dilbert is actually a "toon"
     airplane!

     Dilbert was a jolly Jumbo Jet. He was a British Airways copyrighted creation who
     featured in various BA kids' promotions as well as at least nine boardbooks and
     storybooks between 1977 and 1990. All the books were written by Kate Robertson
     and illustrated by Val Biro and published by Threshold Books. These being
     corporate publications, the stories were tailored to include specific details
     about events and services onboard during the flight. Thus we were presented
     with the minutiae of altitude, flying times, and steward procedures:

           "Our cabin crew has done 8 1/2 hours duty,
           so we get off here..."

     Young Dilbert was as "corporate" as can be and proudly sported the full British
    Airways livery where ever he appeared. It's interesting to see how times have
     changed since he first took the skies. In "Dilbert In Delhi" we are presented with
     a storyline concerning a suspicious airport cleaner who plants a suspect package
     under one of Dilbert's seats. In this particular case it's a box with a stolen emerald,
     but one wonders how such a sensitive issue would be approached today - if indeed,
     approached at all?

     Of course, you can't profile Dilbert without mentioning the similarity between
     him and Peter Maddocks' Jimbo of Jimbo and the Jet-Set fame - a wholly
     separate creation, certainly, but BA can hold their hands up and say that
     Dilbert was first.

     By the way, if Val Biro's name is familiar to you it's because he is perhaps
     best known as the author and illustrator of the Gumdrop books - Gumdrop
     being "the car that's going far", an old Austin jalopy who has numerous
     adventures with his driver Mr Oldcastle and grandson Dan. There have been
     an awful lot of Gumdrop books published over the years...


     Dilbert in print

     1977 - Dilbert Wins His Wings      1984 - Dilbert in the Middle East
     1977 - Dilbert on Safari              1984 - Dilbert in Delhi
     1977 - Dilbert Down Under          1984 - Dilbert at Heathrow
     1977 - Dilbert and the Dodo        1984 - Dilbert in Seattle
     1982 - Dilbert in the Caribbean    1990 - Dilbert Flies to Egypt
      1982 - Dilbert in the Far East
     1982 - Dilbert Flies the Atlantic

      Dilbert in Delhi by Kate Robertson

    On the web


     No links right now...

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			Dilbert (1977-1990) artist: Val Biro writer: Kate Robertson commission: British Airways
		Those of you expecting to find a page devoted to Scott Adams' office-bound star here will be disappointed to learn that this particular Dilbert is actually a "toon" airplane! Dilbert was a jolly Jumbo Jet. He was a British Airways copyrighted creation who featured in various BA kids' promotions as well as at least nine boardbooks and storybooks between 1977 and 1990. All the books were written by Kate Robertson and illustrated by Val Biro and published by Threshold Books. These being corporate publications, the stories were tailored to include specific details about events and services onboard during the flight. Thus we were presented with the minutiae of altitude, flying times, and steward procedures: "Our cabin crew has done 8 1/2 hours duty, so we get off here..." Young Dilbert was as "corporate" as can be and proudly sported the full British Airways livery where ever he appeared. It's interesting to see how times have changed since he first took the skies. In "Dilbert In Delhi" we are presented with a storyline concerning a suspicious airport cleaner who plants a suspect package under one of Dilbert's seats. In this particular case it's a box with a stolen emerald, but one wonders how such a sensitive issue would be approached today - if indeed, approached at all? Of course, you can't profile Dilbert without mentioning the similarity between him and Peter Maddocks' Jimbo of Jimbo and the Jet-Set fame - a wholly separate creation, certainly, but BA can hold their hands up and say that Dilbert was first. By the way, if Val Biro's name is familiar to you it's because he is perhaps best known as the author and illustrator of the Gumdrop books - Gumdrop being "the car that's going far", an old Austin jalopy who has numerous adventures with his driver Mr Oldcastle and grandson Dan. There have been an awful lot of Gumdrop books published over the years... Dilbert in print 1977 - Dilbert Wins His Wings 1984 - Dilbert in the Middle East 1977 - Dilbert on Safari 1984 - Dilbert in Delhi 1977 - Dilbert Down Under 1984 - Dilbert at Heathrow 1977 - Dilbert and the Dodo 1984 - Dilbert in Seattle 1982 - Dilbert in the Caribbean 1990 - Dilbert Flies to Egypt 1982 - Dilbert in the Far East 1982 - Dilbert Flies the Atlantic On the web No links right now... index » previous » next »

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