Toonhound - Oor Wullie (1936-)

    "Guid night, sleep tight,
     An' dinna let the bugs bite!
     An' dinna miss oor wee mite
     In yer Sunday Post... a'right?"

    Indecipherable to many southerners, but an icon to those north of the border, that
    young Scottish loon Wullie has been scuffing around the backstreets of Dundee
    since 1936. Wullie and his associates The Broons were born in the studios of
    DC Thomson, and they first appeared in the pages of 'The Sunday Post' before
    branching out into biannual publications. Both the weekly strips and the annuals
    are still published today, 60+ years on. And you can also get your hands on
    tie-in calendars and more.

    Wullie is a snotty-faced kid, always bored, always skint, and always looking for
    something to do, some way to cause mischief or get out of a family gathering, or
    some way to get rich quick. Every Wullie strip opens with the lad perched on his
    upturned bucket, or on occasion, just the bucket on its own because Wullie's
    'awa' playin' or 'awa' tae school...' or something similar.

    Wullie and his family reside in Dundee, or possibly Glasgow. The precise setting
    isn't identified, but the location is clear and instantly familiar to anyone who has
    grown up in a Scottish town. Wullie spends far too much of his time dodging
    the local bobby, PC Murdoch. His best friends are his pets, Harry the terrier and
    'Jeemy' his mouse. The appeal is in the simplicity. It's only when you travel to
    Scotland that you realise just how iconic Wullie is. It seems that everyone
    knows him, and better still, everyone knows someone just like him. Why, he's
    as Scottish as a fish supper and a can of Irn Bru!

    Like The Broons, Wullie was originally drawn by the masterful Dudley Watkins.
    After his death in 1969 the publishers made do with reprinted strips until 1979
    when other artists were drafted in, principally Ken H Harrison. The strips are
    faultless. Panels feature full-figures, in the classic style. But the current strips
    aren't locked in some olde worlde timewarp; Wullie now embraces modern fads
    and fancies, as required, like computer games and their ilk...



    In the news

   The Hound: January 2008
   PC Murdoch was a real-life bobby...

   The Hound: April 2004
    Oor Wullie tops Scottish icon list...

   The Hound: November 2003
    First Wullie annual up for auction...

    On the web


     The Broons & Oor Wullie Shop
     Oh, that's braw! - Here's an official online store from DC Thomson!

     That's Braw
   And once you've spent all your hard-earned pennies, you can move on
     to Gavin's fab pages. He has a strip history and cover scans presented
     amidst a pleasant purple surround with tartanised buttons. Gavin's done
     the same thing for the Broon family, too, and he includes a fab biography
     of the late, great artist Dudley Watkins...

     DC Thomson
     Wullie's publisher, with info on all the newspapers, comics
     and magazines they produce...

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			Oor Wullie artists: Dudley Watkins / Ken Harrison appearances: 8th March 1936 - present weekly in The Sunday Post 1940 - present biannual editions, published by DC Thomson
		"Guid night, sleep tight, An' dinna let the bugs bite! An' dinna miss oor wee mite In yer Sunday Post... a'right?" Indecipherable to many southerners, but an icon to those north of the border, that young Scottish loon Wullie has been scuffing around the backstreets of Dundee since 1936. Wullie and his associates The Broons were born in the studios of DC Thomson, and they first appeared in the pages of 'The Sunday Post' before branching out into biannual publications. Both the weekly strips and the annuals are still published today, 60+ years on. And you can also get your hands on tie-in calendars and more. Wullie is a snotty-faced kid, always bored, always skint, and always looking for something to do, some way to cause mischief or get out of a family gathering, or some way to get rich quick. Every Wullie strip opens with the lad perched on his upturned bucket, or on occasion, just the bucket on its own because Wullie's 'awa' playin' or 'awa' tae school...' or something similar. Wullie and his family reside in Dundee, or possibly Glasgow. The precise setting isn't identified, but the location is clear and instantly familiar to anyone who has grown up in a Scottish town. Wullie spends far too much of his time dodging the local bobby, PC Murdoch. His best friends are his pets, Harry the terrier and 'Jeemy' his mouse. The appeal is in the simplicity. It's only when you travel to Scotland that you realise just how iconic Wullie is. It seems that everyone knows him, and better still, everyone knows someone just like him. Why, he's as Scottish as a fish supper and a can of Irn Bru! Like The Broons, Wullie was originally drawn by the masterful Dudley Watkins. After his death in 1969 the publishers made do with reprinted strips until 1979 when other artists were drafted in, principally Ken H Harrison. The strips are faultless. Panels feature full-figures, in the classic style. But the current strips aren't locked in some olde worlde timewarp; Wullie now embraces modern fads and fancies, as required, like computer games and their ilk... In the news The Hound: January 2008 PC Murdoch was a real-life bobby... The Hound: April 2004 Oor Wullie tops Scottish icon list... The Hound: November 2003 First Wullie annual up for auction... On the web The Broons & Oor Wullie Shop Oh, that's braw! - Here's an official online store from DC Thomson! That's Braw And once you've spent all your hard-earned pennies, you can move on to Gavin's fab pages. He has a strip history and cover scans presented amidst a pleasant purple surround with tartanised buttons. Gavin's done the same thing for the Broon family, too, and he includes a fab biography of the late, great artist Dudley Watkins... DC Thomson Wullie's publisher, with info on all the newspapers, comics and magazines they produce... index » previous » next »

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