My name is Judi Quelland and I first "met" Eggbert when I was in high school. (uh-oh ... now I've given away my age!) About 6 years ago I stumbled upon a box of Eggbert cocktail napkins and I was reminded just how funny those cartoons were ... and still are. I remembered the books but couldn't find the copy of the one we had. After a brief search on eBay, and more than a few dollars later, I again had a copy of this most delightful book. Now I was hooked again . . . after a few months I had ALL the Eggbert books. (and I’m a little more broke!)
Well, I got to thinking that there’s a whole new generation that doesn’t know Eggbert and I thought what fun it would be to see Eggbert on t-shirts, maternity t-shirts, mugs, mousepads or other goodies. I suppose this was because I had a shop at CafePress and was quite busy designing t-shirts, maternity t-shirts, mugs, mousepads and other goodies. However, I couldn’t do anything about it without proper permission.
It took quite a while and many hours searching the internet but I finally connected with the daughter of the original publisher ... Percy Barker. Since then, Susie Barker Lavensen and I have exchanged many emails, and a few phone calls, kicking around ideas and plans for Eggbert’s future.
First thing I did was put some of the Eggbert and Eggberta cartoons on t-shirts, maternity t-shirts, mugs, mousepads and other goodies. These you can find HERE at my “shop” on CafePress.
Now, I have to come clean …. One of the reasons for this blog is to keep you all updated on Eggbert’s doings, and to show off the t-shirts, maternity t-shirts, mugs, mousepads and other goodies that Eggbert and Eggberta’s cartoons are on. With nine books to draw from, that’s a LOT of cartoons! (more than 700 actually!) Then there are all the NEW cartoons . . . but more about that later.
I’ll also preview the new books for you … they’re all available on Amazon so I’ll give you that link and a direct link to each book. The individual links will be to each title on the CreateSpace website which is a division of Amazon and is the publisher of these new Eggbert books.
Well, I didn’t mean to get so long winded – sorry about that!
Wow kudos to you for tracking down the creators family and revitalizing Eggbert...although it is truly an odd choice given the changes in society since Eggbert's arrival in the 50s or 60s. I became aware of Eggbert when I found 2 dishes with Eggbert cartoons on them. I was amused but not because they were particularly funny but because both of them essentially made jokes about the alcohol consumtion of the supposed mother ...one of them implying that Eggbert's creation was the result of alcohol induced coitus (one hopes it was at least consensual) and the other showing the comic effects of drinking on the little fetus. Guess they hadn't discovered Fetal Alcohol Syndrome yet which we all know is hilarious and adorable. They would not make these today. I guess what I liked was the politically incorrect cluelessness of them....right in step with the toxic smoking, drinking and chemical product using nuclear families of the 1950s. I am fascinated by things which show homelessness, alcoholism, sexism, racism and other societal issues in an ignorant way...it shows how far we have come in such a short time from these kind of ideas. I like the shock value of it too. People don't realize how imbedded in the mainstream were images of "funny" hobos, African natives, Asian coolies, dumb secretaries with big boobs and red nosed drunks hanging off of lampposts...and good old Eggbert...the original crackbaby. I oppose censorship on any level. Eggbert was a real thing...people should know. Long live Eggbert.
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