Bonzo, the little dog with the crinkly face was invented in England by George Studdy (1878-1948) in the period between the World Wars. Bonzo belongs to the same generation as Felix the Cat created by Pat Sullivan in the United States. Mickey Mouse is a bit younger than these two – when Mickey was born, Bonzo the Dog was already a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

In 1918, The Sketch magazine in England became interested in drawings people called the Studdy Dog sketches. The Sketch wanted to publish a series of these drawings for six months. The series turned out to be such a success that the dog became a regular feature for years. The figure grew gradually from just a dog to a comic strip character. In response to the public’s demand, the character was eventually given a name. On 8 November 1922, “this week’s Studdy” became “this week’s Bonzo”. Surprisingly enough, George Studdy had no interest in naming its creation. The name “Bonzo” was invented by Bruce Ingham, the editor of the magazine.

The first animated film starring Bonzo was called “A Sausage Snatching Sensation”; the film made its debut on 14 October 1924 in London, as a cartoon shown before feature film. In the United States, the wonderland of movies, Felix the Cat was already a film star. The Bonzo animation in turn launched the European cartoon boom.

Bonzo has also been busy as a salesdog. Since George Studdy was a smoker, so was Bonzo. In 1925, Bonzo the Dog smoked a “Pinnace” cigarette in a huge illuminated advertising hoarding at Piccadilly Circus. In magazines, Bonzo has advertised almost anything from razor blades to black enamel paint.

Bonzo was commercialised efficiently. The funny little dog could be seen in ashtrays and bottles of perfume – not to mention shaped soaps and napkin holders. Anything from chocolate moulds to desktop clocks was made either with or in the image of Bonzo. The Valentine’s Postcards of Dundee hit gold with their Bonzo postcards. The first velvet Bonzo soft toys were made by Chad Valley and Dean’s Rag Book Company in England. Celluloid figures were made in Japan and Germany, among others. For collectors, there is an endless range of Bonzo collectables. Original Bonzo items are reproduced up to this day.

Both children and adults love Bonzo the Dog. The cute puppy may not be all that innocent when it comes to advertising of cigarettes or getting drunk, for example, but as a soft toy it gives comfort and brings joy to children and grown-ups alike. To us Finns, Bonzo is a character from a children’s song and a homemade, chubby soft toy. Bonzo has rolling eyes and joyfully swinging ears – and what's more important – the homemade Bonzo has its tongue sticking out!