Roger Bradfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roger Bradfield
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| Born | September 22, 1924 White Bear Lake, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | December 31, 2021 (aged 97) Santa Barbara, California, U.S. |
Roger Martin Bradfield (born September 22, 1924 – died December 31, 2021) was a talented American artist. He wrote and illustrated children's books. He was also a cartoonist, painter, and loved to travel the world.
Contents
Roger Bradfield's Early Life
Roger Bradfield was born in 1924 in White Bear, Minnesota. His mother and grandmother raised him.
Bradfield's Artistic Journey
Roger Bradfield showed his artistic talent early. He won several art contests as a child. His high school art teacher encouraged him to become an artist. Roger loved using watercolor paints the most. But he was also very good with pencil, pen and ink, and acrylic paints.
Working with Food Brands
In the early 1960s, Bradfield worked on General Mills cereal boxes. He helped create designs for popular kids' cereals. These included Kix, Trix, Wheaties, and Jets. He also worked on Mr Bubble and projects for the Pillsbury Company. In 1964, he drew small pictures for the Bisquick Cookbook. Later, in 1968, Roger created the first Keebler elves. These elves appeared in commercials for FilmFair, an animation studio.
Amazing Children's Books
"Jolly" Roger Bradfield is best known for his children's books. He wrote and drew the pictures for them. He started writing when he was learning to type. He found his typing lessons boring. So, he decided to practice by writing fun stories instead. That's how his first book, There's an Elephant in the Bathtub, was born!
Roger wrote and illustrated many other books. Some popular titles include Pickle-Chiffon Pie, Benjamin Dilley's Thirsty Camel, Giants Come in Different Sizes, The Flying Hockey Stick, and Benjamin Dilley's Lavender Lion. His "Jolly" Roger books are famous for their bright pictures and wild, imaginative tales.
Bradfield also illustrated some of the first Sesame Street storybooks. He drew pictures for The Together Book. This was the first Sesame Street book in the popular Little Golden Books series. He also illustrated Bert's Hall of Great Inventions, Big Bird's Birthday Party, and Sherlock Hemlock and the Great Twiddlebug Mystery.
Since 2004, a small publisher called Purple House Press has reissued six of Bradfield's books. This means new kids can enjoy his wonderful stories.
Fun Comic Strips
From 1972 to 1978, Bradfield was a newspaper syndicate cartoonist. He created a daily and Sunday comic strip called Dooley's World. The comic strip was about a boy named Dooley. Dooley had a collection of toys that came to life! The comics were full of funny visual gags and clever puns. King Features Syndicate shared the strip with newspapers.
Besides Dooley, other characters appeared often. There was the Professor, a smart wind-up toy who knew everything. Norman was a fancy and thoughtful wind-up knight. Thelma was an unhappy and bossy rag doll. And Max was a quiet mouse.
Colorful Paintings
Bradfield created paintings that were very bright and full of color. These paintings often showed places he visited on his world travels. He also painted playful and fun images from his own imagination. He preferred watercolor paints. But he also used acrylic, ink, and pencil.
Adventures Around the World
Roger Bradfield was also a big world traveler. He visited and sketched in many countries. These included Greece, Norway, Portugal, France, Italy, Mexico, England, and Spain.
On one trip to Mexico, Roger's plane had a small accident. The plane's wing tanks were damaged. So, he asked some local children for help. They used big wads of bubble gum to patch up the damage! The bubble gum didn't work because the gasoline melted it. But the plane still made it to its destination safely.
Personal Life and Passing
Bradfield and his wife, Joan, raised five children. He passed away on December 31, 2021. He was 97 years old.
