31:
163:, and was assigned to a tank demolition team. Promoted to sergeant, he was demoted to corporal for a minor disciplinary offence, and was ultimately medically discharged for a stomach ulcer after a stint in an Edinburgh hospital in 1945. He was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, the Africa Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939-1945, for his service. During this time he developed his talent for drawing, designing posters for amateur dramatic productions and selling cartoons to Cairo magazines.
148:, County Durham, England, the son of Richard Oliver Smyth, a shipyard worker, and his wife, Florence, née Pearce, the oldest of five children (his siblings being Lily, Harry, Laura and Jimmy). With his father chronically unemployed, he grew up in poverty, and often referred to himself as a "canvas shoes kid." He attended Galley's Field School on the Hartlepool Headland but left at fourteen to take a job as a butcher's errand boy. In 1936, after a period of unemployment, he joined the
294:
in the USA. While in
America the title became "Andy Capp - Our English Cousin," the punning resisted translation: in Sweden it was titled "Tuffa Viktor", in Germany "Willi Wacker", in Austria "Charlie Kappl", in Italy "Carlo e Alice" (instead of Andy and Flo), in The Netherlands "Jan met de Pet", in
272:
Capp is thought to have been based on Smythe's father, although Smythe never confirmed that, perhaps because in one early cartoon he depicted Andy as a wife-beater, something he later regretted. Smythe's mother recognised her late husband in Andy, although she insisted
Richard was not a violent man.
358:
In 2007, after years of local speculation and fundraising, a bronze statue commemorating Andy Capp was erected near the
Harbour of Refuge pub in Smythe’s home town of Hartlepool. Measuring five feet eight inches, the statue cost £20,000 and was designed by Shrewsbury sculptor Jane Robbins.
330:
Smythe returned to his hometown of
Hartlepool in 1976, living a reclusive life on a large estate. His first wife, Vera, died in 1997, and in 1998 he married Jean Marie Glynn Barry, but later the same year he died of lung cancer. He had left a stockpile of more than a year's worth of
175:
in London. He married Vera Toyne in 1949; they had no children. He continued to design theatrical posters in his spare time, and was advised to become a professional cartoonist. He sent thirty cartoons to an agent, who sold two to
273:
Capp's headgear was inspired by a fellow spectator at a football match Smythe had attended when young, who took off his cap when it started to rain, because he didn't want to wear a wet cap at home that evening.
295:
France "André Chapeau", in Turkey "Güngörmez Dursun", in
Iceland "Siggi sixpensari" and in Denmark "Kasket Karl". Later he was called "Linke Loetje" when published in the "Volkskrant" newspaper.
182:
for more than his weekly wage at the GPO. While retaining his day job, he was soon drawing sixty cartoons a week, using "Reg Smythe" as his professional name. The cartoonist Leslie
Harding (
269:, a stereotypically lazy, selfish working-class northerner in a flat cap, and his long-suffering wife Flo, during the seven-hour drive from his mother's house in Hartlepool to London.
339:
had required him to train a replacement, but he had not done so. After the stockpile had been published, the strip was continued by writer Roger Kettle and artist Roger
Mahoney.
682:
687:
692:
672:
197:, and drew sketches of council meetings for local newspapers. In 1950 he went freelance, and drew cartoon features like "Smythe's Speedway World" for
447:
667:
30:
288:
cartoons was published in 1958. The strip became internationally popular, appearing in at least 700 newspapers in 34 countries, including the
558:
405:
677:
347:
Smythe was honored with numerous awards, including Best
British Cartoon Strip every year from 1961 to 1965 and major awards in
149:
352:
505:
551:
160:
587:
178:
662:
657:
213:
596:
310:, first in Manchester, later in London, and then to great success in Finland. A TV series aired on
172:
544:
290:
459:
410:
315:
311:
219:
207:
156:
255:, gave Smythe a regular daily cartoon, "Laughter at Work". Then, in 1957, he was asked by
603:
527:
651:
635:
303:
59:
628:
455:
260:
225:
536:
429:
610:
319:
263:
to create a cartoon character for the paper's
Manchester edition. He thought up
133:
414:
399:
307:
252:
145:
124:
96:
55:
572:
265:
129:
110:
516:
284:
was soon appearing in all editions nationwide. The first collection of
348:
540:
152:
and was posted to Egypt. His father died during his service.
322:, but ratings were poor and a second series was cancelled.
171:
After the army, he took a job as a telephone clerk for the
186:"Styx") worked for the same agent, and became his mentor.
229:, where he contributed to the paper's "Laughter Column".
620:
580:
103:
90:
82:
66:
40:
23:
398:
123:(10 July 1917 – 13 June 1998) was a British
351:(1969, 1973, 1978). In the US he received the
552:
8:
409:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
559:
545:
537:
400:"Smyth, Reginald (Reg Smythe) (1917–1998)"
29:
20:
16:British cartoonist, creator of Andy Capp
506:Biography at the British Cartoon Archive
189:He contributed to publications like the
683:Royal Northumberland Fusiliers soldiers
406:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
392:
368:
688:British Army personnel of World War II
501:
499:
497:
390:
388:
386:
384:
382:
380:
378:
376:
374:
372:
127:who created the popular, long-running
693:Military personnel from County Durham
495:
493:
491:
489:
487:
485:
483:
481:
479:
477:
205:, as well as cartoons for the London
7:
441:
439:
517:National Cartoonists Society Awards
673:Deaths from lung cancer in England
446:Blystone, Richard (3 April 1977).
77:Hartlepool, County Durham, England
14:
528:Home town gains Andy Capp statue
335:cartoons. His contract with the
276:Originally commissioned for the
668:British comic strip cartoonists
448:"Cartoon Famous, Creator Isn't"
302:musical was produced, starring
140:Early life and military service
150:Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
1:
355:'s Best Strip award in 1974.
430:UK public library membership
353:National Cartoonists Society
709:
530:, BBC News, England, Tees
28:
581:Adaptations and spinoffs
201:and "Skid Sprocket" for
397:Gregson, Keith (2004).
167:Early cartooning career
678:People from Hartlepool
415:10.1093/ref:odnb/70012
343:Awards and recognition
203:Monthly Speedway World
161:North African Campaign
280:'s northern edition,
155:He served during the
314:in 1988, written by
191:Fishtrader's Gazette
597:Andy Capp: The Game
173:General Post Office
179:Everybody's Weekly
645:
644:
428:(Subscription or
291:Chicago Sun-Times
118:
117:
700:
561:
554:
547:
538:
531:
525:
519:
514:
508:
503:
472:
471:
469:
467:
460:Associated Press
452:The Evening News
443:
434:
433:
425:
423:
421:
402:
394:
316:Keith Waterhouse
250:
208:Evening Standard
157:Second World War
99:, Writer, Artist
93:
78:
73:
52:
50:
33:
21:
708:
707:
703:
702:
701:
699:
698:
697:
648:
647:
646:
641:
616:
600:(computer game)
576:
565:
535:
534:
526:
522:
515:
511:
504:
475:
465:
463:
445:
444:
437:
427:
419:
417:
396:
395:
370:
365:
345:
328:
248:
242:
195:Draper's Record
169:
144:He was born in
142:
106:
91:
76:
75:
71:
54:
48:
46:
45:
36:
17:
12:
11:
5:
706:
704:
696:
695:
690:
685:
680:
675:
670:
665:
660:
650:
649:
643:
642:
640:
639:
632:
624:
622:
618:
617:
615:
614:
607:
601:
593:
584:
582:
578:
577:
566:
564:
563:
556:
549:
541:
533:
532:
520:
509:
473:
435:
367:
366:
364:
361:
344:
341:
327:
324:
306:with music by
251:s art editor,
241:
231:
199:Speedway World
168:
165:
141:
138:
121:Reginald Smyth
116:
115:
107:
104:
101:
100:
94:
88:
87:
84:
80:
79:
74:(aged 80)
68:
64:
63:
44:Reginald Smyth
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
705:
694:
691:
689:
686:
684:
681:
679:
676:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
655:
653:
638:
637:
636:Sunday Mirror
633:
631:
630:
626:
625:
623:
619:
613:
612:
608:
605:
602:
599:
598:
594:
591:
590:
586:
585:
583:
579:
575:
574:
569:
562:
557:
555:
550:
548:
543:
542:
539:
529:
524:
521:
518:
513:
510:
507:
502:
500:
498:
496:
494:
492:
490:
488:
486:
484:
482:
480:
478:
474:
461:
457:
453:
449:
442:
440:
436:
431:
416:
412:
408:
407:
401:
393:
391:
389:
387:
385:
383:
381:
379:
377:
375:
373:
369:
362:
360:
356:
354:
350:
342:
340:
338:
334:
325:
323:
321:
318:and starring
317:
313:
309:
305:
304:Tom Courtenay
301:
296:
293:
292:
287:
283:
279:
274:
270:
268:
267:
262:
258:
254:
247:
240:
236:
232:
230:
228:
227:
222:
221:
216:
215:
210:
209:
204:
200:
196:
192:
187:
185:
181:
180:
174:
166:
164:
162:
158:
153:
151:
147:
139:
137:
135:
132:
131:
126:
122:
113:
112:
108:
105:Notable works
102:
98:
95:
89:
85:
81:
69:
65:
61:
60:County Durham
57:
43:
39:
32:
27:
22:
19:
634:
629:Daily Mirror
627:
609:
595:
588:
571:
567:
523:
512:
464:. Retrieved
462:. p. B1
456:Newburgh, NY
451:
418:. Retrieved
404:
357:
346:
337:Daily Mirror
336:
332:
329:
299:
297:
289:
285:
281:
277:
275:
271:
264:
261:Hugh Cudlipp
256:
246:Daily Mirror
245:
244:In 1954 the
243:
238:
235:Daily Mirror
234:
226:Daily Mirror
224:
218:
212:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
188:
183:
177:
170:
154:
143:
128:
120:
119:
109:
72:(1998-06-13)
70:13 June 1998
53:10 July 1917
18:
663:1998 deaths
658:1917 births
611:Buster Capp
604:Andy Capp's
592:(TV series)
320:James Bolam
298:In 1982 an
134:comic strip
83:Nationality
652:Categories
568:Reg Smythe
432:required.)
363:References
326:Later life
308:Alan Price
253:Philip Zec
223:, and the
146:Hartlepool
125:cartoonist
97:Cartoonist
56:Hartlepool
49:1917-07-10
35:Reg Smythe
24:Reg Smythe
589:Andy Capp
573:Andy Capp
333:Andy Capp
300:Andy Capp
286:Andy Capp
282:Andy Capp
266:Andy Capp
239:Andy Capp
130:Andy Capp
114:(1957–98)
111:Andy Capp
62:, England
606:(snacks)
466:24 March
214:Reveille
193:and the
621:Related
420:18 July
259:editor
159:in the
92:Area(s)
86:English
426:
278:Mirror
257:Mirror
349:Italy
249:'
220:Punch
184:alias
468:2012
422:2007
237:and
233:The
67:Died
41:Born
570:'s
411:doi
312:ITV
654::
476:^
458:.
454:.
450:.
438:^
403:.
371:^
217:,
211:,
136:.
58:,
560:e
553:t
546:v
470:.
424:.
413::
51:)
47:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
