A Puffin Explorer

Goodness! What's got into me, more than one post in a week! This was a lovely rubber stamp that I vaguely remember being stamped onto the back of the hand of visitors to the 12th exhibition. I asked nicely if I could have one stamped into my Puffin Thinkbook - and I got it!

This was one of a whole set of Jill McDonald designs that appeared on button badges that were also doled out - yes, you guessed it, I'm going to post these as well.

Nice new things....

Well folks, I have just received my preview copies of the new Puffin Post - It has a bit of the old and lots of the new.

Sad to say, Fat Puffin is now officially deceased - as is Odway! TOMCAT has lost his steam powered looks and is now a more conventional PC. To be philosophical about it, however fond I am of the old characters and style of the old, the new generation needs something to be theirs and theirs alone.

I think it will be nice to have the club back for a new batch of puffineers. For those of you who find your way here after the launch - I plan to continue my trawl through the old puffin club ephemera for old times sake.

Another sticky thing...

One of the better preserved exhibition stickers - not by Jill McDonald, and I'd love to know who did do it! This was a brilliant event that for the time was pretty epic. I still remember the twelfth show as being something pretty special.

I met Spike Milligan at this show and had my hero worship bruised by his confusion and anger that a Half-Irish boy could have an Islamic name. He is still a hero to me, and I have come to understand his views - however uncomfortable they make me feel - RIP Spike - Greatly missed.

Puffin Thinkbook

How many of you have one of these? This is the full spread artwork of the Puffin Thinkbook - designed, as always, by Jill McDonald. These blank paperback books were given away as prizes for competitions, and more importantly, on sale to members at some of the Puffin Exhibitions. That's where I bought my copies.

I must have had a premonition that I would need a pristine copy to use nearly a quarter of a century later, because I kept one copy back from scribbles.

The spine of the book is the fountain pen which wraps around nicely. I've been toying with the idea of laser printing the design onto Duralabels and sticking it onto my Moleskine notebook - I think it would look pretty smart!

A little bit of news...

Not a picture this time, just news.

I've been asked to go on BBC Three Counties Radio on Ernie Almonds show (?) to talk about the Puffin Club and the the upcoming new club 'Puffin Post' - it looks like it might be fun! If I can wangle the listen again facility for local radio I'll put the link up for those of you who may be interested. Also on the show will be the well known childrens author, Jeremy Strong (www.jeremystrong.co.uk - with a slightly annoying sound effect on every page, but worth visiting!)

It's on Monday 22nd September 2008, at 14.05 (or 2.05pm in old money), which happens to coincide with the relaunch of Puffin Post in London that evening!

Bound and unbound...

Here's a little bit of restoration with a twist - the graphic from the front of the Puffin Post Binder. Old Members will remember that it was shiny metallic gold on a slightly textured red or, later on, pink vinyl folder. This photographed (and scanned) very badly, so I elected to extract it and recreate the look. Isn't it lovely!!

I remember taking exception to the club colour being pink, but looking back through slightly rose coloured glasses, I'm actually quite fond of it now.

For those who are unaware - the classic Penguin book spines were orange (a sign of a dyed-in-the-wool intellectual was a bookshelf bursting with orange spines that were all creased through heavy reading).
Puffin books had a pink spine (except for the wrap-around covers, or those whose artwork demanded a certain coordination) - I'm sure it seemed only natural that the club colour should echo this. As a child my own complete collection of Dr Dolittle books made a big band of unbroken pink on my bookshelves. This helped me get over my pink aversion - just as well considering that I now have two daughters!

The current Puffin spine colour is of course yellow, but whether a future Puffin Club would embrace the colour convention is anybody's guess.

No images for a while...

Dear blog reader (if you are actually there!!)

There has been a break in service due to lots of work that had to be done, and a Cambridge folk festival that had to be attended. (I'd also run out out of previously finished restoration projects)

To make up for it, here is a Quentin Blake cartoon that was destined for one of the Puffin Annuals. Sadly, there just wasn't enough room, but it was printed in the pages of Puffin Post - never to be seen again!!!


Professor Blake did many cartoons and mini strips for the Puffin Club and was almost as much a part of the visual personality of the club as Jill McDonald. The contrast in styles had a cross-over in their humour and (again) the surreal side of their narrative.

Please remember that this image is the creative property of Quentin Blake