Above, from the October 28th, 1874 issue of Judy magazine, is Episode 51 of artist Archibald Chasemore‘s series, Rattletrap Rhymes. (I do not believe Rattletrap Rhymes contained any continuing characters, but I’ll be honest and say that I haven’t fully checked.) This episode features a highly Tigwissel-appearing egghead inventor, named Jenkinson. It appeared prior to the 1st Tigwissel comic strip by Hopkins, but after the two appearances of Hopkins’ Tigwissel prototype, Professor Simple.

Tigwissel‘s home, The Daily Graphic regularly reprinted Judy comic strips. And, one would imagine, Judy’s publishers likely knew this, and may very well have been obtaining issues of The Daily Graphic.

The title of this episode — Wollybollybor! — might possibly have taken inspiration from the 1871-published British collection of Wilhem Busch comics, Fools’ Paradise, whose longer title was, “Walk Up! Walk Up! and see the Fools’ Paradise with the Many Wonderful Adventures there as seen in the Strange Surprising Peep Show of Professor Wolley Cobble!”.

(NOTE: Click on the above picture, to open a larger version;
Click on the below, to see the comic strips those images were extracted from.)

Compare the visual design of Chasemore’s inventor, Jenkinson, above, with Hopkin‘s pre-Tigwissel prototype, Professor Simple, on July 8th, 1874 (below left), and his first Professor Tigwissel (below right), on May 28th, 1875.

Professor Simple, 2nd App. July 8th, 1874

Professor Tigwissel, 1st App. May 28th, 1875

For prior entries in this series, click here on Tigwissel Tuesdays.

Doug Wheeler

BritJudy