'Fun at Toy-Land Fair' (The Chicks' Own Annual 1940).
Vera Bowyer was an obscure mid-20th century British comic artist and children's book illustrator, who flourished during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s as an artist for children's magazines published by the Amalgamated Press. All of her known comics revolve around toys that come alive. For Chick's Own, she drew 'The Tale of Betty and Golly' (1936-1954, from 1955 on: 'Betty and Sailor Boy') and 'Fun in Toy Land' (1936-1956). For Tiny Tots, Bowyer created 'Teddy and Greta' (1934-1956, also known as 'Teddy in Toyland', 'Teddy in Noah's Ark Land' and 'The Tale of Teddy and Greta'). This latter comic also had tremendous success in Danish translation as 'Bamse og Dukke Lise'. Vera Bowyer should not be confused with British sculptor and toy maker Vera Bowyer (née Vera Mary Small, 1926-2018).
Life and career
Almost nothing is known about Vera Bowyer. She most likely came from the United Kingdom, but it is unknown whether Bowyer was her maiden name, or her married name. The first appearances of her signature in a comics magazine can be dated back to the mid-1930s, when she worked for the publishing company Amalgamated Press (AP). Many of her comics revolve around anthropomorphic dolls and toys, but it is again unknown whether she scripted her own stories or received help from writers or editors.
Comics in Tiny Tots: Teddy and Greta
Bowyer drew for the Amalgamated Press' nursery magazine Tiny Tots, which ran her feature 'Teddy and Greta' (1934-1956). Teddy is an anthropomorphic teddy bear and Greta a wooden doll, owned by a little girl named Marjorie. In every episode, the toys secretly come to life, unbeknownst to Marjorie and her parents. In 1939, the title changed to 'Teddy in Noah's Ark Land', bringing along lots of animal characters. In 1941, the series was retitled again as 'The Tale of Teddy and Greta' and continued under this title until 1957. It is unknown if Vera Bowyer drew the strip throughout its run. Among the other artists who appeared in Tiny Tots were Freddie Adkins, Walter Bell, Bertie Brown, L. Church, Freddie Crompton, Frank Jennens, G.M. Luckraft and Charlie Pease.
'Teddy and Greta' was also translated in Danish. From 2 April 1935 on, it ran in the magazine Familie-Journal, under the name 'Bamse og Dukke Lise'. In 1941, due to the Nazi occupation of Denmark, new episodes couldn't reach Familie-Journal from England, so Danish comic artist Harry Nielsen, AKA Sofus, drew new local episodes of the series. The Danish series outlasted its British original, with Nielsen creating new episodes with writer Elisabeth Greve until the early 1960s. The comic was then continued until 1985 by the artist Jens Georg Humble.
'The Tale of Betty and Golly'.
Comics in Chick's Own: Betty and Golly / Fun in Toy Land
For another AP nursery magazine, Chick's Own, Bowyer drew 'The Tale of Betty and Golly' (1936-1954), a text comic about a little girl called Betty, and her stereotypical black friend Golly, who is basically a Golliwog character. Both characters are anthropomorphic dolls. Every night, they come alive and help their owner, a poor little girl named Jenny. One of their good deeds, for instance, is fetching elves to plant bulbs in Jenny's garden, so that her flowers win first prize in school. 'The Tale of Betty and Golly' enjoyed a long run in Chick's Own. In 1955, the series was drastically rebooted to remove the racially offensive Golliwog character and replace him with a white sailor boy, hence the new title 'Betty and Sailor Boy'.
Another feature by Bowyer for Chick's Own was 'Fun in Toy Land' (1936-1956), featuring even more stories about anthropomorphic toys and dolls. The main character is Tommy Toy Soldier, a tin soldier who is in love with the blonde doll Belinda. Other colorful characters in the toy household are Wooden Shoes (a Dutch farmer's girl in clogs), Chinky the Chinese boy, Peter the "Pierrot" clown, Jumbo the elephant and occasional visitors like Dandy Jim (Belinda's cousin) and Colin Clockwork-Horse.
Other artists who made graphic contributions to The Chick's Own were Margaret Banks, Walter Bell, L. Church, Freddie Crompton, Mildred Entwistle, Walter Holt, J. Louis Smyth, Philip Swinnerton, Arthur White and Frances Wood.
Later career
Together with Doris Twinn and other writers/illustrators, Vera Bowyer was one of the contributors to the children's book 'Warne's Pleasure Book for Children' (Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., 1940). In 1956, a story by Bowyer was translated into Dutch as 'Het Kasteel der Zuchten' and printed in a winter-themed book, published by the women's magazine Margriet. Vera Bowyer's further whereabouts are unknown.
'The Tale of Teddy and Greta' from Tiny Tots (4 December 1954). Artist presumably Vera Bowyer.