George E. Studdy was born in Devonport, England in 1878. He was the eldest son of the family and was expected to pursue a career in the military just like his father, who was a lieutenant. George Studdy enrolled in preparatory school in Bristol, but had an unfortunate pitchfork accident which badly injured his foot. Unable to start his career in the army, he became an engineer's apprentice and joined a stockbroker, a job which he quit after three years. He then started evening classes at Heatherley's Art School in London, specializing in animal anatomy. He shared an art studio with friends and became a freelance artist, contributing to magazines such as Comic Cuts, Boys Own, The Big Budget Comic and Tatler. It was The Sketch who eventually employed him for a weekly full-page drawing in 1912, the same year Studdy married his French sweetheart.
In 1921, the editor of The Sketch asked G. E. Studdy to produce more of his 'Studdy Dogs', his illustrations of the endearing antics of a puppy. They became an instant hit, and soon the readers demanded to know the name of "the Nation's pet". In 1922, it was revealed that the pup's name was Bonzo.
Bonzo took an immediate flight in popularity, appearing in advertisements, films, children's books, comics (in Toby magazine) and even a neon sign on Piccadilly Circus. In 1927, George Studdy decided to stop drawing 'Bonzo' for The Sketch. Instead, he came up with a cat, in the series 'Exit Bonzo - Enter Ooloo!'. Bonzo continued to appear in other media however, such as 'Bonzo's Laughter Annual' in 1935.
George Studdy achieved a diverse production, also making postcards for Valentine Postcards of Dundee since 1903. In his later years he drew those in a style similar to Douglas McGill, and signed them with the pseudonym Cheero. In 1947, Studdy started to suffer from chest pains, having been a heavy smoker, and he died a year later.
