Quote:
Originally Posted by garinda
Leo Cheney - (1878 - 1928)
'Leo Cheney was born in Accrington in 1878, where he attended the local Grammar School before becoming a bank clerk. He was the first pupil to enroll on Percy Bradshaw's cartoon correspondence course, and went on to sell cartoons to publications such as Boy's Own Paper and Bystander. He later became staff cartoonist on the Manchester Evening News. He is perhaps best remembered as the creator of the most famous 'Striding Man' version of the Johnnie Walker character for John Walker and Sons Whisky. Cheney gradually modified the original rather rakish figure into a 'rounder and more sociable character', and these drawings appeared in advertisements in the Illustrated London News between 1915 and 1919. However, his other illustrations also appeared in popular satirical and humour magazines such as The Passing Show. Cheney spent the final years of this life in Sussex, where he died in 1928.'
<titleproper>Phil May and Leo Cheney Collection
'He is best remembered as the creator of the most famous version of the 'Johnnie Walker' character for John Walker & Sons Whisky. Included are two of Phil May's cartoons from the 1890s.'
Archives Hub: Leo Cheney Collection
I'm sure someone mentioned there was a local connection to the designer of the Johnnie Walker character. I searchjed his name on here, but couldn't find it mentioned before. So forgive me if Leo Cheney already has a mention. |
'COMIC cartoonist Leo Cheney will be turning in his grave.
The monocled dandy who has made Johnnie Walker whisky famous throughout the world since the turn of the century is literally losing face.
Foreigners apparently think he is too snooty so the famous Striding Man who has graced bottles of the hard stuff for 90 years is to shed his monocle and gloves.
What would Accrington-born Cheney have thought? After all, for a decade he was the artist responsible for drawing the character.
Leo, a former Accrington Grammar School pupil, took over work on the cartoon figure at the outbreak of the First World War.
Originally, the figure had been created by Tom Browne on the back of a menu. His inspiration was supposedly George Peterson Walker, the whisky blender.
When Leo took over there had been two artists, each stamping their own interpretation on the character. He gradually modified the rather rakish figure into a "rounder and more sociable character."
The Striding Man was taken through the war years in a series of jingoistic advertisements.
Later Cheney portrayed him walking, driving cars, sailing and even canoeing. The advertisements appeared in the Illustrated London News between 1915 and 1919 and also in Punch.
The character appeared in sequences of adverts, including The Travel Series, the Old Craft Series, the Literary Series and the Historical Spirit series.
But despite being an ambassador for the famous drink for almost a century, United Distillers have decided to give him a facelift.
He is now becoming faceless and a shadow of his former self.
A portrait of Cheney still hangs in Accrington Library. He used to send cricket sketches to the Accrington Observer before moving onto to the Manchester Evening News.
He went to live in Essex where he died in 1928.'
Lancashire news, sport and entertainment from Lancashire, Greater Manchester & Merseyside - Johnnie come lately