Chad
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Mr Chad, sometimes known as ‘Mr Wot no . . . ’ was a popular cartoon character during WWII in Britain. He was a means of expressing people’s dismay about the things they most missed, like bananas or sugar. He appeared all over the place, on walls, shop windows, on doors or trains and in cartoons. The Chad the RAF recognised was known to the British Army as Private Snoops and to the Royal Navy as the Watcher, though he had many other names, too.
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The origins of Chad are uncertain, though Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable claims that he was the creation of the British cartoonist, George Edward Chatterton in 1938, who was known as Chat. Chat could easily become Chad. However, the character first appeared in a ‘Useless Eustace’ cartoon by Chatterton’s former drawing instructor, Jack Greenall in the 1920s.
The repeated caption ‘Wot no . . . ?’ was added later, as observations on wartime shortages and rationing. He appeared across the world, wherever troops were deployed.
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In Australia and the USA, Foo and Kilroy may have been different characterisations of Chad or just the same character with different names.
There is
more information here and here.
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Mr Chad looked over the fence, looking a bit wistful about what was missing from life during rationing. No blame was being attached.
ReplyDeleteBut in the bank scene, Mr Chad is looking with confusion at the greedy fat old man stashing bank notes. How did the old man have so much money when other people cannot even afford enough food for the family?
I think it was more that Chad was surprised at the man simply wanting to check that his savings were still intact.
DeleteI remember him as Kilroy but usually without any captions.
ReplyDeleteNot even 'Kilroy was here'?
DeleteInteresting, thanks. I hadn't heard about Chad (although I did of course, during my childhood, hear plenty from the older generation about the travails of WW2 food rationing, along the "you should appreciate how lucky you are that we have plenty of butter for your toast" lines.
ReplyDeleteCheers! Gail.
I wonder how people would react to rationing today. Badly, of course.
DeleteSo easy to draw too - thanks for this trip down memory lane!
ReplyDeleteI remember Kilroy too, usually captioned as 'Kilroy woz 'ere' xx
Yes, even I could draw him!
DeleteI remember him too. In fact we used to draw him all over our school books.
ReplyDeleteNaughty, naughty!
DeleteWe to drew him all over our school books, we loved him.
ReplyDeleteTut, tut, I'm shocked! ;-)
ReplyDeleteThe motors start up, gears and cogs engage, sparks fly... 'Foo was here', drawn everywhere.
ReplyDeleteAt times appearing on public buildings but no one minded, because it was Foo.
DeleteSimpler times, in many ways, when humour wasn't always as sophisticated or clever.
DeleteOf course I don't know Chad, anyway I was not allowed to read cartoons and I have seen the first one in Belgium. My father had declared that these "things" were stupid and nothing for cultivated people ! He was old or rather very old school. Therefore he always told me that I am a hopeless case, because whatever he said I let him speak or said the opposite which made him crazy.
ReplyDeleteI doubt Chad, or anything similar, was seen in Germany then.
DeleteMr. Chad is completely new to me, so thank you for the introduction! xxx
ReplyDeleteThere is a move about to bring him back, I believe, but I think the humour would be somewhat darker. x x x
DeleteSomething else I didn't know! My husband's name is Chad. I'll have to let him know he was named for a phenomenon.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting. I've never know anyone called Chad.
DeleteI do like that Useless Eustace cartoon :)
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Cartoonists are so skilled and their work is so detailed.
DeleteSo interesting. I remember seeing this as a child when it must have made a resurgence.
ReplyDeleteHe may reappear, I gather.
ReplyDeleteHi Janice - a delightful cartoon ... very clever. I have some friends in South Africa who called their son Chad (I haven't kept up with them) ... but then learnt about Chad of Mercia ... so many connections - but Chad certainly brings us down to the truth and earth ... love it - thanks - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteSo many tangents to go off on and before you know it, a couple of hours have passed!
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