The Sketch, 1936-1937

172, Strand, London, W.C.

Blampied's work in The Sketch became much more intermittent in 1936 and 1937 and was, literally, sketchy: the drawings were often basic cartoons with a simple punchline.

In November 1937 he collaborated with his friend, the Editor and journalist, Cecil Hunt, to illustrate 'school-boy howlers', the unintentional misuse of words in written work that were thought to be funny. Cecil Hunt had been collecting these howlers for many years and had already published several books of them. They proved to be very popular and he collaborated with Blampied to produce Hand-picked Howlers, published by Methuen in 1937. They collaborated on two more books of howlers and a fourth book, of proverbs, all illustrated with humourous cartoons by Blampied. Presumably the excess 'howlers' were used in The Sketch. The first set of six howlers illustrated by Blampied appeared in The Sketch on 3rd November, and were quickly followed by four more howlers in each of four issues in December. Blampied had found another regular source of income.

Blampied's only cover design (click to enlarge)

— 1936 —

Issue: 15-Jan-1936, vol. 173, no. 2242, p 101. Type: SP1. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: Strikes me this is pretty niffy, 'Orace. But talk abaht the Eyetalians! I sees in a paper as 'ow they can't sell their gorgonzola cheeses; so they're churnin' wot they used for makin' 'em inter wool fer clothes. That ought ter get the Abyssinians on.

Issue: 15-Apr-1936, vol. 174, no. 2255, p 129. Type: MO1. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: "Say, 'Orace, 'ave you seen that the Eyetalians are complaining that the Abyssinians 'ave been shellin' a field 'orspital. Strikes me those [people] are beginnin' to learn civilised methods of warfare".

Issue: 20-Nov-1936, vol. 176, no. 2286A, Christmas Number, p 4. Type: CO4. Price: 2/-.Author: none. Title: P 4. After the ball was over! The hunting man's nightmare.

Issue: 20-Nov-1936, vol. 176, no. 2286A, Christmas Number, p 5. Type: CO1. Price: 2/-.Author: none. Title: After the hunt was over.

— 1937 —

Issue: 5-May-1937, vol. 178, no. 2310, p 229. Type: CO1. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: Not "potato" Jones.

Issue: 3-Nov-1937, vol. 180, no. 2336, p 218. Type: BW6. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: Howlers hand-picked for Blampied.

Issue: 10-Nov-1937, vol. 180, no. 2338A, Christmas Number, p 24. Type: CO1. Price: 2/-.Author: none. Title: I wonder if your husband knows tis one?.

Issue: 8-Dec-1937, vol. 180, no. 2341, p 453. Type: MO4. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: Schoolboy howlers.

Issue: 15-Dec-1937, vol. 180, no. 2342, p 505. Type: MO4. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: Schoolboy howlers.

Issue: 22-Dec-1937, vol. 180, no. 2343, p 560. Type: MO4. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: Schoolboy howlers.

Issue: 22-Dec-1937, vol. 180, no. 2343, p 575. Type: CO1. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: The morning after.

Issue: 29-Dec-1937, vol. 180, no. 2344, p 605. Type: MO4. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: Schoolboy howlers.