Oor Wullie
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225221796
2008-07-12T15:18:21Z
84.69.185.91
{{refimprove|date=December 2007}}
{{Infobox Comic strip
|title=Oor Wullie
|image=
[[Image:Oor Wullie.jpg|200px]]
|caption=The cover of an Oor Wullie annual
|creator=[[Dudley D. Watkins]]
|current=[[Peter Davidson (artist)|Peter Davidson]]
|status=Weekly, [[The Sunday Post]]
|syndicate=
|publisher=[[D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd]]
|comictype=print
|genre=Humour
|first=[[8 March]] [[1936]]
|last=
}}
'''Oor Wullie''' is a [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[comic strip]] published in the [[D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd]] newspaper ''[[The Sunday Post]]''. It features a boy named William (''Oor Wullie'' is ''Our Willie'' in [[Scots language|Scots]]) whose trademarks are spiky hair, [[overall#Bib-and-brace|dungarees]] and an upturned bucket, which he often uses as a seat - indeed, most strips since early 1937 begin and end with a single panel of Wullie sitting on his bucket. The earliest strips always ended with Wullie complaining 'I nivver get ony fun roond here!' and featured very little dialogue, with the artistic style settling down by 1940 and changing little since. A frequent tag-line reads "Oor Wullie! Your Wullie! A'body's Wullie!".
The strip was created by cartoonist [[Dudley D. Watkins]], and first appeared on [[8 March]] [[1936]]. Watkins continued to draw ''Oor Wullie'' until his death, after which the ''Post'' recycled his work into the 1970s. New strips were eventually commissioned from [[Ken H. Harrison]], who was followed in 1997 by [[Peter Davidson (artist)|Peter Davidson]], who continues to draw the strip [[as of 2008]]. Between January 2005 and 2006 storylines were written by broadcaster [[Tom Morton]], from his home in Shetland <ref>http://living.scotsman.com/books/Help-ma-boab-Oor-Wullies.2757442.jp</ref>, and subsequently they have been written by Dave Donaldson, managing director of D. C. Thomson's comics division.<ref>[http://www.thatsbraw.co.uk/Biog/DDW-Page.htm Gavin Brightwell's history of Dudley Watkins' work]</ref>
Wullie's home town is an amalgam of [[Dundee]] and [[Glasgow]]. It is unnamed in the original Watkins strips, but has been called [[Auchenshoogle]] since the late 1990s. In the original Watkins scripts the [[dialect]] unquestionably placed the action on Scotland's east coast, probably D.C. Thomson's home town of Dundee. In 1970s annuals, which reprinted earlier strips, Watkins' dialogue was Anglicised somewhat, and the current scripts feature Scots dialect of a more generic kind.
Wullie's adventures consist mostly of unrealistic get-rich-quick schemes that lead to mischief, to the despair of his parents Ma and Pa (Dave), and the local policeman, [[Police Constable|P.C.]] Joe Murdoch. Wullie's friends are [[Fat Boab]] ([[English language|Eng]]: Fat ''Bob''), [[Wee Eck]] ([[English language|Eng]]: ''Little Alec''), and [[Soapy Soutar]], and he is the leader of their gang, a position which is frequently disputed by the others. He used to have another friend called Ezzy, who stopped appearing in the strips, along with Wullie's little brother. He owns a pet mouse named Jeemy, and in later years has gained a [[West Highland White Terrier|Highland Terrier]] named Harry, and a "sometime-[[girlfriend]]", Primrose Patterson. Characters from [[The Broons]] occasionally feature, particularly Granpaw.
Wullie's age is 9 years old, his height has been specified at 4 feet 6 inches tall. His catch phrases consist of "Jings", "Crivvens" and "Help ma Boab".
The Oor Wullie strips are presented in a bi-annual with every other year being given over to The Broons. A series of compilation albums have been published over the years featuring The Broons and Oor Wullie on alternate pages.
[[William Ross, Baron Ross of Marnock]], Secretary of State for Scotland 1964-1970 and 1974-1976, was occasionally depicted in political cartoons seated on a bucket as Oor Wullie.
In March 2006, [[BBC Scotland]] documentary ''[[Happy Birthday Oor Wullie]]'' celebrated the character's 70th anniversary with celebrity guests including [[Karen Dunbar]], [[Sanjeev Kohli]], [[Kaye Adams (presenter)|Kaye Adams]], [[Iain Robertson]], [[Tony Roper (actor)|Tony Roper]], [[Tam Cowan]], [[Stuart Cosgrove]], [[Dominik Diamond]] and was narrated by [[Lord of the Rings]] star [[Billy Boyd]]. The programme was made by Angel Eye Media.
When [[The Topper]] launched in 1953, Oor Wullie appeared in the masthead, although not as a story in the comic. He often appeared sat on his bucket, though other poses were used as well.
==The annuals==
Early annuals were undated so this information is to help identify them. The annuals alternated years with [[The Broons]] annuals. Prices are in shillings and (old) pence with one shilling equal to 5p. Later annuals had copyright inside them. Annuals were printed in the Autumn in time for Christmas.
* 1940. Wullie sitting on his bucket, elbows on knees and chin in hands and smiling. Yellow background. Price 1/6.
* 1942. Wullie standing, smiling with a satchel on his back and his bucket to his left.
* No annuals 1944-1946 due to the war paper shortage.
* 1948. Sixteen pictures (4x4) of Wullie with different expressions on his face. Price 3/-
* 1950. Head and shoulders view of Wullie smiling. Red background.
* 1952. Twelve pictures (4x3) of Wullie in different situations. In first he is hit by snowball. Price 4/-
* 1954. Wullie reading the same Oor Wullie annual (infinity cover). Blue background. Price 4/-
* 1956. Snowman version of Wullie sitting on bucket while Wullie peers out from behind hut. Price 5/-
* 1958. Wullie holding brushes and paint pot has painted his body on a white fence and is standing behind it. 3 other images painted on fence. Price 5/-
* 1960. Wullie sitting at table about to eat sausage, tomato and two fried eggs arranged in shape of a face on plate. Price 5/-
* 1962. Wullie walking along and his shadow on a wall is that of a policeman. Price 5/-
* 1964. Wullie has polished his bucket so well that he can see his face in it. Price 5/-
==References==
{{reflist}}
== See also ==
*[[List of DC Thomson publications]]
*[[The Sunday Post]]
*[[The Broons]]
*[[Scots Language]]
==External links==
*[http://www.thatsbraw.co.uk/index.html "That's Braw"] A Broons and Oor Wullie website
*[http://heritage.scotsman.com/greatscots.cfm?id=2290862005 ''Great Scots - Our loveable spiky-haired loon''] - [[The Scotsman]] newspaper
*[http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2007/02/12/newsstory9292322t0.asp Ron Low story]
*[http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2007/02/09/newsstory9282389t0.asp Ron Low story follow up]
*[http://www.scotlandforvisitors.com/nmspic7.php Picture of a lifesize model of Oor Wullie]
{{D. C. Thomson Comics}}
[[Category:DC Thomson Comics strips]]
[[Category:Fictional Scottish people]]
[[Category:Scots language]]
[[Category:Scottish comics characters]]
[[Category:Scottish comic strips]]