Crompton, Freddie - Brownie Boys

Freddie Crompton 's The Brownie Boys as they appeared in Tiger Tim's Annual for 1926. Fred L. Crompton drew for the comics of the Amalgamated Press for over forty years, starting his career as a staff artist in around 1915. He drew for The Firefly (Gilbert the Filbert and Syd Chaplin), The Jester (Harry Coe), Merry & Bright (Sleepy Sidney), Funny Wonder (Marmaduke and his Ma). His forte were chubby cheeked kids which he worked to perfection in Bubbles (Bubbles the Clown Boy), The Childrens Fairy (Georgie Porgy), Little Sparks (Arthur the Artist) and Lots-O-Fun (Chu, Chin and his Chow). However it was the sets he created for the likes of Playbox, Sunbeam, My Favourite (Cheery Charlie), Tiger Tim's Weekly (The Bumpty Boys) and Chick's Own (Betty, Bimbo and Bunny) for which he will be best remembered. Crompton took over the set of The Brownie Boys (for Rainbow) which was first created in 1914 by Bertie Brown and made it his own. Over the years he reprised the set as The Bumpty Boys (Tiger Tim's Weekly), The Wee Woolly Boys ( Playbox), and was still drawing The Brownie Boys for Tiny Tots when it was discontinued in 1959. Rainbow was merged with Tiny Tots in 1956.