Editing General Jumbo

{{Short description|Text comic character from The Beano}}
{{italic title}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{not to be confused with|Henry Maitland Wilson}}
{{Beano adventure character
| name = General Jumbo
| image = General Jumbo from The Beano.png |img_size=200px
| creator ={{ubl|[[Paddy Brennan]] (1953–1954, 1963)|John Nichol (1956)|Dave Sutherland (1963–1965)|Sandy Calder (1969–1975)|Keith Robson (1998)}}
| first=583 |last=599, 732–739, 1072–1094, 1126–1175, 1201–1271, 1495–1521, 1678–1734, 2924
| start_issue = 583
| start_date = 19 September 1953
| finish_date = 1 August 1998
| finish_issue = 2924
| format = Discontinued
| main_character = Alfie Johnson
| alias = {{ubl|Jumbo|General Jumbo|Admiral Jumbo|Jimmy "Jumbo" Johnson}}
| caption =Alfie "Jumbo" Johnson in the ''General Jumbo'' story from ''[[The Beano Book]] 1956'', drawn by [[Paddy Brennan]]<ref>{{cite book |title=The Beano Book 1956 |date=1955 |publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. |page=116 |chapter=General Jumbo|author=[[DC Thomson]] staff|others=Illustrated by [[Paddy Brennan]]}}</ref>
| friends = Professor Carter
| team_members = 
| job = Student
| characters = 
| other_characters = 
| franchise = {{ubl|''[[The Beano Annual]]'' 1956–1961, 1964–1968, 1971, 1975–1979, 1990–2006, 2008, 2009
|''Beano Summer Special'' 1964–1967, 1969–1971, 1974, 1975, 1988, 2005}}
| story1 =''General Jumbo'' (1953–1969, 1974–1975) |story2= ''Admiral Jumbo'' (1971)
| other_names = Admiral Jumbo
| DCT = {{ubl|''[[The Dandy]]'' (issue 2381)|''[[Nutty]]''}}
}}

'''General Jumbo''' is a British adventure story character from the comic magazine ''[[The Beano]]''. He starred in the eponymous adventure story series, as well as the 1971 spin-off series ''Admiral Jumbo'', and was illustrated by a variety of ''Beano''{{'s}} usual illustrators, including [[Paddy Brennan]]. Jumbo is a well-known ''Beano'' character with numerous references in popular culture, and was the last character to have an adventure stories series.

== Synopsis ==
Alfie Johnson is a 12-year-old boy playing [[association football|football]] with his friends when their ball flies over a nearby wall. When Johnson retrieves it, Professor Carter's [[remote control]] model army attacks him. He and the professor bond after he saves Carter from being killed in a potential bus accident, so Carter shows his gratitude by giving him the models, which Johnson uses to play pretend and solve crimes.

Johnson (nicknamed "Jumbo" by his friends) is a pudgy boy who is usually shown wearing an army general cap with a mock general uniform: a shirt and tie, as well as his shorts, long socks and shoes. He is based in Dinchester.

==Publication history==
=== Official stories ===
The ''General Jumbo'' series debuted in issue 584 with artwork by Irish [[DC Thomson]] artist [[Paddy Brennan]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=General Jumbo|date=19 September 1953|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=584|others=Illustrated by [[Paddy Brennan]]|editor-last=Moonie|editor-first=George|author=[[DC Thomson]] staff}}</ref> He drew for the first series and the third, his last story appearing in issue 1073.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=General Jumbo|date=9 February 1963|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=1073|others=Illustrated by Paddy Brennan|editor-last=Cramond|editor-first=Harold|author=[[DC Thomson]] staff}}</ref> Dave Sutherland took over the third series,<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=General Jumbo|date=16 February 1963|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=1074|others=Illustrated by Dave Sutherland|editor-last=Cramond|editor-first=Harold|author=[[DC Thomson]] staff}}</ref> and drew for the fourth and fifth, which ended in issue 1271.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=General Jumbo|date=26 November 1966|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=1271|others=Illustrated by Dave Sutherland|editor-last=Cramond|editor-first=Harold|author=[[DC Thomson]] staff}}</ref> John Nichol drew for series two (issues 732 to 739)<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=General Jumbo|date=28 July 1956|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=732|others=Illustrated by John Nichol|editor-last=Moonie|editor-first=George}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|title=General Jumbo|date=15 September 1956|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=739|others=Illustrated by John Nichol|editor-last=Moonie|editor-first=George}}</ref> and Sandy Calder drew the rest, as well as the stories from ''Admiral Jumbo'' (1971).<ref name=Riches>{{cite book |title=The History of The Beano: The story so far |date=2008 |publisher=Waverley Books |isbn=978-1-902407-73-9 |pages=331–333 |chapter=The Beano Index}}</ref>

Jumbo's stories were episodic, like some stories of ''Beano''{{'s}} adventure genre. Each story was about him problem solving, playing pretend, rescuing people or catching criminals, all successful with the help of Carter's giant sets of model army figures. ''Admiral Jumbo'' was a short-lived spin-off where Carter unveils Jumbo's new navy.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Admiral Jumbo|date=13 March 1971|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=1495|editor-last=Cramond|editor-first=Harold}}</ref>

=== Subsequent appearances ===
==== ''The Beano'' ====
Although Jumbo's stories discontinued in the 1970s, his "painting" would feature in issue 2000's Hall of Fame,<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Hall of Fame|date=1980|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=2000|editor-last=Cramond|editor-first=Harold}}</ref> and he would reappear in issue 2924 in 1998 for ''The Beano''{{'s}} 60th-birthday issue.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=General Jumbo|date=1 August 1998|magazine=The Beano|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=2924|editor-last=Kerr|editor-first=Euan}}</ref> Jumbo's stories appeared frequently in other ''Beano'' media, notably having stories in every ''[[Beano Annual]]'' from 1990 to 2006, as well as having frequent ''Annual'' stories in every decade except the 1980s. 2008's edition revealed him as the antagonist of ''[[Billy the Cat (British comics)|Billy the Cat]]''{{'s}} three-part adventure story,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sutherland |first1=Kev F |author1-link=Kev F Sutherland |editor1-last=Digby |editor1-first=Alan |title=The Beano Annual 2008 |date=2007 |publisher=D.C. Thomson |location=London |isbn=978-1845353193 |page=30 |url=https://archive.org/details/beanoannual20080000unse/page/n31/|others=Illustrated by Nigel Dobbyn |chapter=[[Billy the Cat (British comics)|The General]]}}</ref> the [[plot twist]] revealing one of his army models, Private Pike, had become [[sentient]] and was [[Brainwashing|mind-control]]ling him. The saga would continue in the following annual in a ''General Jumbo'' story where Pike (disguised as a [[teddy bear]]) plans his revenge as Jumbo attends a [[fête]].<ref>{{cite book|isbn=978-1845353490 |editor1-last=Digby|chapter=General Jumbo |editor1-first=Alan |title=Beano Annual 2009 |date=2008 |publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.}}</ref> He joined 254 other ''Beano'' characters in the double-page spread of 2019's ''Annual'' to celebrate the 80th anniversary,<ref>{{cite book |title=Beano Annual 2019 |date=2018 |publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. |isbn=978-1845356798}}</ref> and also made a notable appearance in 2005's ''Beano Action Special'' alongside [[Tim Henman]] and [[Roger Federer]].<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Digby |editor1-first=Alan |title=Beano Action Special |date=2005 |publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.}}</ref>

==== DC Thomson ====
He also appeared in ''[[Nutty]]'' in the early 1980s, reprints of stories originally from his ''Beano'' appearances.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=General Jumbo|date=23 February 1980|magazine=Nutty|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=2|others=Illustrated by Sandy Calder}}</ref> ''[[The Dandy]]'' featured him in issue 2381 as part of a series where readers were allowed to choose certain ''Beano'' characters to have short stories between November 1986 and March 1988.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Comic Cuts|date=|magazine=[[The Dandy]]|publisher=D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.|issue=2381|others=Illustrated by George Martin|editor-last=|editor-first=}}</ref>

== Reception and legacy ==
Jumbo became ''The Beano''{{'s}} last adventure story character, ending the adventure story genre for good in 1975 and making issue 1735 the first ''Beano'' magazine to contain comic strips.<ref name="Riches"/> He was extremely popular, noted by having seven series to his name without reprinted stories, and a lot of fan mail from the readers praised the character for his entertaining episodes.<ref>{{cite book |title=Penny dreadfuls and comics : English periodicals for children from Victorian times to the present day : a loan exhibition from the Library of Oldenburg University, West Germany at the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, 2 June-20 October 1983. |date=1983 |publisher=[Victoria and Albert Museum] |location=[London] |isbn=0905209478 |page=101}}</ref> Although General Jumbo was the nickname of [[Henry Maitland Wilson]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hamilton |first1=Nigel |title=Monty: The Man Behind the Legend |date=1988 |publisher=Sphere |location=London |isbn=9780747402664 |page=46 |quote=[[Winston Churchill|Churchill]] had favoured the appointment of General 'Jumbo' Wilson...}}</ref> it has not been revealed whether Jumbo's nickname is a reference to this. A ''General Jumbo'' series appeared in ''Buddy'' magazine in the early 1980s, but starring Jimmy "Jumbo" Johnson.

===Influence on other strips===
{{More citations needed section|date=September 2021}}
''General Jumbo'' appears to be the inspiration of several other strips and characters in British comics, including:
* ''The Toys of Doom'' (''[[Buster (comics)|Buster]]'', 1965–1968) — Criminal scientist Doctor Droll escapes from Garstone Prison with the aid of an army of remote-controlled mechanical toys he has constructed.<ref>Holland, Steve. ''Fleetway Companion'' (Colne, Lancs., A. & B. Whitworth, Feb. 1992), p. 38.</ref>
* ''[[The House of Dolmann]]'' (''[[Valiant (comics)|Valiant]]'', 1966–1970) — crime-fighting inventor Eric Dolmann creates a roster of remote-controlled robots that looked like puppets, each with special abilities, and uses them to combat crime where he finds it
* The parodies ''Drill-Sergeant Jumbo'' and ''Danny's District Council'' in ''[[List_of_Viz_comic_strips|Viz]]'' (from 1979)
* Colonel Tusker, killed by the [[Fury (Marvel Comics)|Fury]] in [[Alan Moore]]'s ''[[Captain Britain]]'' series during the "[[Jaspers' Warp]]" storyline (1981–1984)
* An unnamed character killed by the Lloigor in ''[[Zenith (comics)|Zenith]]'', in ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]''{{cn|date=May 2021}} (from 1987)
* General Tubbs in ''[[Jack Staff]]''{{cn|date=May 2021}}
* Colonel Liliput in [[Alan Moore]]'s ''[[Top 10 (comics)|Top 10]]'' series (1999–2001)<ref>[[Jess Nevins|Nevins, Jess]]. [http://ratmmjess.tripod.com/whoswho.html A Top Ten Who's Who].</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Portal|Children's literature}}
* Official Beano website, archived at the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120524084739/https://www.beano.com/retro-beano/general-jumbo Wayback Machine]
* Tribute website, archived at the [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222710/http://www.generaljumbo.co.uk/ Wayback Machine]
*[http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/j/jumbo.htm General Jumbo] at the International Catalogue of Superheroes

{{D. C. Thomson Comics}}
{{Beano}}

[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1953]]
[[Category:Beano strips]]
[[Category:1953 comics debuts]]
[[Category:1975 comics endings]]
[[Category:Child characters in comics]]
[[Category:Male characters in comics]]
[[Category:Comics about children]]
[[Category:War comics]]
[[Category:Action-adventure comics]]
[[Category:Fictional generals]]
[[Category:British comics characters]]