Noddy

Origin

Noddy is a wooden boy who ran away from his maker when the toymaker began carving a lion toy, which scared the then-nameless wooden boy. He was found and befriended by a brownie, Big Ears, who named the child Noddy because the boy nodded constantly while speaking, and took him to Toyland, even providing the boy with clothes and a house to live in.

Creation

Noddy was created by British author Enid Blyton for her children's book Noddy Goes to Toyland, which was published in 1949. The novel's illustrator was Dutch artist Harmsen Van Der Beek. Noddy went on to appear in over 20 additional books. In 1955 he transitioned to television with the debut of ITC (Incorporated Television Company)'s puppet show adaptation of the books, The Adventures of Noddy, and he has appeared in several subsequent adaptations, including Cosgrove Hall's stop-motion animated Noddy's Toyland Adventures (1993-1999) where he was voiced by Susan Sheridan, and the current day CGI cartoon Noddy in Toyland.

Following their first appearances on television, the Toyland denizens made their comic's debut in Polystyle's TV Comic, where Noddy took over the cover slot for a time.

Character Development

Carved by a toymaker, a nameless wooden boy fled his creator, scared when the man began making a toy lion. While running away he collided with a bicycle ridden by the friendly brownie Big Ears. Dubbing the boy Noddy, because of his habit of constantly nodding his head whenever he spoke, Big Ears took pity on the scared child and showed him the way to Toyland, lending him both clothes and a house in Toy Village to live in. The other residents of Toy Village were initially suspicious of Noddy, but after a trial confirmed him to be a toy rather than an ornament, and his good character was confirmed when he saved a small child toy when one of Noah's lions ran amuck, he was allowed to stay. In recognition of his new status, Big Ears gave Noddy a present of a hat with a bell at the top, which jingled when Noddy nodded his head. Looking for employment in order to get money to buy himself furniture, Noddy took a job cleaning Mr. Golly's garage, only to witness some goblins stealing the cars late at night. Initially wrongly accused of the crime, Noddy subsequently proved his innocence and led the angry owners back to their stolen vehicles, allowing town policeman Mr. Plod to punish the real villains. In gratitude Mr. Golly gave Noddy a red and yellow car, prompting Noddy to become the town taxi-driver.