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Top Dog
Thelwell's cartoons are amongst the funniest published on man's relationship with the animal kingdom. "Magnificat" portrays the domestic cat in all its preening, self-important glory and "Top Dog" gets to the heart of being a pampered pooch.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
31 people want to read
About the author
Norman Thelwell
97 books20 followersNorman Thelwell was an English cartoonist well-known for his humorous illustrations of ponies and horses. A promising young student from Liverpool College of Art, he soon became a contributor to the satirical magazine Punch in the 1950s, and earned many lasting devotees by illustrating Chicko in the British boys' comic Eagle.
Known to many only as Thelwell, he found his true comic niche with Pony Club girls and ponies refusing fences, a subject for which he became best-known. His cartoons and drawings delighted millions.
For the last quarter of a century of his life he lived in the Test Valley at Timsbury, near Romsey, gradually restoring a farm house and landscaping the grounds which gave rise to his first factual book, A Plank Bridge by a Pool, which detailed the first two lakes he dug there. A third lake was later featured on the BBC’s South Today programme. Written much earlier, but published three years later, A Millstone Round My Neck described his experiences in re-building a Cornish water mill (Addicroft Mill at Liskeard, which he called Penruin), that was sold before the book was published. He always loved old buildings, and in his auto-biography, Wrestling with a Pencil wrote about his joy in the beauty of old cottages.
Known to many only as Thelwell, he found his true comic niche with Pony Club girls and ponies refusing fences, a subject for which he became best-known. His cartoons and drawings delighted millions.
For the last quarter of a century of his life he lived in the Test Valley at Timsbury, near Romsey, gradually restoring a farm house and landscaping the grounds which gave rise to his first factual book, A Plank Bridge by a Pool, which detailed the first two lakes he dug there. A third lake was later featured on the BBC’s South Today programme. Written much earlier, but published three years later, A Millstone Round My Neck described his experiences in re-building a Cornish water mill (Addicroft Mill at Liskeard, which he called Penruin), that was sold before the book was published. He always loved old buildings, and in his auto-biography, Wrestling with a Pencil wrote about his joy in the beauty of old cottages.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 5, 2024
Top Dog is one of my favourite books of cartoons, by one of my favourite cartoonists, the talented Norman Thelwell. It can be read over and over again, and never fails to make me laugh.
Norman Thelwell, known simply as "Thelwell" is most famous for his cartoons of enthusiastic little girls on fat little ponies, often at a Riding Academy, or gallivanting about in the English countryside:
His first book was called "Angels on Horseback". Norman Thelwell started his career teaching Design and Illustration at an Art College, but then went freelance. From then on he worked as a newspaper cartoonist and a contributor to the satirical magazine, "Punch". His many collections of cartoons were published between 1957 and 1992. Top Dog was first published in 1964.
How should I define his humour? How does one ever define humour? With many of his cartoons, there is sometimes a serious comment underneath, which the picture flagrantly shows to be untrue, or illustrates in a whimsical way.
At other times there is no need for any comment whatsoever; the picture is humorous on its own merit. These particular ones are sometimes chosen as comedy greeting cards.
Often there is a sequence of pictures, perhaps three or four, which are funny in themselves, but increasingly so as they proceed:
If you don't know of "Thelwell", I can recommend him. You will certainly never see English countryside pursuits in quite the same way again:
And for dog-owners especially, Top Dog is a rare treat. If you are in a reading slump, or just need cheering up, open this up at random and you'll soon be chuckling.
Norman Thelwell, known simply as "Thelwell" is most famous for his cartoons of enthusiastic little girls on fat little ponies, often at a Riding Academy, or gallivanting about in the English countryside:
His first book was called "Angels on Horseback". Norman Thelwell started his career teaching Design and Illustration at an Art College, but then went freelance. From then on he worked as a newspaper cartoonist and a contributor to the satirical magazine, "Punch". His many collections of cartoons were published between 1957 and 1992. Top Dog was first published in 1964.
How should I define his humour? How does one ever define humour? With many of his cartoons, there is sometimes a serious comment underneath, which the picture flagrantly shows to be untrue, or illustrates in a whimsical way.
At other times there is no need for any comment whatsoever; the picture is humorous on its own merit. These particular ones are sometimes chosen as comedy greeting cards.
Often there is a sequence of pictures, perhaps three or four, which are funny in themselves, but increasingly so as they proceed:
If you don't know of "Thelwell", I can recommend him. You will certainly never see English countryside pursuits in quite the same way again:
And for dog-owners especially, Top Dog is a rare treat. If you are in a reading slump, or just need cheering up, open this up at random and you'll soon be chuckling.
November 8, 2021
The summary says 'Thelwell's cartoons are amongst the funniest published on man's relationship with the animal kingdom.' I found them mildly interesting and a little funny, but not wonderful enough for me to tell people to rush out to get this book. Each page has a sentence and then a funny cartoon to go with it. If your library has it, you could sit down and probably go through it in 15 minutes or so and enjoy it.
The cartoons are very well drawn, and if you wanted examples of good cartoons because you like to draw I would give it a more stars. I like having it now in my collection for the cartoons and that it is different than any of my other books on dogs.
The cartoons are very well drawn, and if you wanted examples of good cartoons because you like to draw I would give it a more stars. I like having it now in my collection for the cartoons and that it is different than any of my other books on dogs.
December 17, 2017
The book consists of drawings with accompanying comments that originally appeared in (I believe) The Sunday Times. And one would imagine that this concept, on this particular topic, would be a very easy way to make an utterly hilarious book in this genre. The problem with this particular effort, however, is that nothing in this book is very funny. During the 25 minutes it took me to read this little book it didn't even make me smile once, let alone laugh, at any of the "funny" situations depicted between dogs and their owners (and other more or less involuntary members of the public).
Of course I know much about subdued English humor and its proclivity for understatement, but I don't think that was what Thelwell was aiming for at all.
Oh well, surely there must be tons and tons of other people (probably mostly Britons) who have found these little pieces simply wonderful.
Of course I know much about subdued English humor and its proclivity for understatement, but I don't think that was what Thelwell was aiming for at all.
Oh well, surely there must be tons and tons of other people (probably mostly Britons) who have found these little pieces simply wonderful.
March 10, 2017
I adore this book, and my kids love it, too!
May 29, 2018
A funny, quick look at dogs and their owners, with delightful cartoons giving the lie to the advice given!
January 23, 2021
Cute comics accompanying dry text about how to choose and take care of a pet dog. Many of the comics were familiar to me as a dog owner. :)
March 17, 2015
كتاب مهم جداً، مش جايز أهتم بتربية كلب فجأة يعني؟ :D
November 27, 2025
This is a review of the 1982 paperback edition, where the title was shortened to just Top Dog. You can find about three editions of this at the Internet Archive. I just picked this one at random.
Normon Thelwell was best known for his cartoons of horses and ponies, but he poked fun of a wide variety of subjects, including life with dogs. Unfortunately, so has just about every other cartoonist, so this collection suffers from comparison.
Are there funny cartoons here? Yes. Are there cartoons that go over subjects that every other cartoonist does? Yes ... although Thelwell sometimes puts a surprising twist on the predictable. When showing a picture of a typical lapdog, a cartoonist usually draws a St. Bernard on someone's lap. The twist here is that guy being sat on ... is smiling.
The basic set up, like that of many of his horse books, is of a how-to guide for owning a dog. The deadpan text often is in direct contrast with the image. Some are more successful than others.
This book was written for a UK audience in the 1960s. American audiences of a certain age will certainly understand some of the jokes, but others may be a puzzle. That weird thing the kid is holding on pages 64 -65 is a carpet beater, because (believe it or not), rugs used to be regularly removed from the home, taken outside and pounded like a drum to remove the worst of the dirt. They weren't just funny looking collectibles on eBay.
Also, in the 1960s, brushing your dog's teeth was thought to be comedy gold. Now, we realize that it's essential for a dog's good health. Docking tails were also common -- now it's illegal in the UK. So, there's a bit of a generation gap to this.
It's a decent enough book, filled with Thelwell's quirky style (which can be amazingly detailed at times, such as the destruction caused by the aforementioned lapdog) but it's nowhere near as funny as many of his other books.
Normon Thelwell was best known for his cartoons of horses and ponies, but he poked fun of a wide variety of subjects, including life with dogs. Unfortunately, so has just about every other cartoonist, so this collection suffers from comparison.
Are there funny cartoons here? Yes. Are there cartoons that go over subjects that every other cartoonist does? Yes ... although Thelwell sometimes puts a surprising twist on the predictable. When showing a picture of a typical lapdog, a cartoonist usually draws a St. Bernard on someone's lap. The twist here is that guy being sat on ... is smiling.
The basic set up, like that of many of his horse books, is of a how-to guide for owning a dog. The deadpan text often is in direct contrast with the image. Some are more successful than others.
This book was written for a UK audience in the 1960s. American audiences of a certain age will certainly understand some of the jokes, but others may be a puzzle. That weird thing the kid is holding on pages 64 -65 is a carpet beater, because (believe it or not), rugs used to be regularly removed from the home, taken outside and pounded like a drum to remove the worst of the dirt. They weren't just funny looking collectibles on eBay.
Also, in the 1960s, brushing your dog's teeth was thought to be comedy gold. Now, we realize that it's essential for a dog's good health. Docking tails were also common -- now it's illegal in the UK. So, there's a bit of a generation gap to this.
It's a decent enough book, filled with Thelwell's quirky style (which can be amazingly detailed at times, such as the destruction caused by the aforementioned lapdog) but it's nowhere near as funny as many of his other books.
August 21, 2022
Reading a couple of these in succession makes me realise that it is hard to give each one a distinctive review but that is because he is so consistently good. The stylish drawing doesn't flag, the ironic captions are well in place and the range of topics is impressive. Obviously this one is about dogs not horses but the quality completely holds up. If you like Thelwell you'd have no reason not to like this. If you've never tried him (but like cartoons) you should really give them a go.
January 20, 2015
Not one of my favourites; though I had to smile at “The War Dog”; a cartoon of a dog on a taut leash, looking with great interest at a tree (upper trunk broken off); whilst in the heat of battle the soldier who is holding his hat on is bawling for the dog to move on”!
Presumably published for the, “what do I buy for so & so, who owns a dog?” market. Beautifully drawn though; The expression in Thelwell’s drawings is superb.
Presumably published for the, “what do I buy for so & so, who owns a dog?” market. Beautifully drawn though; The expression in Thelwell’s drawings is superb.
October 15, 2015
Pretty funny cartoons. I only knew of Thelwell's pony cartoons, so the dog ones were new to me.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews