“Most of the characters clearly have some kind of foible, they have some kind of flaw, like Mog is forgetful. Judith Kerr at work – with the real Mog Flawed characters Daniel Cook, professor of childhood studies at Rutgers University in the US, says: “If you look at characters like Mickey Mouse, there are aspects of their story and personality that aren’t simply childish or child-directed, and these seem to be the ones that are able to return again and again. Top of the list is Winnie-the-Pooh, still going strong 96 years after his first outing.īut to enjoy a revival among older fans, characters need to rely on more than wistful sentimentality. According to research by pollsters YouGov, of the five most popular children’s books in the UK, the most recent was published 23 years ago ( Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in fourth place). Nostalgia clearly plays a key role in deciding which characters enjoy a protracted lifespan, or a surprise renaissance. But it is also the sort of thing that a child would identify with – that awful mortification when something just goes wrong.”

Like her doppelgänger in 2000’s Mog’s Bad Thing, “Mog actually did pee on a chair and was mortified. Mog the cat was based on Judith Kerr’s real family pet of the same name (Photo: Tom Kneale) The real Mog the catĪnd yet, he says, “Mog’s predicaments are very human in a way”. “Whereas my mother was trying to sort of enter into the point of view of a real cat putting up with the misfortunes of being among humans.” “A lot of children’s characters are really humans in animal form,” says Kneale. He believes the cat’s enduring appeal is down to the essence of her personality. Her son, Matthew Kneale, was 10 when his moggie first made it into print – with his and his sister Tacy’s middle names used for the two children in the books. And the Moomins – 75 this year – have had such a resurgence that their branded products now fill two dedicated shops in central London.īut why do some characters achieve such longevity while others fall by the wayside?Mog was based on Kerr’s real family pet of the same name. Peppa Pig merchandise generated more than £1bn in revenue last year, even though kids who first watched her will now be approaching their twenties.

Rupert Bear celebrates his 100th birthday in November and Paddington (62 years old) is due to appear in a third big-screen outing. The forgetful cat is not the only ageing creature still in her prime. Paddington Bear, created by Michael Bond, is about to have his third film outing (Photo: Studiocanal) From Rupert Bear to Paddington

Mog cat swimming