Mary Tourtel was created in 1920, at a time when the "Express" was in competition with "The Daily Mail" and its then popular comic strip "Teddy Tail", as well as the strip "Pip, Squeak and Wilfred" in "The Daily Mirror". The then news editor of the "Express", Herbert Tourtel, was approached with the task of producing a new comic strip to rival those of the "Mail" and "Mirror" and immediately thought of his wife Mary, already an established author and artist. Rupert Bear was the result and was first published as a nameless character in a strip titled "Little Lost Bear" on
Rupert Bear, Follow the Magic... of their "Milkshake!" block. Thirteen 10-minute original episodes were broadcast and subsequently repeated. Following the success of these, a further 39 episodes have been produced to date. Each episode follows an adventure in the woodland world of Nutwood, England. The characters go between Rupert's cottage, the friends' tree house, Ping Pong's colourful pagoda and the ocean, where Miranda lives. Rupert Bear, Follow the Magic... Rupert Bear: Follow the Magic... is a children's television series based on the Mary Tourtel character, Rupert Bear. Aimed at pre-school children, the show is part stop motion, part computer-generated imagery. Rupert Bear still wears his