Norman Thelwell, 80; British Cartoonist for Satirical...

Norman Thelwell, 80; British Cartoonist for Satirical Magazine

British cartoonist Norman Thelwell, 80, who was known for his drawings in the satirical magazine Punch, died Saturday in a London nursing home after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Thelwell contributed 1,500 cartoons, including 60 front covers for the now-defunct magazine over 25 years. His first cartoon for Punch appeared in 1952, and his trademark became an image of a little girl riding a fat pony. He published his first book of cartoons in 1957, and his total of 32 books have sold more than 2 million copies.

The cartoonist was known for blending sharp social comment with quirky humor, and memorably illustrating British character traits.

Born in Birkenhead, England, Thelwell joined the British Army in 1941, and served in Britain and India during World War II. Wherever he went, his sketchbooks went along. After the war, he attended Liverpool College of Art, and in 1950 began teaching design and illustration.