Pencils

50 years of Mouse TV

 in Pencils  tagged Die Sendung mit der Maus / pencils by
The Maus pencils are triangular and come in 12 colours

This year the German TV show “Die Sendung mit der Maus” celebrates 50 years on air. By now it is apparently being broadcast in 100 different countries, but I am not sure how popular it actually is outside Germany as I couldn’t find much information online that confirms what I read on Wikipedia about its popularity [1]Wikipedia tells me that there are also English dubbed versions being broadcast, but when I had a quick look I didn’t see any..

The packaging is nice, but on the pencil the outline of the Maus is smaller than the company logo

It is however very popular in Germany and teaches children a lot of things, including how products and things work and how they are made. By now there also a Maus radio station and, of course, there are (or were) Maus pencils.

I am not familiar with the maker of the Maus pencils. Based on what I have seen and based on the sparse information I have seen on the FSC web site I assume the company behind the pencils is a ‘marketing company’ that just paid to use the Maus logo and name on a pencil and then paid a manufacturer to put produce the Maus pencils for them.

The pencils are quite good for a ‘marketing product’, certainly better than some other coloured pencils with famous children characters.

Happy Birthday

All the best to the Maus. If you have a chance to watch an episode, please do so. They are quite informative – even for adults.

Die Sendung mit der Maus in Japanese…

References

References
↑1Wikipedia tells me that there are also English dubbed versions being broadcast, but when I had a quick look I didn’t see any.

Noris 120 2

 in Pencils / Seen in the wild / Staedtler  tagged Noris / Noris spotting / Staedtler / Staedtler Noris / Staedtler Noris colour by

To celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Noris Staedtler has created a special page for our [1]..certainly my and maybe also your favourite pencil favourite pencil. You can find it in the ‘Highlights’ section of Staedtler’s website (it’s part of the the ‘Discover’ menu item).

A typical ‘Noris spotted on the Beeb’ photo thrown in for good measure. (Image © BBC)

I wish this important brand and pencil could have been in the limelight a bit longer – by Staedtler featuring the Noris anniversary article on their landing page for a few weeks – especially in countries like the UK where the Noris is very popular and people might appreciate this special anniversary [2]The 120th anniversary of the pencil with then umber 120.. Addendum: I have been told that that the Noris anniversary pages will be expanded throughout the year.

The special Noris web page is a great read with lots of historic details plus some quirky titbits thrown in, like the record-breaking Noris color pencil that is more than 450 meters long or the giant Noris Obelisk in Barcelona. Unfortunately the translation into English seems to have been done by a computer, which resulted in the occasional information hiccup, but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment you get from all the details. Addendum: My understanding is that Staedtler will get the translation issues fixed.

I feel very honoured that my best wishes for this anniversary are featured on the German version of the Staedtler website, next to Gunther’s.

Here featured in a report about how schools are affected during Covid times. Nothing says “UK school” quite like the Noris. (Image © BBC)

The anniversary details from this page are great, so I couldn’t resist and added some of them to the Noris page on Stationery.wiki.

The screenshots of have been taken from BBC News. I believe that the use of these images falls under “fair dealing” as described by the UK Copyright service.

References

References
↑1..certainly my and maybe also your favourite pencil
↑2The 120th anniversary of the pencil with then umber 120.

Julia Donaldson’s Staedtler Tradition

 in Pencils / Seen in the wild / Staedtler  tagged Julia Donaldson / seen in the wild / Staedtler / tradition / Tradition 110 by
Julia Donaldson (Image © The Documentary Unit Scotland / BBC Studios)

This is a quick follow up linked to the previous blog post about Sara Ogilvie’s Staedtler Tradition.

Julia Donaldson wrote the text for the previously mentioned book ‘The Detective Dog’ and is world-famous for her Gruffalo book(s). It’s great to know that she is also partial to good pencils …and like Sara Ogilvie she is also using Staedtler’s Tradition.

Julia Donaldson writing with a Staedtler Tradition (Image © The Documentary Unit Scotland / BBC Studios)

The screenshots of Julia Donaldson using a Staedtler Tradition have been taken from the documentary ‘The Magical World of Julia Donaldson’. I believe that the use of these images falls under “fair dealing” as described by the UK Copyright service.

Sara Ogilvie’s Staedtler Tradition

 in Pencils / Seen in the wild / Staedtler  tagged Sara Ogilvie / seen in the wild / Staedtler / Tradition 110 by

My son has accumulated quite a few picture books over the years. They are mainly used as good night stories. When it comes to the beauty of the drawings there is one firm favourite for me: The Detective Dog.

(Image © Macmillan Children’s Books)

In the past I tried to find out more about the artist behind this book’s drawings, but wasn’t very successful – so you can imagine my surprise when not only was she being mentioned on TV, you could even see her using a Staedtler Tradition for her drawings.

Sara Ogilvie drawing with a Staedtler Tradition (Image © The Documentary Unit Scotland / BBC Studios)

She’s certainly not the first British artist using the Staedtler Tradition that is being mentioned in this blog and I am quite sure she won’t be the last.

Sara Ogilvie sharpening her Staedtler Tradition (Image © The Documentary Unit Scotland / BBC Studios)

Some of the drawings characteristics made me think the book’s drawings were produced on a computer, so seeing they were made with pencil and paper ..and a with Staedtler made this Staedtler fanboy very happy.

The screenshots of Sara Ogilvie using a Staedtler Tradition have been taken from the documentary ‘The Magical World of Julia Donaldson’. I believe that the use of these images falls under “fair dealing” as described by the UK Copyright service.