I-Spy (Michelin)

For other uses, see I Spy (disambiguation).

The I-SPY books are spotters' guides written for British children, and particularly successful in the 1950s and 1960s in their original form and again when relaunched by Michelin in 2009 after a seven-year gap in publishing.

Concept

The I-SPY books consisted of around forty small volumes that sold in hundreds of thousands of copies each, totalling sales of 25 million worldwide to 2010.[1] Each book in the I-Spy series covered a different subject, such as I-SPY Cars, I-SPY on the Pavement, I-SPY Churches, I-SPY on a Train Journey, and so on. As children spotted the objects listed, they recorded the event in the book, and gained points, varying according to how unusual the sight. Once the book was complete, it could be sent to Warrell (known as Big Chief I-SPY) for a feather and order of merit. The children participating in the game were known as The I-SPY Tribe, and by 1953 the I-SPY Tribe had half a million members.[1]

Background

The company was supposedly run by a Red Indian chief called Big Chief I-Spy. The original Big Chief I-Spy was Charles Warrell, a former head master who created I-Spy towards the end of his working life. He retired in 1956, but lived until 1995 when he died at the age of 106.[1] After Warrell's retirement his assistant Arnold Cawthrow became the second Big Chief, and served in this role until 1978. For part of this time he also worked as an antiques dealer in Islington. He died in 1993, and is commemorated by a stone plaque placed on the outside of the Boatmen's Rooms, the house where he spent some of his last years in Deal, Kent.

The books were originally self-published by Charles Warrell but, after a brief period when they were published by the Daily Mail, they were taken over by the now defunct News Chronicle newspaper and based in the paper's building in Bouverie Street. The regular I-SPY column, which appeared in the News Chronicle, reverted to the Daily Mail when the News Chronicle ceased publication, and continued to appear until the late 1980s. The books have had various publishers over the years including the Dickens Press, a company set up to continue the book publishing interests of the 'News Chronicle', and Polystyle Publications, a publisher of children's comics.

The books became very popular, with print runs well into six figures. Big Chief I-Spy had a succession of assistants, usually known as "Hawkeye". In the early 1970s, this position was held by Ralph Mills. Earlier assistants included Max Heinz and John Tagholm. In the 1980s, following a short-lived third Big Chief, Robin Tucek, David Bellamy replaced Big Chief I-Spy as the person to whom completed books were sent, and the earlier Red Indian connections were quietly dropped.

Michelin Travel Publications acquired and published the series from 1991 until 2002 when they effectively ceased publication, there were ad-hoc sales after that date to clear stocks.

I-Spy books were relaunched by Michelin Travel Publications on Mon 7 Dec 2009 with 12 new titles and a further 12 in Spring 2010. The Bookseller announced the new launch in its October 9, 2009 issue with an interview with Michelin Commercial Director Ian Murray.[2] Mr Murray confirmed that the initial 12 titles will include I Spy Birds, Cars, Trees, On a Car Journey and On a Train Journey. The new I-Spy titles are faithful to the original concept but are fully updated and include all new colour images.

The relaunch of the books and subsequent multiple expansions of the title list suggested that their popularity is being enjoyed by a new generation of children.

Titles

The News Chronicle series included the following titles (as listed on the back of the booklets):

I-SPY BOOKS – Sixpence each

I-SPY COLOUR BOOKS – One Shilling each


There are now 37 individual titles and three boxed sets, one of which is made up of 70 individual cards.

The initial 12 titles launched December 2009

Titles launched May 2010

Titles launched April 2011

Titles launched in Summer 2011

Three boxed sets released in November 2011

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Big Chief I-Spy's Legacy in 2010". BBC News Online. 19 January 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  2. ↑ Felicity Wood (9 October 2009), Michelin spots series and gets to play I-Spy again, The Bookseller

External links

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