The WaM books, written by Frank Muir
and illustrated by Joseph Wright, tell the tale of an Afghan
hound whose real name is Prince Amir of Kinjan. His favourite
things are eating his wicker basket and chasing the cat-next-door.
Just like The Simpsons, WaM hasn't aged a jot since the first
episode, although he has had a half birthday. Joe's illustrations
are mini stories within stories, with trippy creatures and
aliens doing their best to make sense of the strange world
around them.
1977 - What-a-Mess
Published by Ernest Benn
The puppy's first adventure, where he asks the universal question:
Who am I?
" When I find something as short and fat as I am - that will be what I am!" Unfortunately
the first thing WaM sees is a very short, extremely fat bee.
1978 - What-a-Mess The Good
Published by Ernest Benn
Where WaM decides to heroically rid the world of ants. Well,
three of them anyway. His hunt takes him on a rampage through
the garden and house. And then the family walks in...
1979 - Prince What-a-Mess
Published by Ernest Benn
The puppy gives himself a make-over, which includes his unusual
grooming method of running full tilt through the rose garden
for that nice, even comb. Strangely, the family is not impressed.
1980 - Super What-a-Mess
Published by Ernest Benn
A spoilt doggy, Poppet, arrives for the holidays and makes
WaM's life miserable. He must team up with the cat next door
to defeat this new, evil foe.
1981 - Frank and Polly Muir's
Big Dipper
Published by Heinemann
Includes the story What-a-Mess and his half birthday. He decides
to surprise the family at breakfast by leaping gracefully onto
the table ... but it doesn't quite go to plan.
1981 - What-a-Mess and the Cat-Next-Door
Published by Ernest Benn
It's a different cat. More evil. She persuades WaM to tear
down a pine smelling weed that has popped up in the lounge
room, and it's Christmas Eve...
1982 - What-a-Mess in... (the
four seasons)
Published by Ernest Benn in hardcover and Carousel in paperback.
- Summer: There's a heat wave,
and the puppy isn't coping, until he decides to dig a hole
down to Australia.
- Autumn: The slush and rain
and slippery leaves are too much for Prince Amir of Kinjan,
so he decides to hibernate.
- Winter: WaM gets caught up
in the excitement of the season and concocts a rather huge
wish list.
- Spring: That nasty Cat-Next-Door
from 1981 is back with more advice about crawling through
thickets and climbing trees.
1983 - What-a-Mess at the Seaside
Published by Ernest Benn
In which our hero travels to the beach and is saved from drowning
by the Archbishop of Canterbury... sort of. (Released in the US as "What-a-Mess
at the Beach".)
1984 - What-a-Mess Goes to School
Published
by A&C Black
WaM is sent to school to learn a few tricks. He's destined
to fail, until his friend Cynthia, a hedgehog, turns up.
1986 - What-a-Mess has ...(four
square meals)
Published by A&C Black in hardcover and Picture Corgi in
paperback
- Breakfast: The puppy has
been left on his own for the day with his food laid out,
but he's scoffed the lot and now he's hungry again. He faints
near the front fence and scares a passer by ... who drops
her basket of food.
- Lunch: He hasn't eaten for
nearly eight minutes and he's starving. The cat-next-door
teaches him how to hunt.
- Tea: The Archbishop of Canterbury
calls in but there's no food. No food, that is, until someone
brings some home cooking around for the charity sale. (Check
out the Back To The Future inspired illustrations by Joe
Wright.)
- Supper: He gives his last
bit of saved milk to Cynthia the hedgehog. Luckily, the family
is back and they've got a new basket for him. A new basket
which smells delicious ...
1989 - What-a-Mess Goes on Television
Published by Walker Books
A quite lengthy adventure, which naturally involves WaM on tv, but
only for three and a half minutes. Along the way WaM's mother tells
exciting stories about WaM's noble and courageous ancestors.
1990 - What-a-Mess and the Hairy Monster
Published by Doubleday in hardcover and Picture Corgi in paperback.
The final complete adventure, where the friends WaM has met over
the years all come together in one volume. United they conquer their
fears of the hairy monsters that lurk in dark places.
1990 - What-a-Mess Annual 1991
Published by World International Publishing.
1990 - What-a-Mess Colouring Book
Published by World International Television. Information courtesy
Polly Muir who, despite having several grandchildren, has
an incredibly rare uncoloured-in copy!
What-a-Mess Animated TV Series
There was an American and British cartoon series of What-a-Mess.
The British version stuck pretty much to the original feel of the
books, based on Joseph Wright's illustrations and was narrated by
Frank Muir. However, the American version apparently featured a karate
chopping side kick (urrrgh) and Frank made guest appearances as an
Old English Sheepdog, so the less said about that the better.
The UK series has a very cute theme song, which includes the lines: "A
tangled heap of unpleasantness, good grief, What-a-Mess!"
The British version was produced by Bevanfield Films for Central
Independent Television, adapted for television by Tim Forder.
The episodes are as follows...
![wam tv pic](wamtv.gif) |
01 What-A-Mess
goes to the Seaside
02 What-A-Mess
goes to School
03 Prince
What-A-Mess
04 Super
What-A-Mess
05 What-A-Mess
keeps Cool
06 What-A-Mess
and Cynthia the Hedgehog
07 What-A-Mess
has a Brainwave
08 What-A-Mess
and the Cat-Next-Door
09 What-A-Mess
and Little Poppet
10 What-A-Mess
goes Camping
11 What-A-Mess
The Beautiful
12 What-A-Mess
goes to Town
13 What-A-Mess
goes to the Vet![man](littleman.gif) |
1990 - Frank Muir's What-a-Mess
Published by Ladybird. (Based on the television episodes of
the same name.)
These were written by Tim Forder, "based on Frank Muir's original
concept and story". Illustrated by Nigel Alexander who also
stayed fairly close to the style of Joseph Wright's original
illustrations. This series stayed true to the original books.
They were sold in supermarkets for around £1.30 and are
much shorter adventures than the originals (which makes them
perfect for reading in the car because kiddies can finish them
before motion sickness sets in). For those with no trivia threshhold,
they are known as series 908.
What-A-Mess Goes
Camping
What-A-Mess
and Little Poppet
What-A-Mess
Goes to the Vet
What-A-Mess
The Beautiful
What-A-Mess
has a Brainwave
What-A-Mess
Goes to Town |
![what-a-mess & doggie](wam_dog.gif) |
What-a-Mess has also been printed in
Japan (Frank's name ends up as something like "Furanke Mueeru")
Israel, Germany, Netherlands, South Africa and France, where
he is known variously as O-Schreck-lass nach (German) Wat-een-Troep
(Dutch) Bollie-Blaps (Afrikaans) and Okeloreurrr! (French). |