Weary Willie and Tired Tim

Weary Willie and Tired Tim were a pair of idle cartoon tramps who would rather burgle than work. They were created by Tom Browne (1870-1910) for Alfred Harmsworth’s comic Illustrated Chips no. 298 on 16 May 1896. At first they were known as Weary Waddles and Tired Timmy. The characters brought the circulation of Illustrated Chips to 600,000 copies a week. Browne created other comics for Harmsworth and was paid well for the period; £150 per week. Weary Willie and Tired Tim occupied the front page of Chips until 1953.

The name Weary Willie was also used as an American slang term for a tramp, probably introduced by way of international music hall touring acts as those of Fred Karno, who featured another famous tramp, Charlie Chaplin, in his stage acts. The famous clown Emmett Kelly, a former cartoonist, had a character called Weary Willie who featured in circuses, television and movies.

Above: Cycling Magazine 1 September 1900

Above: Pick-Me-Up 15 Dec 1900