Inadvertently discovered these bizarre British trading cards distributed through a brand called Baldric Cigarettes (sometimes spelled Baldrick instead, not sure which is right). They depict “Comic Animals” - unusual fantasy creatures with wordplay names and short encyclopedia entries about them. It’s fun to look at these as a sort of precursor for what became the popular creature-based trading cards we take for granted today.
Here is a summary I am borrowing from another collector:
When these cards were originally reviewed for our magazine in January 1936 the artist (name unknown) of these fantasy animals with weird names was described as “working under the influence of nightmare”. We would not go that far, but the animals and their names are certainly very imaginative and unusual. The cards, which were originally issued with the company’s ‘Baldrick Cigarettes’, are coloured with a glossy finish and fictitious text about the creature on the numbered backs. Some of our favourites include the Bishippony which apparently has faster back legs than front making them easy to catch in summer as they somersault when chased, the Knitanutta bird which knits its own nest, the Allibazoo which is a cross between an alligator and a pelican, the Jourgadurasse which lays square eggs and the Jackflap which flies by flapping its tail and loves cherries. If you are looking for something quirky then check out this set which has cards size 64 x 40mm.
Thought it would be fun to share.
