Mr Trafalgar wins License This! at BLE 2013

Mr Trafalgar is the creation of Newcastle artist and illustrator, Jamie Patterson. Mr Trafalgar himself is a dapper and mysterious rat, executed in flowing lines and first drawn riding a Penny Farthing. The character is one of many humanized animal characters that inhabit a rich, imagined world. All the work is hand-drawn in silhouette pen and ink with fluid ornate lines that create a vintage Edwardian feel, inspired by Art Nouveau and illustrators such as Aubrey Beardsley and Jan Pienkowski.

Chair of the judges David Riley, Managing Director, Egmont Publishing Group, said: “License This! 2013 produced a very high-calibre of entrants, and the panel was confident that any one of the shortlisted brands could make it commercially. However, there could only ever be one winner, and we were delighted to award the prize to Mr Trafalgar, developed by Jamie Patterson and Bella Binus. Original, quirky, amusing, distinctive, Mr Trafalgar has huge appeal for both adults and children across a range of categories. Well done!”

The License This challenge is now in its fourth year, offering new creative concepts the opportunity to break into the global licensing industry. The final took place in front of an audience at BLE on Thursday 17th October 2013. Mr Trafalgar wins a fully-furnished stand at Brand Licensing Europe 2014, so that the property can be brought back to market next year.

• The Fantastical Adventures of Elle presented by Sarah Lawrence – the stories of a small girl and her elephant, inspired by two dads and their responses to the questions asked by their own small children.
• Princess Pirates presented by David Henderson – a new girls’ property based on the story of five princesses who stumble upon a treasure chest and become caught up in a life of adventure.
• Railway of Life presented by Sarah Watts – a new brand, inspired by a 1926 Christmas card, which evokes the magic of a past era and offers an optimistic message for the future.