Colouring Book Theatre: Benji

It’s time to bring the pain again with this gem from 1978. Benji as most 70’s kids know was an adorable trained dog that starred in a series of films and was the brain child of Joe Camp.

I found this at the same truck stop/flea market that I bought the horrible Fantastic Four Book last summer, I should have known better. No, I didn’t pay the dollar price as indicated on the cover, the vendor (a nice guy who goes by the name “The Shadow”) tossed it in.

It must be a challenge to write a colouring book devoted to a non talking character and this one shows either a great deal of writer’s block and/or not caring on the part of the folks at Golden Books.

So I’ll spare you all of Benji’s mooching food hi jinx and stowing aboard a soda pop truck hilarity and get to the meat of the story. Benji visits a circus and sees the clowns have a problem. You see, stray dogs are in short supply in this town, obviously this place is no where near my yard.

Well that sends Benji into a long fantasy of the different gigs he (she?) could do in the circus, the clowns find Benji and feed him (her?). Benji reciprocates by standing on his hind legs.

Billy doesn’t get out much. I don’t know why I’m explaining that Benji gets the job at the circus, I’m sure you can figure that out.

The man handing out Lollipops doesn’t work for the circus.

Benji’s big circus job? Pulling a cart with a monkey in it.
Maybe I’m just jaded, when I was a kid we went backstage at the circus and well, let’s just say you won’t see the animal treatment in any colouring book. Well, maybe one from the 20’s.
It all ends Benji licking a fan, he stole that from Tom Jones. I need a drink…..