Barry Appleby Gambols original cartoon strip artwork.
Appleby is famous for creating The Gambols strip for the Daily Express. The first strip appeared on 16 March 1950. The script was written by Appleby’s wife Dobs (Doris), and was based on their own lives. The two central characters are George and Gaye Gambol, a happily married, suburban, middle class couple. George is the main breadwinner while Gaye is primarily a homemaker but she does occasionally take on part-time office jobs. The stories revolve around the Gambols everyday life, in particular Gaye's passion for shopping and George's attempts at DIY. The couple are childless, but at least once a year, they have their niece and nephew, Flivver and Miggy, stay with them. After Dobs' death in 1985, Appleby continued with the strip on his own until his own death in 1996. The strip was then taken over by Roger Mahoney until the strip moved from the Daily Express to the Mail on Sunday in 1999.