Prints of Whiskers Rabbit. 

Althogh no longer for sale copies of the original artwork are included in

The Cococub Family - Adorable Animals from Ernest Aris

Ernest Aris first started drawing rabbits in 1910 and they provided him with a meal ticket for life.  He wrote and illustrated a book based on the adventures of a rabbit in 1922, the book and the illustrations were re-printed in 1947 and the illustrations were used a third time to illustrate Blackberry Bunny which was part of the Brambledown Series published in 1989.  He illustrated Brer Rabbit for Enid Blyton and is also popularly known as the illustrator of the Tasseltip Tales published by Ladybird.

Whisker's was one of the first Cococubs to be issued and to my mind he is based on the Peter Rabbit character created by Beatrix Potter.  Peter's little blue jacket and shiny black shoes are parodied here.

Whiskers Rabbit appeared in a variety of incarnations.  In the following publications authored and illustrated by Ernest he appears:- as Black Rabbit in Pirates Three, published in 1914 & as Bunkum Brown, Bandit in a book by that name later in 1917; with baggy trousers & a patch to the knee he is Peter Rabbit in Ernest's book The Treasure Seekers.  In The Tale of Robbie Rabbit he even has a blue patch to his trousers as in the original drawing and in the finished model for Whiskers Rabbit.  As Benjy Bunny he appeared in Woodfolk Market & Wee Benjy Brown. Benjy is also the central character in A Bad Bold Bunny, the title of which appears to draw on The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. The same character is also Barley Bunny and Bunny o' the Bracken or simply Bunnikin; he even appears as Frisky Rabbit in the cigarette card series by that name.  The list is endless.

The original artwork by Aris was obtained from one of the world's leading experts in the design and production of metal models, Charles Biggs, who enjoyed an association with Britains models for more than 40 years.