Like other Hanna-Barbera series, Top Cat had a swath of merchandise to accompany it. and then some. One of the companies that hopped on the gravy train was Whitman Publishing. For decades they made books for many animated characters, ranging from Hanna-Barbera to Walt Disney. Today, I'm sharing just a few of the books the company commissioned for Top Cat during its run.
The first book, titled "Top Cat Sticker Fun," gives you pretty much exactly what you'd expect. Inside are a bunch of stickers, featuring T.C., his supporting cast, and a few objects for safe measure. Below is the book cover, as well as some of the stickers included.
Here's one of several Top Cat coloring books Whitman put out. The cover displays the main cast at sea, famously the feline's favorite area to explore. Judging by the actual pages, it looks like this book follows a loose narrative based around this setting, so it's not as random as you'd think.
Another interesting coloring book was the "Choo Choo Coloring Book." While Benny may've gotten his own cookie jar, it appears Choo Choo got a coloring book all about him. Definitely a cool find, but I feel like making a coloring book about one character in a series with many is a bit of a strange decision.
You may also notice the second photo mentions a "Watkins-Strathmore" company, rather than Whitman. Technically, the two are different companies, but Whitman itself is a subsidiary of Watkins, hence its inclusion here.
Beyond the activity titles, Whitman also published picture books. Here is one of the Top Cat books, sporting some stunning cover artwork. The interior artwork was done by The Mattinsons, who were frequently contracted to do work for Whitman's children's books. Eileen Daily took care of writing duties.
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