Richard Wasey ('Dicky') Chopping, born in Colchester, Essex, on 14 April 1917, died on 17 April 2008 at Wivenhoe, Essex, aged 91. He was best-remembered as the artist of the stylish James Bond hardcover dustjacket that have become an iconic part of the Bond franchise. In later life he said he regretted the connection with Bond which overshadowed his career, which had also included nature books for Puffin (Butterflies of Britain, 1943) and Penguin (notably the British Wild Flowers series which was planned as a mammoth 22-volume work illustrating every flower to be found in the United Kingdom but which was abruptly cancelled after reaching 'C').Chopping also wrote two novels, The Fly (1965, reviewed here) and The Ring (1967).
Obituaries: East Anglian Daily Times (21 April); The Independent (23 April); CommanderBond.net (24 April); The Times (26 April).
sad to read this. Dicky Chopping was quite a character. I was in an end of term pantomime with him at the Royal college of Art. He was wonderful. At the end of the run he took me to dinner at Langhan's in London's picadilly and then on to a saucy bar. i'd never seen anything like it. he was very generous. I am glad he crossed my path.
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