Posts from — April 2008

“Cartoonists always go cheerfully and happily straight to the heart of the issue, or the trend, or the argument: they are wise, because they have seen the truth about life, which is that at the heart of everything there lies a joke.”

Libby Purves, columnist, broadcaster and patron of the Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival.

British cartoon talent

PCOer Bill Stott writes:

We’re good at celebrating the work of dead cartoonists in the UK, but less adept at flagging up good living ones. True, some live cartoonists are celebrated, but not many. Only recently, the media fate of visual humour was placed in the hands of the Hayward Gallery on London’s South Bank. The curator of the resulting show chose not to feature any cartoonists, living, dead, or even those just a bit off colour. Instead the job of representing visual humour in the UK was given to some other people who turned in deeply unfunny, clunky pieces of preciousness, technically, described as art. We say, Enough! We also say find a joke (sometimes) by going here – or to, yes, you guessed it, Shrewsbury.

Bloghorn notes that you’ll probably find Bill Stott there too.

British cartoon talent

Tim Harries running a cartoon workshop Click image to enlarge

Cartoon workshops are a key part of the Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival, and PCO members Tim Harries and Andy Gilbert will be running two of them.

Tim will host a workshop called Create a Comic Strip on Saturday (April 19) at Shropshire Wildlife Trust, 2pm–4pm. This is aimed at children aged 8 to 12 and families.

Andy’s workshop is called Animal Antics and is aimed at younger children, ages 6 to 11. It’s designed to help them to draw cartoon animals. This workshop is also on Saturday, from 10.30am – 12.30pm, and is held at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery.

Both are drop-in workshops and are free, with no need to book. Children must be accompanied.

There are other workshops at the festival plus a Cartoon Clinic, where budding cartoonists of all ages are invited to bring their work for a critique and some tips from the professionals. See the events section of the Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival website for more details.

British cartoon talent

Caricature of Prime Minister Gordon Brown appearing in cartoonist Dave Brown‘s one-man show at this year’s Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival. Cartoon courtesy of Dave Brown. Click to enlarge the image.

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PCOer Alex Hughes submitted this caricature of Prime Minister Gordon Brown for the “But is it Art?” show at this year’s Shrewsbury festival. Click the picture to enlarge it.

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One of PCOer Mike Turner‘s contributions to the “But is it Art?” show running at the Shrewsbury Festival.

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A contribution for the “But is it Art?” show from PCOer Ken Pyne. The show is currently being exhibited in Shrewsbury until the end of April. Click to enlarge the picture.

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The curator of the UK’s national Cartoon Museum Anita O’Brien has contributed an exhibition to the Shrewsbury festival this year. This cartoon from Steve (Bestie) Best is one of the many on show now. You can click the cartoon to see a larger version.

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Among the exhibits in the caricature show at this year’s Shrewsbury cartoon festival is this drawing of author Martin Amis by Ralph Steadman.
British cartoon talent

Cartoon by Punch cartoonist Pont. (Click to enlarge)

An exhibition entitled Pont: Observing the British at Home and Abroad runs at the Cartoon Museum in London from April 23 until July 27.

It features more than 90 classic cartoons about the quirks of the British by Graham Laidler, better known as the Punch cartoonist Pont.

The Cartoon Museum is at 35 Little Russell Street, London. It is open Tue-Sat, 10.30am-5.30pm; Sun 12pm-5.30pm. Admission: £4, £3, free to students and under-18s. Visit the Cartoon Museum website.

British cartoon talent