Category — Bloghorn UK cartoon news
Round-up: What the Bloghorn saw
Rob Murray writes:
As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 nears, around 90 US cartoonists across five different syndicates have come together to produce commemorative editions of their strips. There’s more on the story at The Huffington Post and Voice of America. Meanwhile, Daryl Cagle has also asked some of America’s top political cartoonists to reflect on 9/11.
Here in the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority has banned an advert for mobile phone retailer Phones 4u, which features a cartoon depiction of Jesus, for being ‘disrespectful’. New Statesman weighs in and asks what is more offensive: the cartoon itself or the ASA’s decision to ban it. (Bloghorn is most perturbed by the apparenty lack of originality in the image – which bears remarkable similarity to this parody from the movies)
The Malvern Gazette notes that a plaque to First World War cartoonist Bruce Bairnsfather – creator of Old Bill – is to be unveiled in the village of Colwall in Herefordshire, where he lived towards the end of his life.
Finally, PCO member and fellow Bloghorner Royston Robertson has written about his recent visits to two cartoon exhibitions – both focused on the saucy seaside postcard. You can read his piece here.
Bloghorn is made on behalf of the UK Professional Cartoonists’ Organisation
September 9, 2011 No Comments
Most high-profile cartoon in the world
The Google doodles – the drawings which accompany the advertising company’s ubiquitous search engine – are the most read cartoons in the world.
Bloghorn admires the company’s long-term use of drawn imagery as a piece of business promotion (do visit the archives.) Today they have moved the still cartoon image into a animated video celebrating the memory of the flamboyant leader singer of Queen, Freddie Mercury.
Agree with our view on the most high-profile cartoon in the world? Please have your say in the comments below.
Bloghorn is made on behalf of the UK’s Professional Cartoonists’ Organisation
September 5, 2011 1 Comment
Bloghorn: Moving home this autumn
We’re back after our summer holiday with some good news for the autumn.
We’re moving to a new home alongside all of the portfolios from our membership of professional UK cartoonists.
Packing the boxes will take us a little while but this blog won’t be moving anywhere even though eventually all our new updates will appear at the new, ahem, pad.
Long time readers of Bloghorn may recall we have done this before and we are sure we will get better with the practice.
Keep your eyes here for the updates about progress and in the meantime do check out the membership artwork which is frequently updated.
Bloghorn is made by Matthew Buck, Royston Robertson, Alex Hughes and Rob Murray.
August 31, 2011 No Comments
Round up: What the Bloghorn saw
Rob Murray writes:
Music by The Smiths has inspired a comics collection, Unite and Take Over, due for release in November. Smiths fan Shawn Demumbrum of Phoenix, Arizona has assembled 13 creative teams to interpret songs by the band as comic strips, each three or four pages in length. Demumbrum, who is currently looking for contributions towards printing costs, discusses the project in a promotional video here, and with the Guardian here.
Another rock band, Art Brut, have commissioned a 28-page comic to mark the release of their latest album. The comic features art by Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley, and you can read more about the project here.
Elsewhere, a vintage TV clip of film director and Monty Python animator Terry Gilliam discussing his animation techniques has resurfaced courtesy of Cartoon Brew. The blog points out that, given the continuing interest in animation, it is a shame that such shows no longer exist. Bloghorn agrees, but would also like to see more in-depth coverage of other cartooning formats.
As always, please alert us to anything we might have missed, using the comments below. Thanks.
August 7, 2011 4 Comments
Foghorn – The magazine by cartoonists
Bloghorn commends summer reading with the NEW* issue of Foghorn magazine due for publication. It’s the only cartoon magazine made by the cartoonists themselves.
- http://procartoonists.org
You can try a digital copy and subscribe to six print issues a year for £20 here. Don’t miss it.
* See what we did there?
August 3, 2011 No Comments
Round up: What the Bloghorn saw
Rob Murray writes:
With Steve Bell’s one-man restrospective at the Cartoon Museum having just closed, the Guardian cartoonist – and member of the UK Professional Cartoonists Organisation, which runs the Bloghorn – has been awarded an honorary degree from the University of Brighton.
New Yorker cartoonist Ed Koren has been interviewed by Vermont Public Radio about his long career, his writing process and his views on the future of cartooning. You can listen to the 12-minute interview here.
Acclaimed comics writer Alan Moore tells the Guardian about the latest installment of his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series (published this week), and how he thinks the internet will transform comics. Read the interview here.
Staying in the realm of comic books, Robert Crumb’s classic underground series Zap Comix is due to be reprinted in its entirety next year, in an 800-page, two-volume hardcover set from Fantagraphics Books.
As always, please draw our attention to anything you think we’ve missed by posting a comment below.
July 29, 2011 No Comments
Round up : What the Bloghorn saw
Rob Murray writes:
A handsome new book about the use of cartoons in early advertising is released this month by graphic novel and comic art publisher Fantagraphics Books. In 128 full-colur pages, Drawing Power spans from the 1870s to the 1940s and features lesser-known work by cartoonists such as Peter Arno, Thomas Nast, George Herriman and Dr Seuss. More information on the book, including a slideshow of many of the cartoons featured, can be found here.
The News International phone-hacking scandal has made headlines around the world, and reminds Vancouver Sun writer Darah Hansen of a classic Doonesbury strip, as she explains here.
Judge Dredd, the iconic star of long-running UK sci-fi comic 2000 AD, is getting a second chance at movie stardom – this time without Sylvester Stallone – in a new film due early next year.
Last but by no means least, the UK Professional Cartoonists Organisation – which runs the Bloghorn – has this week unveiled its portfolio website. Take a look, if you haven’t already. We will be moving to the new site in due course.
July 22, 2011 1 Comment
Cartooning in real-time
Response to printed and digital cartoons is now pretty much instant as this tweet about a drawing by Peter Brookes of The Times shows.
Peter’s colleague Morten Morland (a PCO member) had a swift response below
The standard response of editorial cartoonists to feedback like this is
Or complete silence, but when the controversy crosses the oceans in seconds to other influential commentators…
This speed of interaction between opinion, response and offence pose, in Bloghorn’s view both a challenge and an opportunity to makers of drawings. What do you think cartoonists should do in the social media era?Answers welcome in the comments.
Updated: 2pm
Further response from the internet
Updated: Wednesday 27th July – The Guardian is reporting a letter from seven UK academics complaining about the publication of this cartoon. Read the story here and please comment below if you would like.
July 21, 2011 3 Comments
Round up : What the Bloghorn saw
Rob Murray writes:
More details are emerging about The Phoenix, a new weekly comic from the former editor of the short-lived DFC that is due to launch in January. The Phoenix blog features an animated trailer for one of its strips, ‘The Pirates of Pangaea’ by Daniel Hartwell and Neill Cameron, while its latest email newsletter provides this interactive teaser for a strip by Dandy cartoonist Jamie Smart.
Saudi Arabia’s lone female newspaper cartoonist, Hana Hajjar, tells CNN about the importance of her role in a male-led society and how her cartoons speak out for women. You can read the interview here (thanks to fellow cartoonist Lou McKeever for spotting the story).
In Malaysia, cartoonist Zunar has been unsuccessful in his attempt to lift a ban on two of his cartoon collections, according to news agency Bernama. Zunar was arrested in September under the country’s Sedition Act for publishing books considered ‘detrimental to public order’. An open letter from Chuah Siew Eng of Malaysia’s Centre for Independent Journalism calls the latest decision disappointing. Zunar intends to appeal.
Timed to coincide with the release of the final Harry Potter film, cartoonist Lucy Knisley has launched a humorous comic that condenses the entire series. Time Out Chicago has the full story, and Knisley’s blog features an incredibly detailed poster to download (but beware of spoilers!).
If there is something Bloghorn really shouldn’t really have missed please add it in the comments below. Thank you.
July 16, 2011 No Comments
Have pen, will travel
© Stanley McMurtry of the Daily Mail
Mac of the Daily Mail writes about a low technology joy of cartooning on the road in this travel piece for his employer. It is a nice read and shows, at least to Bloghorn, that many cartoonists are equally comfortable when combining picture and word to make memorable communication.
Seen any other examples of cartoonists who can write? Let the Bloghorn team know…
July 14, 2011 1 Comment
