Bloghorn is pleased to report that this evening’s talk by Peter Firmin, co-creator of Bagpuss, the Clangers, Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog at the Cartoon Museum is sold out.

This is a closing event for the Toy Tales exhibition which finishes showing to the public at the end of this week.

Bloghorn says go while you still have the chance. To talk to the museum, call 020 7580 8155

Updated: If you are interested in some of Peter’s back catalogue of work you also enjoy some here

“Double Dip and Toil and Trouble !!” by Nick Hayes,
from the Guardian’s summer cartoonists showcase.

As previously mentioned in Bloghorn, the Guardian is showcasing six up-and-coming cartoonists whilst regular incumbent Steve Bell is on his summer holidays.

Since the last week of July, the cartoons of Anna Trench, Lou McKeever (aka Bluelou), Ben Jennings, Tanya Tier, Bob Moran and Nick Hayes have been adding their own visual takes on the day’s news. Their contributions haven’t been without controversy, with many cartoons receiving over 100 comments each, including numerous pieces or rebuttal from fellow Guardian cartoonist, Martin Rowson. As Martin says in the comments:

The reason for giving these cartoonists an airing here – including, of course, the opportunity to fail – is that these days it’s almost impossible to undergo that kind of baptism of fire in a national newspaper , and thus hone your native skills.

and on the subject of the comments:

[...] these six debutants have overturned an original editorial decision not to have comments on their work when it appears on this site. I think that’s quite brave of them, so it might be worthwhile some of you repaying the compliment by being constructive in your criticism, rather than just trolling about as usual, beating up this particular bus shelter on the side of the information superhighway with the kind of reckless abandon that seems to come so easily to the heroically anonymous.

On a related note, Steve Bell and Martin Rowson will be in conversation at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this weekend, whilst Steve will also be chatting to American political cartoonist Garry Trudeau and comic book writer Alan Moore.

The new issue of Foghorn, the cartoon magazine of the UK Professional Cartoonists’ Organisation, has been published. Featuring a cover by Steve Bright and a back cover by Gerard Whyman, Foghorn is available to subscribers for the modest annual sum of £30 for six full colour issues all delivered to your door.

What’s inside this issue?

Toyshops in my life – Clive Collins reveals how he never got the hang of wrapping up a fully inflated football.

A word to the wise – Chris Madden explains how simplified spelling is quite str8forward.

The Trevelyan Files – Foghorn’s very own rip-roaring adventurer continues his exploits, courtesy of Andrew Birch.

Buildings in the Fog – Roger Penwill dons his architectural trousers and heads to the nearest railway station.

The Potting Shed – Cathy Simpson keeps our resident gardening experts in check. Careful with that strimmer!

A full page of Rob Murray cartoons (described by Michael Heath,  cartoon editor at the Spectator magazine, as one of the “smart new kids on the block”.)

Strips from Wilbur, Andy Davey and The Surreal McCoy.

And of course the fun-packed filler features – The Critic, The Foghorn Guide to, Letters to the Editor, and a fair bucketload of cartoons!

Buy your own annual subscription here.

PCOer Steve Bell writes in today’s Guardian newspaper about an usual opportunity for the more unseen cartoonist which he has cooked up with his colleague Martin Rowson.

We are both constantly badgered by young cartoonists waiting for us to die (as indeed Martin himself once urged me to), as well as editors complaining about how difficult it is to find fresh talent. He suggested using our longer than normal holiday period of six weeks to showcase some of the talent we know full well to be out there.

And he offers a short explanation of what the independently-minded artist does. Bloghorn thinks this definition is useful when trying to identify the drawn work of an illustrator or a cartoonist.

It does require a certain arrogance to sit in judgment over the great and good, as well as the not so good and the less great who rule our lives, but I’ve had a political agenda as long as my arm since I was in flared trousers, and have never been expected to express any point of view other than my own.

If you have things to say about what Steve has written please add them in the comments below.

A caricature of Daniel on one of the festival banners

Cartoon festivals pop up here and there around the globe. Some last for decades, others flourish and die swiftly. They come in many shapes and sizes but all share a common denominator: the enthusiasm of the participants to show their art to the world and the passer-by … and to have a good time doing it.

The Louviers Cartoon Festival in Northern France was one of the best attended but, sadly, its guiding light and director, Daniel Chabouis, passed away recently.  PCO member Simon Ellinas attended several of the festivals created by its memorable organiser.

Simon writes:

The English and the French hate each other. Official. Or so common folklore influenced by centuries of historical arguments, wars and petty grievances would have us believe. This hasn’t been my experience at all, with myriad pleasant and warmly welcomed visits to all parts of France.

The warmest welcome of all though was provided by the organiser of the Louviers Cartoon Festival, Daniel Chabouis, who contacted me in 2002 asking for a deputation of cartoonists to represent the UK at this most festive of festivals.

Daniel and his team were ultra-hospitable right from the start showing a depth of human kindness, consideration and extensive bonhomie often noticeably lacking elsewhere.

Passionate about the festival, he welcomed all forms of cartooning (see many of our past posts – Ed) and was able to persuade the local municipality to bankroll the event, along with many other local sponsors, for 12 years before it finally bit the credit-crunch dust and failed to surface in 2009.

The thing he created with the Louviers Cartoon Festival which, in my opinion, is unique amongst cartoon festivals I have visited, was a real atmosphere of festival. People attended in their thousands from the surrounding cities and towns.

All the cartoonists, their exhibits and their workshops and demonstrations were under one roof. Prizes were announced over the PA throughout the event and the public were able to see the cartoonists for whom they had voted based on the cartoons they had seen. There was often a palpable and electric excitement in the air.

The Louviers Cartoon Festival was, I believe, simply an extension of the organiser’s own personality. Because Daniel Chabouis was such a wonderfully generous man with an intense joie de vivre, so the festival was always an effervescent and memorable success.

Bloghorn thanks Simon for the news, the photograph and the good memories.

Following our earlier post, here is more evidence that new technology can help turn a tactile skill into a digital work of art.

The new issue of Foghorn, the cartoon magazine of the Professional Cartoonists’ Organisation, has been published. Featuring a cover by the PCO’s Andrew Birch (and a back cover by Higgins), Foghorn is available to subscribers for the modest sum of £30 for six full colour issues delivered to your door.

What’s inside?

Money in the wrong hands – Clive Collins recalls a case of mistaken identity.
This is your caption speaking – Rupert Besley goes back to school to find the trouble with words.
None shall pass! – Neil Dishington writes a short but sweet piece on the perils of online security.
Tickling the ivories – Tim Harries grabs his gold cape and widdly synth. Music lovers beware.
Foghorn guide to… – Bill Stott explains Equestrianism to non-horsey folk the world over. Some of it may even be true.
A full page of Noel Ford cartoons!

Plus…

…all the usual features – Buildings in the Fog, The Critic, The Potting Shed, Andy Davey’s ‘Foggy’ strip and plenty more cartoony random acts of humour.

You can also read older issues of Foghorn online here, right up to our most recent issue featuring a cover by, er, the author of this post Alex Hughes.

Following our recent post on Apple and control of digital content, The New York Times reports on another example of editing of drawn content. These issues around the suitablity of content mirror old arguments about what can be published in print. They are now being fought over what is acceptable inside the digital applications published on Apple Computer’s distribution systems.

Alex Hughes reports.

You may have not noticed, but there’s been a general election in Britian recently. And a general election means it’s open season for the political cartoonists, so here Bloghorn presents a brief summary of the events of the last month or so in cartoon form, starting at the beginning of the election with Dave Brown of the Independent on the runners and riders and the Guardian’s Martin Rowson on the approaching media obsession.
During the campaign The Guardian’s Steve Bell talks about drawing at the manifesto launches, the Sky debate, and drawing Nick Clegg, Peter Mandelson and David Cameron (and the cartoon that came from this).

The TV debates may have changed the direction of the election, but they were seen differently by Tim Sanders in the Independent, Dave Brown, Peter Brookes of the Times, Steve Bell and Paul Thomas of the Daily Expesss,whilst Morten Morland of the Times produced a series of short animated responses to each of the debates (ITV, Sky, BBC).

The debates lead to widespread Cleggmania as seen by Stephen Collins in Prospect, Matt in the Daily Telegraph, Martin Rowson and Paul Thomas, and the inevitable media backlash as satirised by Peter Brookes and Dave Brown.

Gordon Brown made what was probably the biggest political gaffe of the campaign by calling a member of the public a “bigoted woman”; Peter Brookes, and Dave Brown, Mac of the Daily Mail, Paul Thomas provided their own takes on Bigotgate.

The election night itself inspired Tim Sanders and Matt, but as we now know it resulted in a hung parliament, as shown variously the Sun’s Andy Davey, Dave Brown, Matt, Peter Brookes, Paul Thomas and Mac (and even a hung parliament themed game), Gordon Brown’s departure as seen by Nick Garland and eventually the Con-Lib coalition Christian Adams, Tim Sanders, Morten Morland and Martin Rowson.

Looking forward to the challenges for the new Government were Harry Venning’s Clare in the Community and Kal in the Economist, and looking back, Bloghorn’s very own Matt Buck produced a series of  weekly despatches for the Guardian from the 1710 campaign as seen by Tobias Grubbe (2, 3, 4, 5).  The Times produced a 9 page comic summary of the election campaign available for download here (PDF, 7Mb).

(“Keep Calm and Cameron” cartoon by Nathan Ariss).

The Editor adds: We are bound to have missed many other great examples of cartooning so please do feel free to add things you have seen in the comments. Thanks.

Revellers at the Groucho Club, London’s premier trendy media hangout, found something to distract them from the anti-climax of the General Election last Thursday night: live cartooning.

Members of the PCO, the organisation which runs the Bloghorn, were on hand to draw cartoons in an informal capacity – is there any other way in the Groucho Club? – on the subject of politics and the election, as well as drawing live caricatures. The cartoons were then pinned up on the walls, showing up the Emins and Hirsts.

Cameras are not permitted in the Groucho, and the cartoonists went untroubled by the paparazzi outside the club, so there is no photographic record. Instead, we offer you some fine drawings of the assembled scribblers by Wilbur Dawbarn.

Much fun was had by all, even if there was still no conclusive result in the election by throwing-out time at 4am. But, who knows, we may be back there for the next election in a matter of months …