Bloghorn notices that when political cartoonists pick the same targets, they often pick the same jokes, or at least variations on a similar theme.

This can be seen in the national press today as three heavyweight cartoonists give their take on Lord Goldsmith appearing before the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war.

One: Peter Brookes in The Times suggests he was leant on

Two: Steve Bell in The Guardian thinks pressure was applied

Three: Dave Brown in The Independent on suggests arm-twisting

Of course, all these cartoonists are working at the same time, operating under the same time pressures – there’s no suggestion of copying! – which makes it all the more a fascinating insight into the way cartoonists’ minds work. Thanks to Andy Davey for drawing it to our attention.

The PCO: Great British cartoon talent
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As we reported yesterday evening, Peter Brookes of The Times won the Political Cartoonist of the Year Awards for 2009. His colleague Morten Morland completed an excellent evening for the News International print title by winning best single image for a drawing of Gordon Brown and President of the US, Barack Obama.

The Times has coverage and Morland writes here too.

This post was corrected for a glaring misidentification of the US president at 12.26pm 11th December.

This image of Boris Johnson making a mess of Tory policy on Europe was Peter Brookes’ cartoon for The Times on October 6. You can read a “day in the life” profile of the cartoonist at work, explaining how he came up with the cartoon, at the Times Onine website.

According to the profile, “Brookes’ always irreverent, often scabrous, cartoons have a habit of sending readers spluttering to their writing desks and email accounts”. And the cartoonist likes nothing more than drawing people as animals because it allows him to show base behaviour: “You are able to depict crap and fornication and that sort of thing.”

The profile ties in with the new Peter Brookes exhibition at the Chris Beetles Gallery in London, which we covered on Bloghorn last week.

Link: A day in the scabrous life of political cartoonist Peter Brookes

Update, October 13: The Times has another article about Peter Brookes today, by Matthew Parris: Offend everyone: The secret of success

Two political cartoon exhibitions open in London next week, at the Chris Beetles Gallery and the Political Cartoon Gallery.

PeterBrookes: The Best of Times, above, is at the Chris Beetles Gallery from Monday (October 12) until October 31. More than 100 of Brookes’s most recent cartoons from The Times will be on display. Signed copies of the book accompanying the show are available from the gallery.

The Chris Beetles Gallery, at 8 and 10 Ryder Street, St James’s (nearest Tube Green Park or Piccadilly Circus) is open Mon-Sat, 10am–5.30pm.

Drawings by Peter Brookes also feature in Cameron in Caricature, an exhibition of cartoons on the Tory leader David Cameron is at the Political Cartoon Gallery from next Tuesday (October 13) until December 24.

Cameron’s infamous Twitter faux pas, as seen by Morten Morland

The exhibition of 60 original cartoons charts the fortunes of Cameron since he became leader in December 2005. It will feature cartoons by political cartoonists such as Martin Rowson, Steve Bell, Morten Morland, Dave Brown, Peter Schrank, Ingram Pinn and Andy Davey.

The Political Cartoon Gallery, 32 Store Street, is open Mon-Fri 9.30am–5.30pm and Sat 11.30am–5.30pm.

Bloghorn spotted this great work during this week ending the 25th September 2009.

One: Peter Brookes in The Times on the special relationship

Two: Nicholas Garland in The Daily Telegraph on
a very public crash

Three: Len Hawkins in The Spectator on paranoid parenting

The PCO: Great British cartoon talent
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The August 2009 issue of Artists & Illustrators magazine features an interview with six prominent British cartoonists. Nick Newman, Peter Brookes, Posy Simmonds, and PCOers Morten Morland, Kipper Williams,and John Jensen talk about how they got started in the ‘business of satire’.

Bloghorn spotted this great work during this week ending the 10th July 2009.

One: Christian Adams in The Telegraph on the chase for the pink vote

Two: Hector Breeze in The Spectator: “It is suggested that one reign for a bit without pay.”

Three: And finally, Peter Brookes in The Times on trouble at No. 11

The PCO: Great British cartoon talent
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MPs are back in the news again with the release of their heavily blacked-out expense reports, so Bloghorn has a special round-up of the best of the redacted, censored and otherwise obscured cartoons for the week ending the 19th June 2009.

One: Matt in the Daily Telegraph gives us a historical perspective on the story.

Two: Mac in the Daily Mail shows us a sneak preview of the upcoming Iraq enquiry testimony from Gordon Brown.

Three: There’s a brand-spanking new ceremonial role in the Houses of Parliament in Peter Brookes cartoon for The Times…

Four: …whilst Dave Brown lets it all hang out in the open for the Independent

Five: Steve Bell in The Guardian goes with Tony Blair’s knowledge of torture in interrogations.

Six: It’s all done in the best possible taste for Andy Davey in the Sun

Seven and Eight: …and finally, Paul Thomas in the Daily Express and Tim Sanders in the Independent just can’t find the words…

Note: in the spirit of openness, and unlike the Goverment, Bloghorn believes that you should know all about this. Simply highlight the text above to reveal the redacted sections.

The PCO: Great British cartoon talent

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Bloghorn spotted this great work during this week ending the 27th February 2009.

One: Peter Brookes in The Times on Mandelson’s delusions of grandeur

Two: Kipper Williams in The Guardian on more plunging shares

Three: P.C. Vey in Readers Digest (US) on troubled time for bankers, one of 10 Ways to Laugh at the Recession

The PCO: Great British cartoon talent
Subscribe to The Foghorn – our print cartoon magazine

Bloghorn can report London’s Political Cartoon Gallery is not going to be closing, contrary to reports in the capital’s Metro newspaper.

According to the Metro, the cartoon gallery, which is the only display space in the world dedicated to the art of the editorial cartoon, is facing closure because of soaring rents and collapsing demand.

But, talking to Bloghorn, gallery owner Tim Benson said the Metro story was confused about a simple renegotiation of the business lease on the premises.

The gallery opened five years ago, and is currently hosting the exhibition Browned Off, featuring cartoons on Gordon Brown’s first 18 months as Prime Minister.

Cartoon courtesy of The Political Cartoon Gallery and Copyright of Peter Brookes of The Times.