Greetings card cartoon: Here we row again

This cartoon, which was in an exhibition at last year's Henley Regatta, is now available as a greetings card. It will be sold in the shop at Henley this year.

It costs £2.50, with proceeds going to the Stewards' Charitable Trust, which works with schools across the country, encouraging young people to learn to row. Even Trenton Oldfield can't complain about that.

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Cartoon for Henley Regatta exhibition

Those of you interested in boating matters may like to know that there's a cartoon exhibition at this year's Henley Regatta, which starts today and runs until July 3.

I've got two cartoons in the show, and as I know nothing at all about rowing they are both Owl and Pussycat jokes! The one above, which was in Private Eye, sold when it was exhibited at the Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival this year. So a different version will be on display at Henley.

So if you're at the event, and it's "Pimm's o'clock", don't forget to wander over to the art gallery behind the Members' Grandstand to have a look and a few laughs. There's more on the exhibition over at the Bloghorn. Chin chin.

Click here to buy Royston's cartoon book

Sport cartoon for the Shrewsbury festival

The Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival takes place next month, and the theme this year is Olympian Sports. Here is a gag I submitted for exhibition, one from Private Eye in 2009. Click to enlarge. The dates are April 14-17 and you can see details of what's on here: www.shrewsburycartoonfestival.com

I'll be there, as usual. This year I'll be doing a Big Board in the Market Square, so pop along and say hello (and pick up a copy of my book! Yes, I'll be mentioning it in every blog post for the foreseeable ...)

This is the eighth festival, and will be the sixth I've attended. Here's what I got up to last year, and in 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006. Or click here for all Shrewsbury-related posts.

Owl and Pussycat cartoon: The British holiday

"This is rubbish, can we please do Ibiza next year?"

This cartoon is one of three I have submitted for a competition on the theme of "The Great British Holiday", which is being run by the Cartoonists' Club of Great Britain.

Entries will be judged at the club's convention and AGM which is being held at Butlins, in Skegness, in October ... proving that the club certainly has a sense of humour!

We'll be going along as a family. I've been saying for years that the Cartoonists' Club should do some family friendly events, as it used to in its heyday, but I must admit to being initially a little wary of the combination of Butlins, Skegness and, er, October. Still, even if the weather is appalling, it's all about camaraderie and laughs really, so I'm sure a good time will be had by all.

The cartoon is from a short Owl and the Pussycat phase I went through last year ... here's another one.

Royston's portfolio website

Rowing cartoon: Size matters

Getting the right size and shape for gag cartoons can be tricky and can require experimentation. Increasingly, I find I'm drawing them in a portrait shape, but with some jokes you have to go landscape.

This cartoon (click to enlarge) appears in this week's Private Eye. Originally the Owl and the Pussycat were rowing with no supplies. After the magazine took the gag, they contacted me to say that the characters were not easy to make out at the size the cartoon would be printed, and they suggested the honey pot to make it more clear. Works OK, I think.

In fact, I wasn't really thinking magazines when I drew this. It was originally drawn on-spec for an exhibition of rowing cartoons that a cartoonist colleague is hoping to stage next year, which is probably why I went for the "wider canvas". I'll let you know the details of the exhibition if and when that goes ahead.

Royston's portfolio website