Reader's Digest caption contest: Wizard fun

This cartoon is the Beat the Cartoonist drawing in the April issue of Reader's Digest.

So far I've played two, won two, but can I make it third time lucky, or will a reader triumph this time? (Note: at the time of writing the competition is in the magazine, but not yet on the website.)

The theme for April's Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival is "Magic, Myth and Mystery" and this cartoon would have fitted in nicely, but I came up with it after the deadline for exhibition entries had passed.

Not Yet Sold: Doctor Who cartoon

As the new Doctor Who begins his spell in the Tardis this weekend (as no-one in the UK can fail to have noticed) I thought I'd dig out this old chestnut for my series on rejected cartoons.

This is from 2006 when Private Eye were running lots of gags punning on the TV series Grumpy Old Men (Grumpy Old Mister Men, Morris Men, that kind of thing). This happens from time to time, there was a series of iPod puns when the gadgets became popular (here's a published one) and a couple of years ago, for some reason, they favoured "Are you looking at my bird?" gags.

I usually submit one or two for these themes, as they are easy to think up, but the problem is they are almost impossible to sell anywhere else if rejected.

More Not Yet Sold cartoons.

More on Doctor Who

A very cartoony weekend

The Cartoonists' Club of Great Britain is 50 years old on Thursday. We celebrated at the weekend with a party, lots of food and drink, and a very big cake.

It took place in the pub off London's Fleet Street where it all began (well, actually a pub which stands on the site of the pub where it all began, but that doesn't sound quite as good!) on April Fool’s Day, appropriately for cartoonists, 1960.

I made a cartoony weekend of it, meeting up with fellow cartoonists to attend the UK Web and Mini Comix Thing, above, where I spent much more money than planned, as well as the brilliant Ronald Searle at 90 exhibition at the Cartoon Museum.

On Friday I also checked out the smaller Searle show at the Chris Beetles Gallery and went to see Exit Through the Gift Shop, the excellent film by Banksy, the street artist and, some would say, a cartoonist writ large (see above example from the Banksy website).

All-in-all, a fun and inspiring weekend. And now, it's back to work ...

UPDATE: There's a fuller report on the Comix Thing over at
Tim Harries' blog

Royston's portfolio website

Newspaper cartoon: Getting down and dirty

I think, on balance, that contributing to this particular report was probably more rewarding for me than for the poor snapper who had to tread the streets to find a pile of vomit to photograph. Click image to enlarge (if you haven't just eaten).

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Boardroom cartoon: Business incentives

"These are a crucial part of our new campaign designed to get employees walking to work."

Here is another in the series of boardroom cartoons which I've drawn regularly for a business publication since 2003. Click to enlarge.

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Not Yet Sold: Pub quiz cartoon

"I don't know much about history, don't know much biology, don't know much about a science book, don't know much about the French I took, but we'll be OK if there's a round on song lyrics."

Another rejected cartoon for you, from 2006. The caption's a bit long, but don't blame me, blame Sam Cooke.

More Not Yet Sold cartoons.

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If I'd have known you were coming ...

I just got a new mobile phone which that lets you take and email photos. Yes, I know, several years after everyone else. Anyway, it makes it easier to do one of those posts that are popular in the blogosphere, where I show you around the converted attic room that I can't quite bring myself to call a studio. So here goes.

1. Mess.

2. More mess.

3. Not tidy.

That is all.

Royston's portfolio website

Graffiti cartoon: One from the files

"To deter vandals, I'm doing my own graffiti."

When you do on-spec cartooning you soon build up quite a bank of gag cartoons. This means that when someone wants a cartoon on a particular subject, you can pull one from the files.

So this cartoon, which was languishing in the rejected file, was taken by a client to illustrate an article about graffiti – which was nice, as I spent a fair bit of time on the graffiti when I drew it originally!

Originally the old guy was "Alf", rather than "Wilf", as that was my Grandad's name and it strikes me as the perfect name for an old-man character. But then I thought people might take the "ALF" as standing for the Animal Liberation Front, which could confuse matters.

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Not Yet Sold: Technology cartoon

"Let the machine get it."

I've played it fairly safe, so far, with this series of rejected cartoons, showing either gags that came close at a magazine, with some encouraging noises, or ones that have got a good reaction when shown to colleagues and friends.

This one never came close, and I don't think I've ever shown it to anyone else. It's just one that amuses me! I'll often use the phrase "Let the machine get it" if I don't want to be disturbed when the phone rings, and I just liked the idea that you would have some kind of steam-driven machine that potters around the house doing chores.

The absurdity of it appeals to me and I had fun drawing the machine (I confess, I made whirring and whooshing noises to myself, in an Oliver Postgate style, as I drew it!) But maybe it's just me. Comments welcome, as ever.

Click here to see all of the Not Yet Sold cartoons.

UFO cartoons: Watch the skies

"Sorry mate, you'll have to ask someone else, I'm not from this area ..."

This cartoon was drawn for a local paper to illustrate a story about declassified documents on UFO sightings.

The Kent papers I draw for often seem to have stories about alleged alien visitors! That's fine by me, as it's always a good subject for humour. Here's another one from a few years ago.

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Not Yet Sold: Job interview cartoon

"Can you start straight away?"

This is one from 2006 that got a good reaction from people who saw it. It was in the Cartoonists' Club newsletter The Jester (though I was editor at the time!) and it won a cartoon of the week contest on an internet forum.

But, as you can guess from its inclusion in this feature, it was oft-declined by paying markets. Click here for all Not Yet Sold (don't mention the R word!) cartoons.

Royston's portfolio website

Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival 2010

"You wanna get some WD-40 on that, mate."

The Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival takes place next month, and the theme this year is Magic, Myth and Mystery. This is one of the cartoons I submitted for exhibition.

The dates are April 22-25. I'll be there again this year, blogging and tweeting on behalf of the Professional Cartoonists Organisation for
The Bloghorn, as well as drawing a few cartoons, of course. In the run-up to the big event, we'll be posting Shrewsbury stuff on the blog every Friday. We got the ball rolling today.

This is the seventh festival, and the fifth time I've attended. Here's what I got up to last year, and in 2008, 2007 and 2006. Or click this link for all Shrewsbury-related posts.

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Reader's Digest caption contest: Result

The result is in! This is from the March issue of Reader's Digest:

JANUARY'S WINNER: In a titanic battle between RD readers and cartoonist, the professional scribbler Royston Robertson won out – by just two votes. His succinct effort "Nice touch." beat off an irony-heavy challenge from Helen Martin of Gravesend, Kent: "You should have read my file. I have hayfever." Against almost a thousand entries every month, the cartoonists are manfully holding their own now, winning one in every three caption contests. SCOREBOARD: Readers 8 Cartoonists 4

So, I've now played two (this one and this one) and won two. 'Ave it! [Puts shirt over head and does a lap of the room ...]

As you will probably have heard, the UK edition of Reader's Digest is in administration, and they are looking for a buyer. The March issue is out now as usual though, so why not buy it to show your support? There's another cartoon by me in it, and some great gags from Huw Aaron, Rob Murray, Alexander Matthews, Steve Way, Peter "Pak" King, and Simon Meyrick-Jones.

And you can have a go at the next Beat the Cartoonist, which is drawn by my cartooning pal Wilbur Dawbarn.

Royston's portfolio website

Not Yet Sold: Dalek cartoon

"Every time you use that word you exterminate part of yourself."

Here's number 2 in my exclusive new part-work series Not Yet Sold, which builds week-by-week into a chronicle of blind hope and failure.

This rejected cartoon from 2007 is one of many Dalek gags I've done over the years (click Daleks in labels below to see a few) but I thought this one had a bit more substance as it's not just a joke about the usual Doctor Who/Dalek cliches (climbing stairs, hiding behind the sofa etc). Alas, it has been submitted to many magazines, with no luck.

It remains a personal favourite though, I just like the idea of a Dalek struggling with his true nature and seeing a shrink. Maybe, in a parallel universe, it was a hit ...

As ever, feedback and constructive criticism on the Not Yet Sold cartoons (or any on the blog) is welcome and, indeed, encouraged.

Royston's portfolio website

Cloudspotters cartoon: A little background

"Ha ha, that cloud looks just like Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, 1929-1931."

This is one of two cartoons I've got in the new issue of Prospect magazine, and has to be among the more off-the-wall gags that I've had published.

I had the set-up rattling around in my head for a while i.e. someone saying a cloud looks like something, or someone, impossibly obscure, with another person looking on in bemusement. But I couldn't think of a suitable subject.

Then, and I'm not sure how this happened, I hit on the idea of pre-war cabinet ministers. As you do. A spot of Googling later and I found Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, 1929-1931. The name somehow just seemed to fit the bill. So, thanks Fred (he was a Labour man, he wouldn't mind that.)


Frederick Pethick-Lawrence

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Art cartoon: The smokers' huddle

The smokers' huddle is very much a modern British cartoon cliche, much used particularly since the smoking ban came into effect. I've done a few myself, see here, and here.

And as I like to do cartoons about art, see here, here, and, indeed, here, it seemed like a fun idea to put the two together.

This is another one of those gags that I sold to The Spectator but which ended up being transported to The Spectator Australia. I guess they must have smokers' huddles there too. Bit warmer for them, at least.

The paintings are, left to right, Van Gogh's Self Portrait with Pipe, Cezanne's The Pipe Smoker, Magritte's The Treachery of Images (aka "Ceci n'est pas une pipe") and an early Van Gogh (again) called Skull with Burning Cigarette. I had a postcard of the latter on my wall when I was a student. As if that is of any interest to anyone.

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Not Yet Sold: Bouncy castle cartoon

"This was fine for your nephew's fifth, Sire, but I fear it is set for a sterner test."

I don't post many rejected cartoons on the blog, preferring instead to showcase the ones that have been hits. But I thought I might dig out a few for an occasional feature that I've just decided to call, with the eternal optimism of the gag cartoonist, Not Yet Sold.

Naturally, I'll be picking out ones that I was pleased with but which have been around the block with no success. This was one. I like to draw history cartoons. Feedback and constructive criticism on my Not Yet Sold cartoons would be welcome in the Comments below.

Royston's portfolio website

Gordon Brown cartoon: Trouble with the Observer

I was disappointed to open the new-look Observer newspaper yesterday to see that they have dropped the spot cartoons by Robert Thompson and, particularly, Andy Riley's very funny Roasted strip.

For new-look, read cut-backs in these troubled times. And when it comes to cuts, cartoons are often the first casualty. Anyhoo, for what it's worth, we've written an opinion piece on this over at the Bloghorn

Roasted has been a key part of the Observer magazine since 2002. I recommend the Roasted book, which kept me amused at Christmas a couple of years ago. Hopefully, it'll resurface somewhere else.

Royston's portfolio website

Technology cartoon: Ironing out problems

This cartoon features in the latest edition of the Foghorn, the magazine of the Professional Cartoonists' Organisation.

It was originally drawn as one of my regular on-spec gag cartoons, but as it is wordless it also works as an illustration, so it has been used in the mag to accompany an article by cartoonist Bill Stott in which he wonders where technology is taking us.

You can read an archive of the Foghorn online, just click the button on the right-hand column of this blog (scroll down). To buy a print subscription to the mag, which comes out six times a year, go here.

Valentine's Day cartoon

"He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not ... this guy has some serious commitment issues ..."

It's Valentine's Day on Sunday, so here's my Valentine to you, as I love you all. And I mean that most sincerely. This can be seen in this week's edition of The Spectator.

Royston's portfolio website