Private Eye cartoon: Not exactly topical

I've just got back from a family holiday, during which I was mostly offline, so it was good to go online and find that this cartoon, which was in this week's Private Eye, got a very nice reaction and lots of retweets on Twitter (including here and here).

It was a little surprising as the cartoon refers to a song from 1979 (ask your parents, kids) so it's not exactly topical. But it seems to have tapped into a nostalgia vibe.

UPDATE: The cartoon made it into Pedantry Corner in the most recent Private Eye (13 June):

Being a bit of a pop music pedant myself, I was actually fully aware of this but I thought putting "Pop Musik" would get in the way of the joke, a view backed up on Twitter by someone who knows a bit about comedy.

UPDATE UPDATED: Here's my follow-up letter in this week's Private Eye (27 June):

Errr ... but someone pointed out that I put "Musik" instead of "Muzik" so this could run and run. Hoist by my own pedantry!

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Another First World War cartoon

"Due to the inclement weather conditions, you are reminded to please take extra care ..."

Here's another cartoon about the First World War. It can be seen in the current issue of Prospect magazine. Unlike my recent war silhouette cartoon, this was not inspired by the centenary coverage of the war in the media, but by something far more mundane.

I was walking through a London Tube station after we had had what can only be described as a spot of light rain. The floor was slightly damp so they played the standard health and safety recorded message about "inclement weather conditions".

Like the middle-aged person I am, I thought, "And to think we won two world wars ..." From such nonsense are cartoon ideas spun ...

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At the 2014 Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival

I attended the 11th Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival last weekend, the 9th consecutive one I have been to. Below is my Big Board cartoon (the boards are 8ft by 6ft) drawn at the event. It's a compilation of cartoons I've drawn over the years of Nipper the HMV dog, as the festival theme was Music. Click to enlarge and see the gags.

As well as the Big Board I contributed to the instant cartoons exhibition in the Market Square, drawing music cartoons on the spot. Here's me being indecisive over which pen to use. (Photo, and the one at the top, by Kasia Kowalska)

And here's a very silly music-themed gag from the instant cartoons exhibition, which seemed to go down well, as very silly cartoons usually do.

For the first time I was also on the Melodrawma team, helping draw a live comic strip to the accompaniment of narration, music and bizarre sound effects. Words and photos can't do justice to the craziness of the Melodrawma so you'll have to just go along next year to see what that is all about!

Meanwhile, there's more on Shrewsbury at the Procartoonists blog.

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New cartoon book alert!

My second collection of magazine gag cartoons is available now. It's called Cartoons on Demand and is the same format as my first book i.e a 104-page glossy paperback with lots of cartoons in it from magazines such as Private Eye, Reader's Digest, Prospect and The Spectator.

Head over to my Online Shop where you can see some of the cartoons and buy a signed copy of the book for £5.99 plus £2 p+p. (Or, bargain hunters, you can buy it with the first one for just £11.49 plus £2 p+p). The perfect gift for the cartoon lover in your life etc etc.

Jesus cartoons for Easter

"Oh no, I lost two followers."

As it's Easter this weekend, here's a cartoon about Jesus, which can be seen in the current issue of Prospect. I used a similar colour palette to the cartoon below, which was in the same magazine in 2011.

"He only got this job because of who his dad is."

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Saga magazine cartoon: Another onesie

"Grandad must have sneaked down to the pub again – there's nobody in this onesie."

This was drawn for the letters page of Saga magazine, to accompany a reader's enthusiastic missive about the onesie as a good alternative to putting on the central heating!

It's not the first onesie cartoon I've done and probably won't be the last, at least until everyone stops dressing like oversized babies.

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First World War cartoons

"Sarge, you don't think we might be at a disadvantage by fighting this whole war in silhouette"

This is my first, and possibly last, cartoon drawn entirely in silhouette. It is in the current edition of Private Eye. This year marks 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War, of course, so we'll be seeing a lot more of this kind of imagery.

The war has been presented in such a way since day one, see the recruitment poster above left, and continues to be, as you can see from the War Horse poster. 

I thought the cartoon probably stood a good chance at Private Eye as Ian Hislop and Nick Newman of the magazine were responsible for the recent First World War drama The Wipers Times. That was all about keeping a sense of humour in the face of adversity and tragedy. My cartoon can hopefully be seen in the same way and no disrespect is intended.

Here's another First World War cartoon. This was drawn for the new edition of Isle, a local listings magazine, to accompany an article about the teaching of the war in schools.

"Looks like Sir is going over the top ..."

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Cartoons and the digital workplace

I was commissioned to draw seven cartoon strips for a company's staff-training programme, on the subject of adjusting to the "digital workplace". Here are two of them.

I've drawn so many cartoons about the technology that is such a part of our lives these days that I found the strips almost wrote themselves. A fun job then, and one that featured the cartoon debut of our cat Mike, above, pictured when he was a kitten.

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Fashion cartoon: The odd idea

This is one of those slightly odd ideas that sat around in my notebook for quite some time, in various different forms, until I decided to draw it up.

It can be seen in the March Reader's Digest.

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Cartoons about Lego

"I hope there's no product placement in this."

This cartoon about The Lego Movie can be seen in the current Private Eye. And here are a couple of older Lego cartoons. 

"I must say I'm not convinced by Lego Jenga."

I heard the Lego Jenga line on QI on BBC Two the other day, but I can assure you I didn't steal it from there. I stole it from my son. And talking of stealing, the one below never sold, which is a shame as I thought it was a nice visual gag.

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Computer cartoon: Make it stop

"It's the golden rule of the computer age: If it ain't broke, upgrade it."

I have just got a new computer, so I'm feeling the truth in this cartoon from last year. [Goes for a lie down ...]

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Cat cartoons

I've always drawn a lot of cat cartoons, for some reason. Possibly because I like cats. This is one from the current Reader's Digest.

Below is one from the current issue of The Spectator. I've always drawn a lot of psychiatrist couch cartoons, though I can't say I particularly like psychiatrists.

"I want you to be open and honest and to not leave any hairs on the couch."

Also in that issue of Reader's Digest is this, a rare win in Beat the Cartoonist:

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Private Eye cartoon: Retro humour

Sometimes cartoons come in a flash of inspiration. Much of the coverage of the trials of various TV and radio stars has featured multiple photographs of the accused, which led me to think, "It's like a bad episode of Celebrity Squares" ... and then quickly reach for my notebook.

Only after doing a bit of picture research for the cartoon did I discover that Celebrity Squares may indeed be due for a revival.

I can almost draw barristers and judges with my eyes closed, as I have drawn cartoons for the Law Society Gazette for many years.

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Topical cartoon: Matters of opinion

"We believe this woman to be a witch as she is known to have expressed an opinion online."

This topical cartoon about the abuse of women online (a kind of follow-up to this Private Eye one) can be seen in the January issue of Reader's Digest.

UPDATE: A letter about the cartoon from a subsequent issue. Looks like Reader's Digest needs to start a Pedantry Corner like Private Eye ...

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Topical cartoons: A look back at 2013

Time for a look back at some topical cartoons of 2013. Game on ...

The year always starts with those oh-so-serious Oscar contenders ...

You heard that Margaret Thatcher died, right?

The "Onesie" was everywhere (but not on me, I should add!)

There was a high-profile job vacancy ...

Mainstream media struggled to keep up with social-media ...

But many found themselves victims of verbal abuse online ...

Unbelievably, we had a long, hot summer ...

The royal birth was covered as if it was the Second Coming ...

The 3D printer went mainstream, for those that can afford them ...

At the cinema everything was also either 3D ...

... or a familiar franchise returning (or both!)

Boris Johnson faced testing times ...

MPs were told they'll get a whopping pay rise ...

There was a clear winner for word of the year ...

And finally, here's one for the NSA, in case they are reading this ...

Happy new year to you all!

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Christmas cartoon: Panic buyer

"Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, except a mouse ..."

One for any late shoppers, from the current issue of Prospect magazine.

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Christmas newspaper cartoons

Here are a couple more Christmas cartoons, both drawn to accompany articles in local papers. The subjects were the privatisation of Royal Mail, tying it in with the controversy over rising fuel bills, above, and Christmas gridlock, below.

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Christmas cartoon: Strips and skips

The cartooning life is not all about the, er, glamour of Private Eye, The Spectator and the like. Here's a festive cartoon from what is referred to on Have I Got News for You (and has featured on that show) as "this week's guest publication" ... Skip Hire Magazine.

I've been drawing a strip for the monthly mag since February. People think it must be difficult to draw for specialist publications but provided the mag has a sense of humour (which Skip Hire with it's regular "skip chick" and "skip hunk" features most definitely has!) I don't find that to be the case.

This has turned out to be a fun job. It's basically a straightforward workplace strip with regular characters. Like Dilbert with skips!

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Christmas cartoon: Private Eye card 2013

"I think UKIP have got to him."

This was one of the 12 Private Eye Christmas cards this year. Yes, it's another spin on the "naughty and nice" theme!

I could be wearing a look of dismay similar to that elf in 2015 as there's a real possibility that the UKIP leader Nigel Farage could become my local MP! There is also a rumour, however, that he may stand in nearby Canterbury. Here's a cartoon I drew about that earlier this year.

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Christmas cartoon: Media interest

Time for another  Christmas cartoon, this time from the bumper festive issue of The Spectator, which is out now.

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