! ISSUE 403 – NOVEMBER 2007! AUTUMN 2005 ThTeh Je eJessteterr
STAND WELL BACK
GOING WITH A BANG YOUR BONFIRE NIGHT GAGS THE BIG DRAW: REPORT AND PICS WESTON ARTS FESTIVAL COMICS BRITANNIA REVIEWED CLIVE COLLINS’ DIRE TRIBE TRIBUTES: ALAN COREN AND MANNY CURTIS PLUS: NEWS, LETTERS AND MORE
“’Angin’ drawin’ an’ quarterin’s too good for you, Fawkes.” TURNER MIKE
NeThewsletter Newsletter of the of theCar Cartoonists’toonists’ Club Club of of Great Great BritainBritain THE JESTER ISSUE 403 – NOVEMBER 2007 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK The Jester Issue 403 - November 2007 Published 11 times a year by The Cartoonists’ Club The Chair of Great Britain The CCGB Committee Chairman: Terry Christien I went, I saw and sampled some 020–8892 3621 Weston-super-Mare hospitality and Politics pays back very pleasant it was too. It’s a joy to [email protected] see a traditional English seaside town Our friends at DACS (Payback an’ Secretary: Jed Stone in good order complete with donkeys all that) have a gallery at their 07804–889 052 and ponies trotting along the red sand offices at 33 Great Sutton Street, [email protected] in a romantic postcard setting and not London EC1V 0DX. Treasurer: Anne Boyd a knotted handkerchief in sight. Currently they’re running the 07946–638 295 All this as part of the Weston Arts Politics Pays Back exhibition where Festival with our contribution of the [email protected] visual creators of all sorts are on club’s cartoon exhibition which when Membership Secretary: display, including a representative hung, really looked rather good bunch of framed political cartoons Jed Pascoe: 01767–682 882 you’ll be glad to know. See page 5. by club members Andy Davey, [email protected] At the time of writing a bunch of us Matt Buck, Mark Nesbitt and have just joined in the Big Draw at yours truly. Les Barton: 01895–236 732 Covent Garden. No doubt a number DACS originally asked for five of you joined in local events around [email protected] works then were able to take a few the country for the Campaign for Clive Collins: 01702–557 205 more at the last count – so Drawing – so I hope all went well. apologies to members who could [email protected] A “pride” (and why not) of cartoon- have submitted. Neil Dishington: 020–8505 0134 ists descended on Covent Garden It’s an exhibition well put [email protected] over that weekend and busied them- together and highly recommended. Ian Ellery: 01424–718 209 selves attending to the great British If you’re in London town it’s on [email protected] public in the form of workshops, until mid January 2008 from 10am incidental tutoring, on-the-spot Graham Fowell: 0115–933 4186 to 5pm Monday to Friday. cartooning and caricaturing culminat- Visit the DACS website at: [email protected] ing in The Battle of the Cartoonists www.dacs.org.uk Pete Jacob: 01732 845 079 on the Sunday afternoon – i.e. teams Jill Kearney: 0115–933 4186 of cartoonists from The Guardian, [email protected] The Independent, Private Eye and Helen Pointer: 01883–373 202 the Professional Cartoonists’ 101 Uses for Organisation drawing to turn out the [email protected] winning cartoon team judged by the The Jester Roy Nixon: 01245–256 814 public. See pages 8 and 9. Number: 18 Derek Quint: 01984–632 592 Particular club thanks to Andy Richard Tomes: 0121–706 7652 Davey, Tim and Nikki Harries, [email protected] Helen Pointer, Chi Chi Parish, Andy Mike Turner: 01206–798 283 and Anne Gilbert, John Stilgoe, [email protected] Royston Robertson, Matt Buck and Rosie Brooks (I hope I haven’t Jock Williams-Davies: missed anybody out!) for strutting 01473–422 917 their drawing stuff in a magnificent [email protected] way in the Art of Cartooning Trish Williams-Davies: marquee – pencil, ink and feathers [email protected] flying in all directions! The marquee was full the whole TURNER Jester Editor: time with families drawing and
gallant club members striding MIKE Royston Robertson amongst them with guidance and 01843–871 241 encouragement. Well done all! It was jester_magazine @yahoo.co.uk a joy to see. Hope to see you for the November Front cover: Mike Turner club meeting. Cheers now, A funny “Ned Kelly’s helmet” Back cover: Royston Robertson face mask Terry Christien
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over to Terry who assured us he is Manny Curtis alive and well. “I might go and look News in the mirror to check,” he quipped. dies Crikey! has admitted that it was Tributes to Manny Curtis, cartoonist and given the info shortly before the former CCGB Secretary, died on mag went to press and nobody Alan Coren October 15. A notice in the Jewish checked it out. In the same issue Chronicle read: “He brought that announced Terry’s “passing”, laughter to all who knew him. Will an editorial says: “We need people CCGB members have been paying to get involved with Crikey! If we tribute to the former Punch Editor be forever missed by his loving wife Myra and sons Lawrence and occasionally get something wrong Alan Coren, who has died aged 69, or leave something out – let us after suffering from cancer. Robert.” Mike Turner said: “Manny was a know.” Looks like they need all the “A wonderful Punch Editor. help they can get! Comics fans who Humorist par excellence,” said Noel major player in the club and the first point of contact for many members. want to know more about Crikey! Ford. Pete Dredge added: “A great should go to crikeyuk.co.uk editor of Punch and one of the He put in a lot of effort, not only as funniest broadcasters and writers of Secretary but in helping to organise recent times. I have fond memories the Butlins conventions and Talk bollocks of Punch Toby Club dinners in promoting the cartoonists’ cause which Alan used to hold court. through the NUJ.” at museum Noel Ford said: “Heaven’s going to be a different place with Manny The Cartoon Museum has a number there to organise things.” of talks and events lined up to coincide with its Eurobollocks exhibition. They include Euro- Some good news philes and Europhobes: a German view (November 22, 6.30 pm). Julia Reports of the death of CCGB Rath has recently completed a study member Terry Bave have been of British-European relations as greatly exaggerated! The British viewed through cartoons. There’s comics fan magazine Crikey! also Getting Along with the reported that Terry had passed on in Neighbours (December 5, 7.30pm ), its second issue. a roundtable discussion by cartoonists and journalists of the “As a rookie cartoonist, having perils of reporting on Europe. just broken into Punch under the Tickets for the talks: Adults £6, editorship of William Davis, I Concessions £5, Friends of the remember watching 24 Hours in Cartoon Museum £4. The exhibition 1978 when Ludovic Kennedy was itself is at the London museum until interviewing the newly appointed January 20. Admission: Adults £4; Editor Alan Coren. It was the usual Conc. £3; Free to under-18s and cliche-driven probing about students. Visit the website for more dentists’ waiting rooms and details: cartoonmuseum.org gentlemens’ club humour. Kennedy was insinuating that there would be little change in direction under the new Editor. Coren huffily responded by saying that Punch would now be more close to the wind and edgier, and then used one of my recently accepted cartoons as an example of this new direction (above). A priceless moment for me that I will never forget.” Coren was a regular panelist on Radio 4’s The News Quiz, appeared Participants on the Comics UK as a team captain on TV’s Call My internet forum paid tribute to Terry, Bluff and wrote several books plus a chatting about his strips from the column in The Times, which he likes of Whizzer & Chips and started in 1989. He once said of his Buster. So when your Jester Editor time at Punch, “The writers, like me, phoned the Bave household for knew it was the cartoons that sold details to include on this page, he the magazine.” was a little surprised to be handed
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Dear Jester “Best bonfire for years.” Have you come far?
The October meeting was well There was a attended, with members arriving buzz about steadily throughout the evening – the last meet- and leaving a few hours later ing rather like slightly unsteadily. Winner of the the “good ol’ “I've travelled the furthest” award days”, with a went to Malcolm McGookin, who very healthy jetted in from Australia specifically turnout from for the night. Well OK, he was in all points of the UK anyway, but he did extend the compass his visit by a few days just to come including along to The Cartoonist. Malcolm As the committee meeting was in McGookin an full swing, Nikki and I kept ex-pat visit- Malcolm company on the ordinary ing from members table (dried bread, gruel Australia etc) where we discussed the state of (where I hear cartooning in Oz, the UK, and they play occassionally ear-wigged on the rugby!) committee table (champagne, caviar Good news etc). Malcolm attempted to discuss also to see we football with me, but I pretended to have a new upcoming Jester Editor faint and remained motionless in Steve Willis, and that Clive Draw on experience until he changed the subject. A close Collins is continuing with his crack- call and one I didn't expect in the ing pieces for our esteemed organ. Having just participated in the Cartoonist – we really need to Hats off to John “Speedy” banner competition part of the Big screen any visitors for latent Harrison who must be our most Draw, it left me wondering why the sporting interest. As the committee eagle-eyed and enthusiastic Cartoonists’ Club didn't have a wound up their meeting after a mere newspaper reader. Speedy seems to team? It seemed a tailor-made 600 hours, more members turned up send in most of the clippings opportunity for us. Anyway it was – Mark Nesbitt, Paul Baker, Simon featured in The Jester – a most very enjoyable day, and our team, Ellinas, Henry Davies and others. valuable contribution. the PCO, were robbed. Another enjoyable evening was had By now the postal strike should Neil Dishington by all. And if someone from Austra- be over. Although email attach- lia can attend, there really is no ments etc are a Godsend to the For more on the Big Draw, see excuse for not coming along to at cartoonist, you still can’t beat mail, pages 8 and 9 least one meeting in a year. We’re a including The Jester, dropping on social club – let’s be social! the mat. Tim Harries Mike Turner
THE JESTER Terry Christien c/o ROYSTON with cartoonist Malcolm ROBERTSON McGookin who 20 UPTON ROAD came all the BROADSTAIRS way from KENT CT10 2AS Australia for the October meeting. Email: jester_magazine Kind of. @yahoo.co.uk Pic: Tim Harries
4 THE JESTER ISSUE 403 – NOVEMBER 2007 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK Wish you were there!
NOT having been to Weston-super- Mare before, I duly delivered the club cartoon exhibition prior to the local Arts Festival week. I must say, Weston has the clean and pleasant aura of a Victorian seaside town about it. You can usually judge such a town by its pier and the Grand Pier was immaculate. Looking over the balustrade you could see 20ft high “I heart Kevin” type doodles in the ultra smooth red sand – interesting canvas I thought to try a cartoon [see page 15 – Ed]. Our exhibition was duly hung for the weekend of September 22 and 23 and I have to say it looked great in the cosy North Somerset Museum. And at this point, I would like to thank Graham Fowell and Jill Kearney for all their previous hard John Ley-Morgan, the Weston work setting up the exhibition and Mayor, with his wife at the CCGB Jock Davies for storing it. exhibition launch. Left: Terry’s There was a sense of purpose and caricature of the Mayor professionalism about this one with the uniform black moulded frames Arts Festival and the North Somerset giving equal prominence to each Museum containing our exhibition cartoon. I was able to update, in this being closed for Sunday behind very case, the 80 cartoons to do us proud. tall green doors, we took ourselves John Ley-Morgan the Town Mayor, off to the promenade where there joined us for the Friday night pre- was a massive collection of classic view and I was able to present him cars. Then it was time for tea and with a black and white caricature of cakes at the Victoriana beach cafe, himself (one I prepared earlier) rounding off the weekend nicely. which he actually seemed grateful Terry Christien for. He even sent me a mayoral thank-you card, bless him. Despite it being a good social A compact gathering of us – Mike occasion, with the chance to meet up Argent, Tim and Nikki Harries, Jed and chat over a few drinks, the and Anne Stone, Brenda Romans Weston Arts Festival felt like a bit of and I did our workshop pieces on 15ft banner – which was set in a a letdown. I know Terry had gone the Saturday and were under- street well back from the front! beyond the call of duty, giving up his whelmed by the lack of bookings Fleetingly I met local member John weekend to transport, set up and from the great Weston public – but Featherstone (Feathers) and his wife attend the opening night of the club’s hardly surprising with a £4-a-head Judi. Apparently they and their house exhibition, but despite our best charge to get in to the venue! Why, were playing venue to a sculpture intentions, the workshops by Terry, for goodness sake? Once in, there display for the Arts Festival! myself and Brenda Romans were was a really nice café under a glass We may not have been swamped by poorly attended, probably because atrium and a whole range of non- numbers but the social aspect is al- nobody knew we were doing them. tacky merchandise before walking ways worth the effort – we had a Walking around Weston, it was hard through the historic Weston bit … so drinkypoos to find any mention of an Arts why on earth do they need to charge followed by a jolly good curry, Festival at all, let alone cartooning to get in as well? rounding off the day nicely. workshops. Kudos then to those who So, I suspect this is why there was a On the Sunday I was joined by did actually manage to find us and limited take-up on our exhibition Mike Argent (thanks again, Mike), take part in the workshops – they which is a pity. From the outside Derek Quint, Mark and Anna Nesbitt certainly enjoyed themselves, but you’d never know there was an Arts and their two boys. Again, not I’ll be thinking twice about doing it Festival never mind a cartoon exhi- swamped but good to meet them all next year. bition despite, us supplying a bright again. So with no visible signs of an Tim Harries
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“Did you have a word with those kids for letting off fireworks in the street?”
“His legs were bad this morning so Ben offered to run him to the clinic.”
Left: an odd sense of priorities for a charity, spotted on an envelope by Jed Pascoe; Above: from the Guardian Guide, October 6; Top: excerpt from article in The Times, also October 6. “Would you like any dressing Both spotted by the Ed. with your rocket salad?”
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“What the hell was that? I was expecting fireworks.”
“Actually, we’re thinking of leaving it as a piece of conceptual art.” Guy Fawkes
“Put him back and go make funnies your own guy.”
“I’ll take it, sonny. I need a “Firework? That was a tube of Pringles.” new outfit.”
Many thanks for all your Guy Fawkes cartoons. Next month’s theme is, of course, Christmas. Colour work is welcome because the December/January issue will again have colour covers. Usual addresses please ...
7 THE JESTER ISSUE 403 – NOVEMBER 2007 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK Garden party is big success
CCGB members took part in The Big Draw at Covent Garden on October 13 and 14, part of the annual, nationwide campaign to get people enthusiastic about all kinds of drawing. A marquee was set aside specifically for cartooning. There were workshops, caricaturing Cartoonists, where four teams sessions and general encouragement competed to produce a banner on and cartooning tips from members the theme of “High Life, Low Life”. in sessions run by Tim and Nikki Again there were teams from Harries, Andy and Anne Gilbert, Private Eye, The Guardian and The Andy Davey, Terry Christien, Helen Independent, plus this year there Pointer, Chi Chi Parish, Rosie was a team from the PCO, Brooks, John Stilgoe and myself. As featuring, er, CCGBers Neil well as CCGB members, there were Dishington, Alex Hughes and Roger cartoonists from the PCO at the Big Penwill plus Bill Stott. Draw too (those of us that are CCGB and PCO members Matt members of both struggled to Buck and Andy Davey also took remember whether we were with part. Andy was on the Guardian the Judean People’s Front or the team with Steve Bell, Martin People’s Front of Judea ...) and Rowson and Tim Pond. Matt was plenty of non-affiliates! on the Independent team with Dave I did a fair bit of “reverse carica- Brown, Lucinda Rodgers and Tim turing”, where people put their Sanders. faces through a hold in a board and The Private Eye team was billed as say what kind of body they’d like. Kipper Williams, Simon Pearsall, Unlike the flipchart at Shrewsbury, Mike Barfield and Ken Pyne, but a this was a blackboard so I soon certain Nick Newman was helping found myself covered in chalk dust out, not to mention Steve Way and, of many colours. The reverse looking nervous on the periphery, caricaturing was very popular with the CCGB’s own Henry Davies, the kids: I drew lots of fairies, creator of The Broon-ites. pirates, princesses, animals and a The banners were put to the public couple of Bart Simpsons. I probably vote, with those clever clogs from had to draw a few too many girls as The Guardian winning. Just like last butterflies than I would have liked, year. There was, as is only proper but it was all good fun. The whole on such occasions, much bad losing event reminded you of how much all round. people love cartoons – grown-ups as well as kids. I hope there were Royston Robertson some art editors from magazines Doing it for the kids: Royston and newspapers taking note! Like Pics: Matt Buck, Tim Harries, Robertson and Andy Davey last year, there was a Battle of the John Stilgoe and Gerard Whyman Top: the Art of Cartooning marquee
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Clockwise from left: Andy Gilbert hosts a workshop for kids; TV’s Andrew Marr has a go at sketching; Tim Pond, Andy Davey and Steve Bell work on the Guardian’s winning entry; Tim Harries raises smiles with his If you took part in a Big Draw strips workshop; Helen Pointer dresses project, send details and/or pics up for the part (well, it is Covent to The Jester Garden after all); the PCO team of Roger Penwill, Neil Dishington, Bill The Big Draw / Stott and Alex Hughes in action; Tim Campaign for Drawing Sanders and Matt Buck work on the www.campaignfordrawing.org/ Independent banner bigdraw
9 THE JESTER ISSUE 403 – NOVEMBER 2007 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK Britannia rules the airwaves For three weeks BBC Four became the TV channel of choice for cartoonists, with a season dedicated to comics. Royston Robertson reviews the three-part Comics Britannia series
VARIOUS bigwigs at the Beeb have suggested recently that BBCs Three and Four could be axed, to help with its funding shortfall. The former is fine by me – there’s only so many times you can watch Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps – but on the evidence of Comics Britannia, we should get the placards out and start a “Save BBC Four” campaign right now. The documentary was nothing ground- breaking, it was a straightforward, chronological, talking-heads history of British comics, but it was informative and intelligent and mercifully free of the kind of dumbed-down script and constant re-capping that afflict so many contemporary documentaries (see BBC Two’s recent British Film Forever series). The first of this three-parter was a chronological potted history from the birth of The Dandy in 1937 to the pre- sent day. It began with a serious misstep that many commentators picked up on, the claim that “speech balloons were a key innovation” of The Dandy – they’d been around for hundreds of years – but it soon redeemed itself as it took us on a nostalgic journey through the story of DC Thomson’s iconic Beano and later IPC rivals such as Whizzer and Chips. Issues that arise out of a study of comics, such as the early racism, their role in brightening up a grim postwar Britain, and the debate over whether comics are “bad” for you, were dis- cussed intelligently by the likes of Detail from Wham!’s 1964 Bonfire Night special, drawn by Leo Baxendale Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell, poet Michael Rosen, Aardman animator artwork presented in all its glory, so Simmonds and writer Stella Duffy were Nick Park and a whole roster of car- close you could see the pencil marks. there to talk about the stories of ballet, toonists and writers from the glory days boys and boarding school. Even Mel of comics. THERE was a very different cast of Gibson was on hand to talk about the What was particularly satisfying, from characters for the second part of the days of inky fingers – this Mel Gibson a cartoonist’s point of view, was that the documentary, and not just on the page. was a woman and a “comics historian”. documentary, narrated by comedian Gone were the quiet, eccentric types (Nice work if you can get it.) Armando Iannucci, stated that its mis- such as Nick Park and Michael Rosen, Again Comics Britannia took a no- sion was to uncover the artists behind who had reminisced about The Beano nonsense, chronological approach to the strips and give them due recogni- and The Dandy, and in came journalist telling its story. It picked the launch of tion. And it did just that. It was a joy to Max Hastings and comedian Frank the Eagle in 1950 as a starting point. I hear the names of Dudley Watkins, Skinner to talk about real boys’ stuff ... was amazed to learn that Dan Dare – David Law and Ken Reid mentioned on war and football! Pilot of the Future, started out, like the TV and great to see the genius that is Just like with the comics, the girls in Eagle’s creator Marcus Morris, as a Leo Bash Street Kids Baxendale being the audience were given something to man of the cloth. Not surprising really, interviewed. It was also great also to see keep them quiet too, so cartoonist Posy as the comic was launched as a whole-
10 THE JESTER ISSUE 403 – NOVEMBER 2007 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK some alternative to the imported Ameri- provoked the fury of the tabloid press. can horror comics, such as Tales From Action was withdrawn by IPC and later the Crypt, that had been busy warping closed down. young minds at the time. Pat Mills, the man behind Action and a The programme was packed with such key figure in British comics, pointed out nuggets of trivia. Who knew that Jac- that it was effectively relaunched under queline Tracy Beaker Wilson was once the cloak of science-fiction, as 2000AD. a DC Thomson employee and that her They found they could get away with name inspired a new comic/magazine violent, challenging stories that re- aimed at girls? Jackie, of course. Or that flected contemporary Britain ... if they a young Gerald Scarfe won a drawing weren’t set in contemporary Britain. competition in the Eagle, with David Spanish artist Carlos Ezquerra (who Hockney as runner-up? must have been miffed to be given sub- In fact, much of the documentary was titles even though he was speaking a revelation to me because I spent my English!) was on hand to draw Judge childhood immersed in humour comics, Dredd and talk about how growing up mainly The Beano, and didn’t bother under Franco informed his depiction of much with sport and war comics. I was the fascistic lawman. amazed to find that pop fops Spandau From 2000AD we moved on to the Ballet once played for Roy of the Rov- career of one of its writers, and one of ers’ team – though this explained the the most significant players in comics: later signing of Shakin’ Stevens in the Alan Moore. It’s always a joy to see Viz football spoof Billy the Fish. ‘The documentary Moore on the telly, especially so soon Likewise, I wasn’t too familiar with stated that its after he popped up in Jonathan Ross’s war characters such as Captain Hurri- BBC Four documentary about reclusive cane. He was described here memora- mission was to Spider-Man artist Steve Ditko. We bly by Frank Skinner as “a sort of mus- looked at Moore’s V for Vendetta, cre- cular Duke of Edinburgh figure ... a uncover the artists ated with David Lloyd, the story of racist term for every occasion”. It was behind the strips Britain under a fascist dictatorship and interesting to hear that Charley’s War, a inspired by the dark days of early 80s later war strip which dropped the gung- and give them due Thatcherism. We learned that it was ho approach (no more “Eat lead, Fritz!” very deliberately aimed at adults, with caricatures) and attempted to cover the recognition’ Moore and Lloyd eschewing Biff! horror and futility of conflict, had been Bang! Pow! sound effects and thought influenced by the real emotions found and in the pub broke into the main- bubbles, and introducing a depth never in the stories of girls’ struggles featured stream. This was made possible because before seen in comics. in Bunty and Tammy. Viz sprang not from the mainstream The “British invasion”, which saw UK Another enjoyable and shamelessly media but from the underground fan- comics writers and artists headhunted nostalgic romp through the comics, zine culture that sprang out of punk by the Americans, came next. This led then, but with a hint of sadness. We’re rock, and not from London but New- to the classic Watchmen, created by told that 10 million comics a week were castle. It was an authentic voice. Moore and Dave Gibbons, which sold in 1973, but it was made very Comedian Stewart Lee and others imagined what superheroes would be clear: those days have gone. were called upon to read some of the like in the real world (Moore’s answer: “Top Tips” from the comic, laughter “fascist nutcases”). Moore’s reading of THE final part covered the period from was mandatory. And with its non-PC the Rorschach character was a joy, even the late 1970s when comics grew up. characters such as Sid the Sexist and if you had never imagined the creepy OK, maybe “grew up” is not the right Millie Tant, Viz did not toe the line of vigilante with a Northampton burr. phrase – especially as the programme the new politically correct comedy The final part was a good overview of opened with a look at Viz comic. Per- establishment. As Skinner commented, comics’ latter history, though there were haps “annoyed the grown-ups” is more Viz “has a beautiful freedom about it”. some omissions. Where, for example, appropriate, as this was when comics Deftly pulling together some seem- was Moore and Eddie Campbell’s epic started to become grittier and more ingly very different threads the pro- From Hell? But sometimes it’s good to realistic, a world away from The Beano gramme moved on to Action comic be left wanting more, or indeed wanting and The Dandy. The documentary which was around in the same late 70s Moore. Someone should give that man rightly asserted that although, on the period. The IPC comic was a very dif- his own chatshow. face of it, Viz was just a downmarket ferent animal to Viz, being a “serious” rag packed with toilet humour and some comic aimed at boys, but it was break- creative swearing (Johnny Fartpants ing similar taboos. It featured antiheroes This review originally appeared in was looked at in some depth) its cultural rather than square-jawed heroes, and three instalments on The Bloghorn, significance cannot be underestimated. some quite violent storylines. Strips the online diary of the PCO. Comedian Frank Skinner argued that it such as Look Out For Lefty, which cov- BBC Four’s flagship programmes are was the first time that a type of humour ered football hooliganism and was a often repeated on BBC Two, so keep experienced everyday in the schoolyard kind of dark twin to Roy of the Rovers, an eye on those TV listings.
11 THE JESTER ISSUE 403 – NOVEMBER 2007 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK DOES SIZE MATTER? Dear Doctor, When I Resampling is simply the computer adding or Resampling On: When scaling down. have to resize a cartoon subtracting pixels to adjust a fi le’s resolution. a) resampling deletes some original pixels (the Resampling Off: No pixels are added or white ones) to maintain the resolution. When Q does size matter? /RIGINAL Yrs, Challenged subtracted. In the example at left, pixels are scaling up, b) resampling inserts computer neither added or sAubtracted, but just made a) generated, non-original pixels (the grey ones) Dear Challenged, amaller or b) bigger to fi t the new size. Scaling to maintain the fi le resolution. Either way, the A cartoon’s fi le size is down increases theB resolution (ppi), scaling up image is no longer full of original pixels and A determined by both decreases the resolution (ppi) has lost some integrity it’s physical size (cms) : F N
and it’s resolution (aka F O
pixels per inch)
To resize a cartoon use E E O L Image>Image Resize. L /RIGINAL /RIGINAL P The key to successfully P resizing a cartoon lies M A A AM
in understanding what S S A E resampling is … E
R B R B /RIGINAL F
F The Image Size Dialogog Box I S D B RESAMPLE OFF:
E O No resampling, therefAore no pixels subtracted or L added, therefore pixel information cannot be changed, P B therefore greyed out. Resolution and dimensions
AM are linked. Increasing the resolution makes the
S dimensions smaller and vice versa. Make any change E and all the other amounts change to maintain the R number of pixels. Double the size halves the resolution and with resampling turned off, maintains the fi le size
N RESAMPLE ON: O
You can add or subtract pixels now and the fi le
E size will change. When scaling up, resampling will L
P insert pixels to maintain the resolution. These will be computer generated, ie non-original pixels. When M
A scaling down, resampling will delete original pixels
S to maintain the resolution. Either way, the image is no E longer full of original pixels. It’s lost some integrity. R Scaling down is less of a problem than scaling up
Some File Quality examples: newspaper where I work, to turn Resample ON and scale up a pic by a a) GOOD: Make a fi le smaller with maximum of 20% So … when t ome sc o i h tighe r resolution. Turn Resample OFF, resizing a picture, you are confronted Constrain Proportions ON and type c) NOT SO GOOD: Make a fi le much with the fact that you can’t add any in the desired height or width. This bigger with larger dimensions, higher will give you all the original pixels in resolution or both. No choice but toto more original pixel information to your a smaller fi le and therefore a higher add new, invented pixels. No choice fi le than what you already have. In resolution. If the size is right but the whatsoever, so don’t stress out. The most cases you will be adding new, ie resolution is still not high enough, you’ll client may have asked for a 150ppi invented pixels or discarding original have to go back into the Image Size to 300ppi conversion simply because dialog box turn Resample ON and type pixels to meet the new fi le requirements. they have a rule that all pix are 300ppi. in the desired resolution. A bit of extra Leave Resample ON and type 300 in the The trick is to try and minimise this as work but at least you will have made the resolution fi eld. Your fi le will maintain much as possible or to not push it too best use of your original pixels it’s physical size, insert a lot of invented far. The back up position is to know b) OKAY: Also at the acceptable end, pixels, your client will be happy and no- when it doesn’t really matter a rat’s arse it is professionally okay at the national one will spot the difference
&OR MORE DETAILS FROM THE 0HOTOSHOP (ELP SCREEN x 4YPE 4ILL THE NEXT )NKSPOT THEN h#HANGING )MAGE 3IZE AND 2ESOLUTIONv INTO THE 3EARCH l ELD INFO CHRISKELLYNETAU
Reprinted by kind permission of our friends at the Australian Cartoonists’ Association magazine Inkspot 12 THE JESTER ISSUE 403 – NOVEMBER 2007 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK
Clive Collins
WE UNDERSTAND from a source dwindled, and they had started to shy offered to draw a likeness of some of at the BBC, that following his out- away from the searchlight of society. our team, and it appeared that ‘dream standing successes among the more Much of their society tended to be run juice’ would make an ideal currency primitive tribes of the world (can I by the males, who got bee-ah’d-up with which to reimburse him.” say that, Ed?) Bruce Parry’s new se- and gathered round to watch the A number of the tribe were under- ries Dire Tribe, due to be shown later women-folk cook, and clean the stood to have climbed the evolution- this month, will follow the time he dishes. There are female members of ary scale when they stumbled across spent among an even more primitive the tribe who seemed to be better electricity, and while one member of people, known to anthropologists as organised than their male counter- the tribe pedalled a primitive dynamo, the Tribe That Hides From Man or parts, but they proved more difficult wires were placed in both ears of a “Cartoonists”. The word comes from to find as they tended to hide away selected tribesman. The light that the old Siff-Imploy name carto, from the males, to avoid amorous shone from the nostrils was sufficient meaning one who scribbles, and oon- encounters or chaa-toop attempts. to draw on a wah-com tablet; a sort of ist being a corruption of loonatist – “One middle-aged male had been primitive sketching block. one who works madly by moonlight. brought in heavily drugged – though The culmination of the series will Until Parry visited them they’d not by us, I hasten to say,” explained show Parry’s attempts to integrate the tended to hide away from the glare of Parry. “He seemed to have absorbed a cartoonist tribespeople into everyday publicity in “pits” or “dives” where vast quantity of what they call ‘dream society. “It wasn’t at all easy,” says they worked feverishly, to emerge juice’, and was talking in a language Parry. “They first of all had to adopt only for sustenance (burgah and bee- none of us could understand, though the use of handkerchiefs, and to re- ah), after which they tended to fall the words ‘bastard magazine’ were move the index finger from the nos- over and roll back to where they came repeated several times during our tril. They also had to stop cadging from. Parry found that the main tribe session with him. He seemed to calm money. To date this series has cost me consisted of gaagmen (they who take down after an hour or so and even a fortune.” the piss) and chiaracturists (they who steal souls by likenessing). There had been several attempts since the mid- dle of the last century to get to know these shy, retiring people who some- how still chipped out a livelihood among our concrete jungles. Many of the previous attempts at contact had ended in failure, one particular occasion being when an anthropologist was discovered slumped on a seat outside a tah-ven (or waterhole) where the tribe had been known to gather. They would mill around aimlessly as elders of the tribe talked loudly and interminably about “dah old days” when much moolah-moolah and burgah were to be found. Younger members of the tribe tended to crawl away from these get-togethers after a while and lie supine against a warm editor for com- fort. This particular anthropologist had fallen among a group of them and had been forced to “buy rounds” until his wallet had died. Not much was known about these strange, wild-eyed people, though there had once been hundreds of them scattered across the plains, scurrying hither and yon, but in the latter part of the 20th century, their numbers had The Cartoonist Tribe Choir sings “Who Can I Turn To?” for Bruce Parry
13 THE JESTER ISSUE 403 – NOVEMBER 2007 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK
Potted Minutes from CCGB committee meeting of October 2, 2007
Clockwise Present: Terry Christien, Royston from left: Robertson, Mike Turner, Jed Stone, from The Sun, Neil Dishington, Clive Collins, October 1; Jed Pascoe, Helen Pointer, Jock Daily Star, Williams-Davies, Trish Williams- October 4; The Davies. Sun, October 8; Daily Star, Apologies: Ian Ellery, Derek Quint, October 1. Anne Boyd, Richard Tomes. All cuttings spotted by Matters arising: Terry Christien had John “Speedy” to report that the Weston Arts Harrison Festival was a bit of a dud. The Mayor did make an appearance on the Friday evening, unlike any booze and nibbles, which failed to materialise. The next day, only three kids turned up, one per workshop; After the success of Mike Turner’s Quiz 25, it seems everyone is going quiz night crazy! Neil Dishington informed the committee of The Oldie Quiz Night in November – £15 a head at Simpsons. Jed Pascoe immediately countered that, with the Sandy Bells branch of Save The Children Fund Quiz Night at only £7.50 with a fish supper thrown in! Then Mike Turner leaned forward and played a blinder. He proposed that the CCGB should have another Quiz Night – two quid a head, winner takes all. This was immediately agreed on and Jed Stone was nominated to organise it for November.
New members: The committee welcomed Elsien Montero Cala to the CCGB.
Treasurer’s report: Anne Boyd re- layed to the committee that the CCGB’s bank balance stands at £4,508.84. Also, we now have 57 members paying by standing order.
Any other business: Terry Christien suggested that as the CCGB bank balance is looking pretty healthy, maybe we could “go large” at the AGM in April and have a big bash.
The meeting closed at 7.27pm
14 THE JESTER ISSUE 403 – NOVEMBER 2007 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK
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Thanks for the Bonfire Night gags. Remember, next month is the double December/January issue, so send Christmas gags. As usual with the festive issue, there will be colour covers, so feel free to submit artwork in colour ... Contributions via email: jester_magazine @yahoo.co.uk
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Email submissions are preferred, as then images and text do not need to be scanned – but snail mail is still acceptable. All images Big Draw on the beach: sent by email must be jpegs Volunteers create a lifesize at a resolution of 300dpi image of a giant squid on the beach in Broadstairs, Kent. The event was organised by REMINDER: the next Thanet Coast Project as part of Big Draw 2007. Teams two club meetings are were each given a numbered November 6 and tentacle (see left) to tackle! Pic: Royston Robertson December 4 at The Cartoonist pub, Membership enquiries to: Jed Pascoe (Membership Secretary), Shoe Lane, London. 4 Osprey Close, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 1TW Tel: 01767-682 882. Email: [email protected] Subscription enquiries to: Anne Boyd (Treasurer), 57 Terry House, Park Row, Bristol BS1 5LX Tel: 07804-889 052 Committee: 5.30pm Email [email protected] Members: 7pm Website enquiries to: Ian Ellery, 25 Nelson Road, Hastings TN34 BRX. Tel: 01424-718 209. Email: [email protected]
15 THE JESTER ISSUE 403 – NOVEMBER 2007 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK
“Ooh, tough crowd.”
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