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THE PROCARTOONIST NEWSLETTER № 55 December 2013

“Bring me sunshine...” New Members As seems to be the norm these days, the PCO is delighted to welcome a few new faces to our mighty throng. So five x three cheers for the estimable Chris Cairns, David Ziggy Greene, Kent Tayler, Lawrence Goldsmith, and returning member, Colin Thompson - most welcome – group hug!!

THE PROCARTOONIST ISSUE 55 December 2013 THE PROCARTOONIST ISSUE 55 December 2013 Committee Meeting The Big Give The Committee met back in October at the goes to Mr Landers for rounding up all bar one of The Museum in is taking part in Cartoon Museum, That London: the minutes are these and he will be sorely missed when he steps the Big Give Christmas Challenge. This means that available on the private forum for your infinite down in April. John has kindly agreed to mentor for a limited period donations to the museum will perusal, and it would be a ‘very good thing’ if all any new incumbent through the leaner learning be matched, making all contributions go further. members could look in or participate there for all process (we are a well-oiled machine most of the manner of things – it is perhaps our most valuable time!) The money will fund the and for asset and resource, apart from yourselves, natch. All project, which aims to bring new visitors to the Just a reminder too that we are also still looking for museum and provide free events and sessions for And now a word or two from our HR Dept... an Hon. Secretary. Other positions also are looking schools. To donate online, click this link on 5, 6 or 7 for fresh blood if suitable numbers apply. . December at 10am. As mentioned in the minutes, it was unanimously decided to lower the minimum length of committee The museum is currently showing an exhibition tenure from four to two years. Plus, the option of by R.S. Sherriffs. The gloom of winter will be not having to pay subs during any period of tenure brightened by Bring Me Laughter on 7 January, will hopefully make the vital role of committee followed by a must-see exhibition on work more attractive to those who would like to 26 February. See the website for details. help beyond portfolio and forum level toward this increasingly essential dot-org. As is noted, we have an extraordinary and growing Shrewsbury 2014 pool of professional talent, and some very high expectations of involvement and influence on We have been asked if we would be prepared occasion, which naturally bring their own challenges to increase our annual sponsorship (up to now, to the voluntary freelancers charged with the actual providing the Saturday evening meal plonk) for the responsibility – we would be delighted to lessen or upcoming Shrewsbury International more evenly distribute the load and some of the Festival 2014. The well-documented cutbacks glory in future! Noblesse oblige and all that. in local authority public spending have severely stretched the purse-strings at Shropshire County We have also decided to make the Hon Treasurer Council, and the Shrewsbury committee are actively role less arduous by asking members to set up a pursuing other streams of sponsorship to keep the Standing Order Mandate for the collection of show on the road. A PCO committee delegation annual subs every April. Many of you are already will be meeting our Shrewsbury counterparts on 11 choosing this much more efficient system of December in Shrewsbury to discuss this further. payment and we thank you. However, the poor old Hon. Treas. has worn the last six months down chasing up quite a few malingerers and fiscal procrastinators for their subs again. Much credit

THE PROCARTOONIST ISSUE 55 December 2013 Blog and Forum Matters Much conversation and opinion on the blog and Finally, we would like to thank Rob Murray, who Anyone keen to improve their own personal profile forum and elsewhere concerning the weighty will be stepping down from the blog team from the on the blog and who is interested in talking about matters of The Sun dropping its daily cartoon spot new year, for his excellent and informative round- how they might help can ask any one of the guys (and cartoonist) as well as The Sunday Times likewise ups of all things cartoon. The remaining team, Matt directly or via [email protected] jettisoning their the previous month; the Buck, Alex Hughes and Royston Robertson, are nature of The Spectator Cartoon Award criteria, and therefore looking for one more weekly regular Other things you missed... other matters of direct professional concern to us contributor. [Ed –It’s all on the blog. Or the forum]. which I am not able to summarise here.

I thoroughly recommend a pondering of the challenges behind and ahead for print and our adequate remuneration, whilst you put yet another surplus orphan on the fire to try and stave off the cold and penury seemingly destined for many of our fellow cartoonists and ourselves.

But if that is all slightly too pessimistic a tone for any obligatory Christmas glad tidings, then we can all at least take great heart from the considerable public outpourings of laughter and financial appreciation garnered at the various outings for the Private Eye Cartoon Book and Tim Benson’s Book. We already know the public loves cartoons, and don’t doubt we’ll find a way to keep our audience, in print, in public, and in the digital age...somehow, whilst still maintaining at least some rudimentary reliance on an income.

As such, however, this newsletter cannot afford to include any more cartoons in it, even by nicking them, so you’ll have to make do with this stock photo of a cat.

THE PROCARTOONIST ISSUE 55 December 2013 Toons from Across the Pond Baton change... Members of the National Cartoonists Society and This latter exhibit, curated by “Beetle Bailey”’s Brian Well, it’s been a blast! But even mediocre stuff must many other U.S. cartoonists were in attendance at Walker, highlights “various elements, methods, tools come to an end. I am thus delighted and relieved (of the Ohio State University's Festival of Cartoon Art and techniques that cartoonists utilize, including my duties) to welcome Cathy Simpson as your new in Columbus, Ohio, in November. This triennial , character design, sequential panels, speech newsletter Editor, and Steve “Jonesy” Jones, our event was extra-special this year because it was also balloons page, layout, and storytelling.” very own “Mouth of the Mersey”, to PCO newsletter the grand opening of the new Billy Ireland Cartoon writing responsibilities from the new year. Library and Museum, the new facility and home for MADly, OSU’s unmatched collection of original cartoon art, Tom Richmond Hope you enjoy it as much as I done did. publications and books on cartooning. [Ed. - The holy relic that is the Shrewsbury tablecloth Nathan Ariss The weekend featured many terrific speakers presented to the NCS by The Surreal McCoy last year Chairleg including Jeff Smith (Bone), Matt Bors (Editorialist), will also be on exhibition at the Billy Ireland library Eddie Campbell (From Hell), Stephan Pastis (Pearls and gallery. The wonderful response from the NCS will Before Swine), Brian Bassett (Red and Rover), Jamie be on display at Shrewsbury, ‘14]. and Gilbert Hernadez (Love and Rockets) and Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet). There was also a screening of the Dave Kellett/Fred Schroeder documentary on Derek comic strips entitled “Stripped”. Following the screening, Dave and Fred were joined onstage by Quint cartoonists Dylan Meconis (Outfoxed), Patrick We were sorry to learn McDonnell (Mutts) and Hilary Price (Rhymes of the recent passing with Orange), all of whom were prominently of Derek Quint featured in the film, for a Q&A about the movie and the world in general. (Kwinty), long- standing PCO and The highlight of the weekend was definitely CCGB member. seeing the new Billy Ireland library/gallery unveiled. Located in Sullivant Hall on the Tributes are being OSU campus, the business part of the facility paid to him on the is upstairs and features several beautiful forum, and our galleries, multiple lecture rooms, a fantastic sincere condolences catwalk/open foyer and archive rooms that go on forever. There were two shows hung in are extended to his the galleries: “Treasures from the Collections of the wife and family from Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum”, which is a his many friends and permanent exhibit, and “Substance and Shadow: The Art colleagues here. of the Cartoon”, which hangs through 11 March. THE PROCARTOONIST ISSUE 55 December 2013