! ISSUE 384 – APRIL 2006! AUTUMN 2005 The Jester PITY THE FOOL CREATURE FEATURE YOUR ANIMAL GAGS INSIDE “The lawyers took everything.” AGM APPROACHES / NEW CARTOON MUSEUM OPENS ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LONDON TOON / OOR WULLIE AT 70 DAVE GASKILL INTERVIEW / PAUL BAKER ON VALOTT ELLINAS’S INKWELL / JUDGE COLLINS / SUBS STILL DUE! The Newsletter of the Cartoonists’ Club of Great Britain THE JESTER ISSUE 384 – APRIL 2006 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK The Jester News Issue 384 - April 2006 Buzz about show Virtually ready Published 11 times a year by The Cartoonists’ Club AN exhibiton called Pixar: 20 Years ALTHOUGH still in an early, of Animation is being held at the experimental form, the International of Great Britain Science Cartoon Virtual Museum is now Museum, open at www.cartoonvirtualmuseum. London, from The CCGB Committee org. It is a fascinating site to browse, April 1 to June find cartooning news and competi- Chairman: Terry Christien 10. Pixar has tions and to sample work from 020–8892 3621 been making cartoonists from all over the world. [email protected] computer- animated short Secretary: Richard Tomes films, and More Simpsons 0121–706 7652 movies such as [email protected] Toy Story and Treasurer: Jill Kearney The Incredibles, TWO more series of The Simpsons for 20 years. have been commissioned by Fox TV, 020–8590 8942 ensuring the show will be on screens [email protected] The show is billed the first chance fans in the UK will get to see until at least 2008. The decision hundreds of pieces of artwork, means the popular animated sitcom Les Barton: 01895–236 732 models and digital paintings from its will rack up its 400th episode in the [email protected] studios. Pre-booking is advisable. next two years. The show is now in Clive Collins: 01702–557 205 To book call 0870-870 4868. its 17th series. [email protected] Prices: £9 adults, £7 children. SOUL singer Isaac Hayes is to Family discounts available. stop providing the voice for Chef in Neil Dishington: 020–8505 0134 the cartoon series South Park [email protected] because he objects to its Ian Ellery: 01424–718 209 “inappropriate ridicule” of religion. [email protected] Hayes, 63, has been a regular on the Graham Fowell: 020–8590 8942 show since its US TV debut in 1997. [email protected] But creator Matt Stone said Hayes had “never had a problem” until the Pete Jacob: 01732 845 079 show featured his own religion – Helen Martin: 01883–625 600 Scientology: “In ten years of South [email protected] Park, Isaac never had a problem with Roy Nixon: 01245–256 814 the show making fun of Christians, Jed Pascoe: 01767–682 882 Muslims, Mormons or Jews. He got [email protected] a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on Roger Penwill: 01584–711 854 the show.” © bbc.co.uk/news [email protected] Bear baiting Derek Quint: 01984–632 592 Jed Stone: 020–7720 1884 THE Man Who Hated Pooh – The [email protected] Political Cartoons of E.H. Shepard is Mike Turner: 01206–798 283 now running at the Political Cartoon Gallery, 32 Store Street, London, [email protected] until May 2006. The exhibition is Jock Williams-Davies: being staged in association with the 01473–422 917 Cartoon Study Centre at the Univer- [email protected] sity of Kent and the Punch archive. The exhibition will consist of 50 of Jester Editor: Shepard’s original cartoons which were published in Punch from 1933 Royston Robertson up until his dismissal by Malcolm 01843–871 241 Muggeridge, the Editor in the early jester_magazine @yahoo.co.uk 1950s. The gallery is open Monday to Friday 9.30am-5.30pm and on Front cover: Alex Noel Watson Saturdays between 11.30am-5.30pm. Back cover: Tim Harries Phone 020-7580 1114 for further details or email info@ politicalcartoon.co.uk 2 THE JESTER ISSUE 384 – APRIL 2006 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK The Chair WHAT a nifty March meeting we had amongst us. Keep watching The – blessed with not just one but two Jester for details. talks! The first was given by John A random thought here, but under McInnerny of King Features, all about the subhead of a grumpy ol’ git, I was cartoon syndication. And very inter- doing a caricaturing gig at Birming- esting it was too. ham NEC and was unable to get He distributed sample American through the carriages to my booked newspapers showing all the well seat on the train and had to plonk known strips and singles across three myself in a first class seat of which broadsheet pages can, you believe? there was an abundance as always. I The AGM: April 4 Virtually no news, but wall to wall thought, I don’t mind paying an up- cartoons – the sort of coverage we can grade to finish off the journey. “How THE April 4 meeting is the club’s only dream of! much?” I enquired, after much delib- Annual General Meeting – a good Even though King’s annual take up eration. “£79,” says he (for 45 min- chance to come along and catch up is only a handful – three or four new utes, no more stops to London Eus- with fellow members, and enjoy the ideas – it’s still worth having a go ton) so I politely told him where he free buffet of course. New committee with submissions. Encouragingly, could place it! Why on earth couldn’t members will be voted in at the some of the published material was Virgin Trains have been more astute committee meeting and announced really quite naff. You somehow just and said something reasonable like later in the evening. If you would like assume that every strip is as good as £10 or £15? I would have gladly paid to join the committee, get in touch. Hagar the Horrible, one of King’s that. As it was, they got nothing! Committee: 5.30pm. Members: 7pm. star turns, so you just never know. What’s it all about? The annual statement of accounts will Send to: Jay Kennedy, Editor in Chief And finally, our April meeting is the be available for perusal and will be c/o Allsorts Media Ltd, 15 Grove AGM and it’s not too late to put your- published in the May Jester. At the end Place, Bedford, MK40 3JJ. Telephone self forward for the committee if you of the business of the committee 01234-212411/211601. so wish. There will be no talk at the agenda, the committee will be Then Tim Harries graced us with a meeting, so there will be plenty of dissolved. After a short break (at the talk on his favourite comic strips [see banter and not a little socialising and bar, traditionally) the new committee page seven] dovetailing superbly with catching up with this and that. See will be restored. Prospective new John’s talk. Yes, surprisingly, the club you there. committee member: Anne Boyd for can do dovetailing! Where Tim’s car- Terry Christien Treasurer. Jed Stone is nominated for toon book collection had doubled up, Secretary; Jed Pascoe for the new post he generously donated half a dozen of Membership Secretary. Stepping books as prizes to ad hoc questions – down from committee: Roger Penwill. excellent. Thanks again guys. On my way to the meeting, I popped in to take a look at the new Cartoon Animal magic Museum in Little Russell Street, Lon- don [see page six]. It’s good to see PROBABLY unsurprisingly, you all some permanency with the Cartoon loved the cartoon theme of animals Art Trust’s collection. Incidentally, and there were far too many to use! there was a Bill Ritchie strip from Many of those not used will appear on Sparky, one of D.C. Thomson’s com- the website. The next theme: Film ics. They’re in ideal premises which Funnies, Movies Mirth, Puns at the used to be a dairy, all superbly reno- Pictures, that kind of thing. Action! vated including a classroom which is good for meetings, so they won’t mind if you milk it for all its worth! Which, looking ahead, brings me to the June Friday meeting (June 16), extra to the first Tuesday meeting at The Cartoonist pub as usual. It now looks as though it will be at the aforementioned Cartoon Museum, especially for the Fridayphobes 3 THE JESTER ISSUE 384 – APRIL 2006 CCGB ONLINE: WWW.CCGB.ORG.UK The Shakesperience of a lifetime All welcome at Stratford 2006! COME along to sunny Stratford-upon-Avon from Friday 11 August till Sunday 13, or Monday 14 ... or however long you like! Just like last time, those interested in coming along should let me know (as soon as possible) and I will send you a brochure of lots and lots of B&Bs and hotels to choose from, covering a wide range of sizes and prices. Then it’s up to you to organise your accommodation. This is essentially a Cartoonists’ Club of Great Britain convention. It is a purely social event for the club’s members, their families and their friends. All are welcome – the more the merrier. Stratford is fab and is slap-bang in the middle of England, so I don’t want to hear any North/ South arguments (except from the Scots who are allowed). There’s plenty to see and do in Stratford (when not in the pub). There are the theatres, the world’s best row of restaurants in Sheep Street, and the shopping is simply fabulous, dahling.