FOGHORN The
The magazine of the Federation of Cartoonists’ Organisations, UK section.
Issue 26. April 2007
THE FOGHORN Issue 26 - April 2007
Published in Great Britain by FECO UK FECO UK CONTACTS President Andy Davey tel: +44 (0)1223 517737 email: feco@andydavey.com Secretary John Roberts tel: +44 (0) 1565 633995 email: john@mad-badger.com Treasurer Alex Hughes email: alex.hughes @alexhughescartoons.co.uk Foghorn Editor Tim Harries tel: + 44 (0) 1633 780293 email: tim@timharries.co.uk Website co-ordinator Noel Ford tel: +44 (0) 7041 310211 email: laugh@noelford.co.uk Foghorn Sub-Editor Bill Stott tel: +44 (0) 160 646002 email: billstott@lineone.net
Thin is in ..... Welcome to a slightly slimmer Foghorn, courtesy of plenty of exercise, healthy eating and a distinct lack of articles. That’s where you lot come in - more articles, ideas and cartoons are needed to sustain and improve the Foghorn, so if you’ve got any suitable content, please feel free to get in touch. Putting the Foghorn together can be a rewarding task, but it’s made that much easier when everyone mucks in. So get mucking! And what of the future? Well, as the PCO moves ahead, hopefully so will the Foghorn. It won’t be overnight, but a longterm process, one that I hope we can all contribute to ... Tim Harries, Foghorn Ed.
Tribute to John Herdman “In 1970, I got a job teaching Art at Arundle Comprehensive School in Liverpool 8, and John was one of those kids who helped a young know- nothing teacher keep a tenuous grip on sanity. He had obvious talent even then, when he’d be around thirteen or fourteen. He was also difficult to convince about the finer points of objective drawing - such was his inventive facility - but once you’d proved that you weren’t another teaching fool to suffer, he’d take ideas and make them his own. I knew nothing of his Isle of Man links in those days, and it was only much later that I met John again, via another Manx type [by adoption], the incomparable Pete Williams. That John chose to develop his graphic skills in the IOM -not the biggest theatre in the world - is typical of the man’s resolve. He turned his hand to signwriting, graphic design, website construction, cartooning, of course, as well as being an accomplished musician. Living on the home of the TT also meant that he owned, rebuilt and fettled a huge motorbike. In latter years we were in regular touch, and I enjoyed his ascerbic wit, his drawing, and his complete lack of respect for authority, and immediate suspicion of anybody who looked like they might own a suit. I‘ll miss his inimitably ranty emails, some of which could only be viewed through dark glasses. He wasn’t easily persuaded about anything, and his early death, coming as it did at a time when the PCO needs talented, funny, and dependable people like John certainly makes us the poorer.” Bill Stott
International Liaison Officer Roger Penwill tel: +44 (0) 1584 711854 email: roger@penwill.com Web info FECO UK website: www.fecouk.org.uk FECO Worldwide: www.fecoweb.net
Self portrait by John Herdman
back,watercoloured by hand but I think the computer does a better job. I prefer black and white because I’m too lazy to join up the lines and colour on the computer! Of course if some mag asked me then of course I would!
What nib/pen do you use? I used pen nibs and india inks many moons ago for a long time. Eventually, I got fed up with spilling ink everywhere, I even pierced my finger with a wet nib and I still have a little dot of ink tattoo to this day! Then I found Tempo fibre tips for 2/6 old money each. I used them for ages, they were simple to use and cheap enough to throw away every couple of weeks or so. They disappeared from the shops and Berol pens arrived and I used the fine and medium
Do you use any software for your artwork? pens for ages. Nowadays I still use I use Painter 8 and sometimes a Berol fine handwritng pen but Photo Elements 11. also the Faber Castell Pitt pens: I use a lightbox (no rubbing fine, medium and brush. They are out pencil lines!) to ink in, scan them and then use the software great and waterproof too. I’m always changing pens however to colour in. All very simple and and tomorrow I may try something pretty effective. new. Any other secrets? I’ve no secrets but I do admire How do you colour your work? I use the computer nowadays, I many other cartoonists styles, don’t do much colour stuff, there and I suppose they do affect my are hardly any markets nowadays. own style - I’m learning from I colour the occasional draw- them all the time! ing for cartoonstock and the Wisenheimer in the U.S. I did some Thank you, Dave Parker! for Yours magazine some years
That was an exhibition, Eh?
Neil Dishington reviews the Mike Williams exhibition at the Cartoon Museum I think it was Michael Heath who said “It doesn’t matter how good the drawing is, there has to be a good gag”. That maybe so, but if you wish to see a combination of Great Drawing and “Laugh out loud” jokes, get along to the Mike Williams Show at The Cartoon Art Museum. Although “Great” is a very over used word, I use it here.This is a wonderful show, full of Mike’s Massive Animals, Hippos, Elephants, Penguins, all playing havoc with the unfortunate humans! Many of the Cartoons are works of Art, his use of colour is almost Turneresque, but this never takes you away from the joke, and the
jokes are terrific. I challenge anyone not to laugh out loud at some ... nay... almost all the gags. This is a “must see” Exhibition, helped by the fact that all the Drawings are A3 - none of that bending over or squinting to read the captions. Mike is one of our leading Cartoonists, in my opinion, the best, and a good bloke too!! Hurry, hurry, hurry! Unfortunately, the exhibition finished on April 1st, but you can hurry, hurry, hurry to Mike’s website at: www.mikewilliamscartoons. co.uk/
CARTOONIST CALENDAR April/May highlights: Alice in Sunderland : A Labyrinth of Dreams 5 April – 1 July 2007 The Cartoon Museum. An exhibition of over 60 original pieces of artwork from Bryan Talbot’s new graphic novel. A rich tapestry of styles and stories ranging from Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’, the real Alice Liddell, the story of Sunderland and the very art of storytelling and cartooning.
Q&A
What made you draw about politics? I sort of fell into it. I’ve always believed passionately in what I believe in, but have never been very vocal, so cartooning is my way of expressing myself, I suppose. What’s your dream job?
This issue, Matt Buck talks to political cartoonist and caricaturist, Alex Hughes.
Tricky one... a few years back, I would have said I would like the main opinion slot on one of the major nationals, but with the way ‘the industry’ has been changing recently, I’m not really sure I have a dream job at the moment (well, apart from chief taster at the brewery, of course).
Do question one and two matter? Number one, absolutely. You can’t draw about politics without having a point of view. Number two, in terms of personal goals How do you feel when you are thinking about subjects you might draw about? Usually, cold blind panic. The sudden realisation that the deadline is looming and I’ve not been following the news as closely as perhaps I should...
Do you prefer studio or face-toface caricature? And why? What particular challenges do each have? Definitely studio. Much as I like ‘live’ caricature, I do sometimes feel like some sort of performing monkey, whereas, in the studio I can control my environment, work at my own pace and generally feel more satisified by my work. Which of your drawings has given you the greatest feeling of satisfaction? Ooh - tough call. I can’t single any out specifically, but I’ve certainly drawn a few caricatures that I think I’ve nailed just right, a few political cartoons that have the right balance of image and comment. There is a piece of artwork I produced for a band called [spunge] a few years back which I look back on with a fair bit of pride - a lot of work went into that one.
What other drawing do you like? From time to time I like to dip into a bit of life drawing, or even just sketching passers-by in the street. I’ve also been known to try my hand at caricaturing in three dimensions, both in clay and plaster as well as 3-d graphics. Also, I’ve been looking
place for my drawing and cartooning - but I’m not convinced it’ll be in print. The internet revolution may be closing a few doors, but it’s opening a lot of exciting new ones as well Thank You Alex Hughes!
more and more at drawing with a graphics tablet, and whilst I use it for colouring and correcting mistakes, I’m still not convinced I’ll be doing all my drawing on one
any time soon. What do you think the future holds for your skills? I think I’ll always be able to find a
Web info To check out examples of Alex’s strips, caricatures and political cartoons, check out his website at: www.alexhughescartoons. co.uk
The Fog is alive with the sound of moaning, while Curmudgeon wonders if you’ve bin a naughty boy ...
This issue: “The Good, The Bad and the Cattermoles ”
Could be on dodgy ground here. Thin Ice City. Questioning unimpeachable motives – that sort of thing. The trouble is that unreliable research [no animals were harmed] suggests that the human brain/mind is quite capable of applauding Good Works and Selfless Contributions to the Community whilst at the same time thinking, “Get a life” Smiley, fit families on TV regional news bulletins who not only went vegetarian ages ago, but grow their own organic greens on land released by the demolition of the garage, a structure rendered redundant when they gave away the family car [a wind powered people mover], choosing instead to walk, run and cycle everywhere , and are pres-
ently the Macclesfield and district Recyclers of the Year don’t get me pressing the Record button. Their carbon footprint is the size of a very small pogo stick. My own pollutive imprint looks like Godzilla sat down quickly. Wonderful, wonderful! goes one half of my brain. The other quite fancies a Pot Noodle. And so it was when I saw a story – TV regional news to blame again – telling me that a local Police Authority have issued volunteers [65+ mostly] with radar speed guns, fluorescent tabards, and notebooks, so that said do–gooders can spy motorists speeding through THEIR village, note the registration and tell the bizzies who then send the wicked mo-
torist a letter. Highway Home Guard. No prosecution – just a letter telling Mr Petrolhead that Norman and Blanche Cattermole got him doing 38 in a 30 area. In other words; watch it sonny, we’ve got everybody’s eyes on you. Of course, my whole moan falls to bits when I’m told that Courtney Cattermole, beloved granddaughter of the above is no more because of some tosser in a Corsa, speeding. No answer to that, really. And indeed, I myself, self confessed lover of proper cars and a dose of right foot, am in ongoing touch with my local council with regard to Corsatossas going through MY village like home made Vindaloo. It’s only a little village, but it IS a rat run, saving at least 4 seconds over the by pass route. Tests, conducted by myself and at my own expense indicate that four speed bumps, 100yds apart would do the job. The Council prefer lowering the speed limit – a process which takes 18 months. How long does it take to bolt a speed bump to the floor ? Which method will actually WORK ? Yes, yes, I know, the best way is
for folk to keep to the speed limit. Presently, I do, due to an inordinate number of points collected via Gatso nasties, or worse, the sneaky hidden ones. But my local council can’t afford to decorate my village with cameras, having spent all their cash on leasing some of the coolest garbage collection trucks you’ve ever seen which take care of our recycling wheelies, our waste wheelies and our paper wheelies and our garden wheelies [you get an admonishing sticker if you put plastic in the garden wheelie] So whack in four speed bumps. But no. These are considered environmentally inappropriate. Why? Because it takes hedgehogs a long time to clamber over them? What’s more environmentally inappropriate – speed bumps, or the Cattermoles, all tabarded up, pointing their guns at you, then popping your reg into their official notebooks? Was that a P or an F, Blanche? Speed bumps only work in certain places. No good on the M6, where the average speed is about 250mph, due to none of the cameras working. You can see this one coming. Coach loads of Cattermoles bussed to
Knutsford services, then ferried by yellow lorry [the ones with those hugely distracting flashing arrows on the back] to little hides on the carriageway edge. They’d have a great time. Take flasks. Sandwiches. Fill notebook after notebook. AND its useful. Beats a rainy week in Eastbourne. And then, at least those useless overhead electronic signs beloved of motorway designers which tell you that there has been an “incident” and that the speed limit is 40mph when you’ve been stationary for an hour – or the more cryptic “This sign is not
in use” variation could be replaced by a bit of fact, like; “Nosey Wannabes on Hard Shoulder”
The editor and FECO UK accept no responsibility for the opinions expressed by contributors. All images and characters are copyright their respective authors.