9-11_Humour.qxp_RH Page 28/04/2022 12:14 Page 1
FOCUS ON…HUMOUR OF OUR TIMES
A light in the dark With the various ongoing crises over the past couple of years leaving people desperate for a laugh, humour publishers have to keep a weather eye on everything from the often-bleak news, and social media trends, to the latest niche BBC3 comedy in their quest for the latest and most up-to-the-minute giggles. And the quintessentially British take that sees Emotional Rescue rush out designs like its Jam & Toast comment on events in Ukraine keeps those classics coming, as publishers discuss here. Humour never goes out of fashion but the subjects of those laughs change like the wind so publishers really need to keep their design pencils sharp, particularly with all the doom and gloom around at the moment. Rosie Tate, of Cath Tate Cards, concurs as they’re finding humour is a category that’s expanding in the bigger chains, and she’s impressed with the comedians who came to prominence via social media during Covid. She explained: “I love Alistair Green, Munya Chawawa, Harry Trevaldwyn and others who can create whole characters, scenes and satirical skits just with their phone in their front room. The advantage being that they can churn out topical comedy so quickly. Very clever and very funny – definitely saved me during the lockdowns! Being in the moment has struck a chord with Brainbox Candy co-founder
Ben Hickman, who said: “It’s been hilarious seeing the creativity in people during the pandemic and turning such a negative thing on its head. “There’s been some very funny memes and video sketches and, alongside this, there’s some stand-out comedians doing some very innovative stuff such as Joe Wilkinson, Sara Pascoe, and James Acaster, and podcasts like Athletico Mince and Gossip Mongers are hysterical. “This year started off pretty shabby with all the doom and gloom with you know what but, as always, British humour seems to shine a light out of the shadows.” Laura Kavanagh, founder of Go La La!, finds the humour card market the most diverse as the public’s tolerance for what makes them laugh is so varied,
Above: Topical comedy – a Jam & Toast design from Emotional Rescue.
which can make it tricky for shops to pitch their offer. But she added: “It’s always interesting to see what the public buy on online platforms from our ranges – it’s often quite different from those that the shops are selecting. Some of our top sellers sold D2C are the most rude ones! “As a humour publisher it’s difficult to
Above: Above: Dark times – new range from Go La La!
conjure the witty captions when there’s so much anxiety about the world. My partner John and I have had a tough time personally as we’ve lost three parents between us in the past 3½ years, and I think our humour has become quite dark and skewed at times. We recently
“I love The Thick of It, Have I Got News For You (pictured), QI, and Mock The Week.” James Mace, The Art File Above: One of the many of the time creations from Rosie Made a Thing.
Focus On Humour Cards
9
