The PCO Cartoon Review of the Year 2020

Cartoon by © Andy Davey. Glenn Marshall wrote: Once more my friends it’s time for the PCO Cartoon Review of the Year, featuring work from members of the PCO (speech) bubble. It’s been a difficult year to find humour in, although it would be a nightmare for cartoonists if any year was filled with just […]

Still Splitting Fog

Pandemic cartoon from Nebelspalter (1918) by Fritz Boscovitz. (The crowd is gathered round a sign saying, Flu – no assembly…’) Rupert Besley writes: As a student I had the good fortune several times to work abroad on holiday jobs in the north-east of Switzerland. Happy days. Swiss newspapers then were hard work to get through […]

Not the 2020 Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival

Cancelled poster by © Roger Penwill Glenn Marshall writes: This weekend would have seen the main events of the Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival  but sadly, like so much else, it has had to be cancelled. One of the organisers, Roger Penwill, commented a few weeks ago when the postponement was announced “We felt that we had no […]

Borderline and Beyond

Rupert Besley writes: Congratulations to the organisers of Laughter Line in Wallsend. And commiserations too. No sooner had they got their cartoon exhibition set up than in came the requirement for museums and galleries to close (at present Segedunum have made that provisional to 1st May). Last year, you may remember, saw the Tyneside museum mounting […]

Infectious Laughter

Cartoon © Pete Dredge Naturally many cartoonists have been indulging in some sick humour whilst trying to cope under lockdown. These are from the bunkers of Procartoonists members, including the very funny and worryingly accurate Dredge cartoon above. © Sarah Boyce Of course most of us are used to working locked down at home. This is […]

The Genius of Giles

Rupert Besley writes: Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies are back in the news. It’s become something of a festive tradition to bemoan the lack of good viewing in the Christmas schedules. ‘Absolutely nothing on telly,’ goes the cry. ‘Last year was bad enough and this year is worse.’ And so it has seemed this last […]

Send in the Clowns?

Cartoon by © Rupert Besley Rupert Besley writes: [a personal viewpoint, not purporting in any way to represent the opinions of the PCO] For the first time in my life I’m seriously wondering if humour might not be doing more harm than good. That’s a worrying thought and no conclusion I would ever wish to […]

Press One to Continue Nightmare

Rupert Besley writes (mainly because he couldn’t get through on the PCO helpline): I’m sure I’m not alone in my dislike of having other people’s words being put into my Choose from one of the following options, then click on Next to continue: – orifice – earplug – lexicon – exhaust pipe – rear end […]

Air Show

Back on planet earth, away from the lunar orbiting Herne Bay Cartoon Festival, Helen Wilde & Terry Sole are putting on an environment-flavoured exhibition on the theme of ‘A Breath of Fresh Air’ at  One New Street Gallery. As in previous years the exhibition is a mixture of art, cartoons, illustrations and the odd marshall. There’s lots […]