Rupert Besley takes up from where Bill Stott left off
Another fine Shrewsbury down the hatch, all exactly as beautifully put in the previous blog piece. What follows here is just an excuse to bung up more photos.
The Food & Drink theme of this, the 14th Cartoon Festival at Shrewsbury, went down a treat. It was something cartoonists could all get their teeth into, with exhibition entries overspilling the frames and walls of the excellent Bear Steps Gallery and into Theatre Severn.
On from the Gallery, eyes peeled down Grope Lane, to the Unitarian Church, where Tony Husband held us transfixed by the story of his latest book, ‘From a Dark Place’, done with son Paul. It’s hard to imagine how any such tale could be better conveyed – or anti-addiction cause better promoted – than through the likes of cartoons by Tony. Lovers of these were treated to more next day, as a Big Board of Husband classics took shape in The Square.
Tony Husband’s cartoon smörgås-board. Photo © Rupert Besley
I’ll own up next to being somewhat daunted by the prospect of having to fill a Big Board that could stand alongside those underway from Dean Alston, Steve Best, Wilbur Dawbarn, Noel Ford, Clive Goddard, John Landers, Roger Penwill, Royston Robertson, Will Rudling and Bill Stott. And I’m bound to have missed out someone, apologies.
Elsewhere, animation workshops were in full swing and star turn Hunt Emerson present to speak on Comics of the Weird and Frankly Unbelievable. Back in The Square, the top team of ace caricaturists (Steve Bright, Jonathan Cusick, Alex Hughes, Helen Pointer, John Roberts) were busy drawing an admiring crowd. The Melodrawma was a feast of quickfire drawing, fast-fingered guitar and a lot of pun.
Cooking up the Melowdrawma , Wilbur Dawbarn, Royston Robertson, Hunt Emerson and Noel Ford. Photo © Maria Hughes
And, all the while, Glenn Marshall slaved over the deep-fat fryer, churning out takeaway gags by the plateful.
That genius Glenn Marshall (ED: Who wrote this?). Photo © Jac Lee
The day ended with dinner at The Lion (quite hard to deal with, given the dress code).
Some selfie-portraits. Photo © Glenn Marshall
And then the threatened uke attack, long into the night. ‘More!’ they cried, from bedrooms above. Well, possibly.
Part of the Ukulele ensemble, John Landers watches Wilbur Dawbarn & Royston Robertson with Alex Hughes and songstress Maria Hughes. Photo © Steve Bright