Giles and the snow cartoon
January 22, 2013 in Comment, News

"I've told the hospital we've got an ambulance driver fallen head over tip – want to hear what they said?" © Carl Giles
Snow has fallen across the UK over recent days and, as usual, we all act as though this has never happened before. Here’s proof that is has: a cartoon by Carl Giles, the acknowledged master of the snow cartoon, from 1979.
This is about the public sector strikes in the January of that year, popularly known as the Winter of Discontent. It’s a great example of Giles’ “less is more” approach to drawing snow. See more Giles cartoons at the British Cartoon Archive.
Spotted any other good snow cartoons? Let us know in the comments below.
BRIGHTY said on January 23, 2013
I loved Giles work. Christmas was never the same when we ran out of Giles annuals. His snow scenes are indeed wonderful, and now that I’m in exile in the Land Of Engs, I love driving around rural areas and seeing the typical countryside scenes that Giles often drew all around me. Of course there was much more to his work than those, although he was never what we would call a ‘political cartoonist’, topical as most of his work was. He reflected British/English life.
I think there are cartoonists who can regularly and consistently make you laugh heartily with their gags, where the draftsmanship is secondary to the punchline, while others make you smile broadly through their drawing before you even get to the punchline.
BRIGHTY said on January 23, 2013
As for other snow cartoons, I enjoyed a real knowing smile at Mac’s in yesterday’s Mail…
BRIGHTY said on January 23, 2013
Sorry – that link didn’t include the punchline.
BRIGHTY said on January 23, 2013
Or just hit ‘previous’ till you get to it. D’oh!