Photo © Karol Steele
Royston Robertson writes:
They came, they drew and the sun shone. Again.
The word had clearly got out about the 2024 Herne Bay Cartoon Festival as it was busy from the get-go as members of the public crowded around the cartoonists outside the Beach Creative gallery on Sunday 4 August, even as they were still scratching their heads trying to figure out how to fill several large blank canvases.
Montage © Royston Robertson
But let’s backtrack slightly: The festival proper began on 27 July when “Golden Years”, an exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the British Cartoon Archive, opened at the Seaside Museum. I curated this exhibition so I’m still urging people to go and see it, as it runs until 14 September.
Photo © Royston Robertson
The main festival exhibition “Rocking the Boat!” was held at Beach Creative. It featured a huge variety of work by contemporary cartoonists from the PCO and elsewhere, including, bizarrely, many takes on the Owl and the Pussycat, above. The PCO’s Great British Colouring Book exhibition was also held at the gallery.
Photos © Sally Kindberg
A comic strip workshop for kids and adults was hosted by Sally Kindberg on Saturday afternoon. It was all about superpowers and involved picking a “magical empowering item” at random from the Hat of Surprise. Many cartoonists joined in the fun and I was delighted to pick the Glove of Good Jokes, so cartoon editors stand by for an influx of zingers …
Photo © Tom Johnston
On Saturday night the cartoonists, festival volunteers, friends and family gathered for the gala dinner and there was much drinking of wine and drawing of insulting cartoons on paper tablecloths, as is traditional. See Tom Johnston’s, above.
Some cartoonists even headed afterwards to a local nightclub and there was dancing. Reader, we will spare you the photos and video but think of those images of Michael Gove clubbing and you’re in the right ballpark.
Photo © Karol Steele
Back to Sunday’s live event then, and here’s Ben Chilton, left, and Dave Brown making good headway on their canvases. Guy Venables, whose cartoon can be seen in the middle, finished and clocked off early to spend more time with his hangover (allegedly – Ed).
Photo © Kasia Kowalska
Martin Rowson took aim at Nigel Farage with this Jaws-themed cartoon.
Photo © Kasia Kowalska
Kathryn Lamb, always one to work at a small scale, was delighted to find some canvases were slightly smaller this year. Note the reappearance of the Owl and Pussycat.
Photo © Kasia Kowalska
Chris Burke with a painterly dig at the departing motley crew of Tories after 14 years.
Photo © Kasia Kowalska
Des Buckley and Jeremy Banx illustrate the importance of appropriate headgear when drawing cartoons in the midday sun.
Photo © Dave Brown
Old master Dave Brown’s finished cartoon, a take on JMW Turner and another swipe at Mr Farage.
Photo © Karol Steele
Caricaturing is always a key part of Herne Bay Cartoon Festival. Alex Hughes, back left, and Andrew Birch, right, were kept busy inside Beach Creative.
Photo © Kasia Kowalska
Festival superfans Karol and Andy Steele make sure they get drawn by both caricaturists at Herne Bay every year.
Photo © Tom Johnston
Clive Goddard and Amy Amani-Goddard worked as a team on a cartoon about the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
Photo © Kasia Kowalska
Pete Songi took aim at Suella Braverman and the latest Tory leadership shenanigans.
Photos © Karol Steele and © Suzanne Kelly
Newbie cartoonist Eliot Lord targeted the recent rioters. Ben Chilton’s finished Trump featured an ear bandage that you could lift to see the damage beneath.
Photo © Royston Robertson
Why have one gag when you can have 12? Or thereabouts. A miscellany of Dad jokes by, er, me (Next time write in the third person! – Ed)
Photo © Kasia Kowalska
Rob Murray, who drew this years excellent festival poster, with his board, including interactive bog roll element.
Photo © Kasia Kowalska
Ed Naylor drew a Tory party T-shirt (“Things can only get bitter”) as well as a canvas. Tom Johnston had to leave early, so he invited others to add demons to his doomscrolling-themed cartoon.
Photo © James Mellor
James Mellor also went for the multi-gags format, with a bang-on-theme topical selection.
Photo © Kasia Kowalska
Colourful stuff from Chris “Dink” Williams, who swanned in after too many years away from the festival.
Photo © Kasia Kowalska
Among the visitors were other cartoonists including Bibek Sengupta, pictured with Dave Brown, who plans to write a piece on the festival for the next issue of Cartoonists India magazine. Steve Way, former cartoon editor at Reader’s Digest and Punch, also put in an appearance. Award-winning children’s illustrator Steve May (Steve Way, Steve May? Are you having a laugh? – Ed) also popped down for the day.
Photo © Karol Steele
As ever, the grand finale to the afternoon was provided by Glenn Marshall, who meticulously recreated props and scenery from the opening of the Paris Olympics …
Photo © Kasia Kowalska
… then got people to act it out live, as he provided the rain with a giant super-soaker. Another performance art tour de force.
Photo © Kasia Kowalska
Cartoonists and volunteers, including Mandy Troughton from Beach Creative, right, and festival founder and organiser Sue Austen, second right, gathered for the obligatory group photo, taken by Kasia Kowalska.
And with that cheery wave it was all over for another year. Some went on to a local hostelry and later a restaurant, but definitely no nightclubs this time.