Photo © Neil Martin
A special report from our man in the projection room with the ruffled Vienetta shirt, Glenn Marshall. Now officially the creator of the world’s funniest cartoon ever.*
(*Subs, please check) Additional bits from Clive Goddard (who failed to win Best Jacket).
Reporting from the glitzy Professional Cartoonists’ Organisation Awards 2024 (AKA The Splats). Many of the great and the good from the cartoon world gathered at Channel Four headquarters for the inaugural event. We had cartoonists attending from far and wide, particular mention to Steve Bright, Chris Williams & Andrew Fraser who ventured down from Scotland, Dean Patterson from Northern Ireland and Achaz von Hardenberg who flew in from Italy.
The splendid venue. Photo © Neil Martin
Photo © Andrew Fraser
The evening kicked off with a drinks & pizza reception (none of those fancy little bourgeois canapés for us) before gathering in Channel Four’s beautiful cinema room.
Our host for the evening PCO Chair-human Clive Goddard. New wallpaper themed jacket bought especially for the occasion. Photo © Pete Songi
The cinema room had an enormous screen which we used as much as we could all evening, starting with video messages from some of the poor souls who weren’t able to come. This meant we got a chance to see what Andrew Birch & Andy Davey’s heads looked like when they were ten feet high. (NB They looked great)
Frames from Clive’s (aided by Amy Amani Goddard) very funny ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ pastiche cinematic opening. Particularly enjoyed the feline intervention during the trophy shots.
(ED: when I say ‘opening’ it actually appeared about two categories in due to incompetence of the play-out operative…ahem)
The enraptured audience. Photo © Clive Goddard
Then it was time for the awards. Previously, as a part of the Ellwood Atfield Political Cartoon Awards (which was essentially just for editorial cartoons) we had only sponsored the ‘pocket cartoon’ award, (which wasn’t really about pocket cartoons and no one knew what it meant anyway), and more recently had added the gag cartoon award. This had always felt a bit narrow and excluded a lot of what the PCO members do for a living so, left to organise our own event, we increased the number of categories to ten with a couple of others under consideration for next year. Comic art, greeting cards, advertising etc are all possibilities.
The enraptured audience – Photo © Clive Goddard
As well as the expanded number of awards, using the big screen properly and the yummy pizzas, other new innovations at the the inaugural Splats, included:
- An absence of creepy politicians in the audience trying to normalise themselves.
- A lot more cartoonists having their 15 minutes in the spotlight.
- The announcement of the 2nd and 3rd runners-up / plucky losers.
- Acceptance videos from winners who couldn’t come meaning you didn’t have to live nearLondon to win.
- Everyone presenting an award was made aware of whether the winner was dead or not.
- We had seats!
All the results follow:
Royston Robertson introduces the opening award for Best Strip Cartoon Series. Photo © Neil Martin
WINNER: Grizelda, Private Eye
RUNNERS UP: Steve Bell, The Journalist & Becky Barnicoat, New Statesman
Award & wine winner Grizelda. Photo © Andrew Fraser
Greatest Hits Radio presenter Alex Lester announces the Current Affairs category winner. Photo © Andrew Fraser
WINNER: Chris Williams (Dink), Private Eye
RUNNERS UP: Mark Winter (Chicane), The Oldie & Jonesy, Prospect
Winner Chris Williams made a statement by writing what he thinks of GB News on his forehead. Photo © Neil Martin
Chris went on to present the Best Caricature award. Photo © Neil Martin
WINNER: Kevin Wells (Squiggle King), The New Cartoonist
RUNNERS UP: Jonesy, Private Eye & Dave Brown, The Independent
Master squiggler Kevin Wells picks up his trophy. Photo © Neil Martin
Guy Venables roasting Editorial Cartoonists before announcing the top three. Photo © Mark Winter
WINNER: Harry Burton, Irish Examiner
RUNNERS UP: Morten Morland, The Times & Graeme Bandeira, The Northern Agenda.
Harry Burton’s acceptance video which was played out on the big screen.
Rebecca Hendin introducing the Pocket Cartoon Award joking that she was asked to present it as a pocket-sized cartoonist. Photo © Neil Martin
WINNER: Guy Venables, The Metro
RUNNERS UP: Nick Newman, The Sunday Times & Rob Murray, History Today
Guy Venables returns to the stage to accept his Pocket Cartoon Award 6×4 inch lump of plastic. Photo © Mark Winter
Martin Rowson roasting awards in general before presenting The Bill Stott Gag Cartoon Award. Photo © Mark Winter
This award was named in honour of the late, great and much missed former PCO Chairleg Bill Stott. Seen here (in the foreground with Pete Dredge, Roger Penwill and Noel Ford) at Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival 2015. Photo © Mika Schick
WINNER: Glenn Marshall, The New Cartoonist
RUNNERS UP: James Mellor, Private Eye & Mark Winter (Chicane), Private Eye
The medallion-bedecked and bewildered award winner. Photo © Andrew Fraser
(ED: You can tell who made all the graphics by the size of the 1st splat on this one)
Chris Burke co-presents the Rejected Cartoon award with his giant Farage cutout. Photo © Neil Martin
WINNER: Sarah Boyce
RUNNERS UP: James Mellor & Glenn Marshall
Sarah Boyce receiving her award and making a comment about the Government’s lack of action against the treatment of women in Afghanistan. Photo © Suzanne Kelly
Back on stage to present the Best Cartoon Nose award (next year we’re doing a different body part)
WINNER: Dean Patterson
Dean Patterson laden with his nasal award swag. Photo © Mark Winter
Jeremy Banx introducing the Services to Cartooning Award. Photo © Mark Winter
WINNER: Pete Songi
Pete Songi receiving his Services to Cartooning gong. Photo © Suzanne Kelly
Clive revealing The Cartoonist of the Year as voted for purely by PCO members. Photo © Mark Winter
WINNER: Morten Morland
A grab from Morten’s acceptance video.
Then on to the pub. Here’s a splendid bit of photo reportage featuring Golden Ken with a Pen from © Mark Winter
You can see a fine piece about the night by Neil Martin’s on the Chortle website.
There’s also a fantastic write-up hot off the press in the latest edition of The New Cartoonist. Subscribe here
Special mention in dispatches to The Surreal McCoy who put the music together and Andrew Fraser (Drew) who handled the voting system as well as offering back-up support at the event.
Huge thanks to Suzanne Kelly and Mandy Mayers and Channel Four’s ‘The Collective’ who arranged the panel discussion on the Great British Colouring Book that preceded the Splats and also facilitated the entire awards event. Plus thanks to the Channel Four technical team lead by Alan Westlake, they all remained serenely calm whilst I was charging around like a decapitated pullet in the projector room. Indeed all the Channel Four staff from Catering to Security were very welcoming and helpful.
Many thanks too to Noble Rot for the prize wine for the winners.
…and finally thanks to all who attended, entered and voted, you all contributed to making it such a memorable and joyous occasion.
Hopefully we can do it all again next year.
(ED UPDATE * This has now been fact checked by the Subs and can be verified a being COMPLETELY true)