The prolific cartoonist David Langdon, whose long career included work for The New Yorker, Punch and The Spectator, has died at the age of 97. Among his achievements, Langdon claimed to have originated the ‘open mouth’ expression now used by almost every gag cartoonist to clarify who is speaking in their compositions. See The Guardian for an extensive obituary, while the Bucks Free Press has more here.
Gerald Scarfe‘s savage and iconic depictions of Margaret Thatcher have led to a newly discovered species of pterosaur being named after the caricaturist. The Portsmouth News explains all here.
DC Thomson has announced a digital subscription service for its weekly comics, The Dandy and The Beano, allowing readers to get their fix via iPad or iPhone. The Courier has more details here.
Finally, while writing about the recent sale of a Roy Lichtenstein painting, ArtInfo.com questions the value – or lack of it – that is placed on original comic art, compared with the ‘fine art’ it inspires.