Battle fought, then sandwiches
November 24, 2014 in Events, General, News
Andy Davey works on the Procartoonists team banner
Andy Davey gives his post-match analysis, as Procartoonists team captain, on the Battle of the Cartoonists 2014 Photos by Kasia Kowalska
It was great to take part in the Battle of the Cartoonists at Trinity Buoy Wharf in one of the less glamorous quarters of London’s fashionable Docklands. We cartoonists are not used to glamour, so it was perhaps fitting that a bunch of grubby satirists should be let loose in an old oil and hemp store on a wharf overlooking the Dome.
We, the PCO team, had done some vague pre-planning but left enough room for the spontaneity and creativity of the el Galacticos in our team – Jeremy Banx, Guy Venables and ex-Punch and Readers Digest cartoon editor Steve Way.
The Procartoonists team of Andy Davey, Jeremy Banx, Steve Way and Guy Venables at work. Note PCO banner from the 2008 St Pancras Battle in the background.
The work was good all round this year, the quality of banner artwork was excellent and all kept on-theme (Recording Britain Now). The Independent deservedly won with a cohesively themed banner showing the map of the UK boasting “Here Be Monsters”. The draughtsmanship was superb, led by the inestimable pen of Dave Brown, with Peter Schrank, Dave Simonds and Matt Buck.
The Independent’s winning banner. Click to enlarge
Dave Brown, Matt Buck and Dave Simonds celebrate Grand Prix-style
Other teams present were The Guardian (Steve Bell, Ros Asquith and Kipper WIlliams) and Private Eye (Simon Pearsall, Henry Davies, Kathryn Lamb and David Ziggy Greene). The Eye, those perennial winners of the popular clap-o-meter vote, didn’t win this year but had a banner that could easily have done so – a delight of wit, simplicity and minimalism, including several excellent gags.
Detail of Henry Davies cartoons from the Private Eye banner
Kipper Williams and detail from the Guardian banner. Click to enlarge
Of course, it pains me to say all this as captain of the Procartoonists.org team. I have, of course, offered, in the manner of honour down the centuries, to take the pistol and whisky option, or a more public display of seppuku with a blunt nib.
It’s quite a challenge to get the whole thing planned, drawn and coloured within the two-hour limit, so seeing the banners finished is always a treat. And it’s even more of a treat to get a free bacon sandwich and beer afterwards. Phew, largesse unknown to the likes of us scribblers.
The banners are to be sold off, apparently, so if you want a 4m x 1m work of spontaneous art to decorate your stately home, contact the Campaign For Drawing.
For sale: the finished PCO banner is held aloft
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Battle of the Cartoonists 2012: Bring it on!
September 24, 2012 in Comment, Events, News
Can London take any more excitement? First the Olympics, then the Paralympics, now the Pen-and-ink-ics! Andrew Birch, Private Eye cartoonist and Procartoonists.org member, writes:
Raphael's Death of Ananias @ Procartoonists.org
This Sunday (September 30) at 2pm, seven teams of Britain’s best cartoonists will gather in The Raphael Room at the Victoria and Albert Museum in The Battle of The Cartoonists.
Half an hour before the start of play, the teams – The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Sun, Private Eye (Hoorah!), Big Girls Drawers, Reader’s Digest and Procartoonists.org – will each be allotted one of Raphael’s seven massive cartoons hanging on the walls to inspire them, and will draw something connected with it (or maybe not) on a great big banner.
Two and a half hours later, the completed (or maybe not) banners will be shown to the assembled throng, and the winner will be the one that gets the most applause.
Light-hearted stuff, you say? Think again! Previous years have seen skullduggery, blatant cheating, tantrums, verbal and physical assaults, kidnapping and arson as passions run high and the ink runs like blood.
Contestant (possibly)
Members of the Royal family, top politicians, celebrities and foreign dignitaries are all people who might well be there – so make sure you arrive early!
Editor adds: Our thanks to Andrew for writing the above.
Event site: The Raphael Room at the Victoria and Albert Museum – The Battle of The Cartoonists.
Organisers and friends of Procartoonists.org: The Campaign for Drawing
Reading: What WAS a cartoon
Tags: 2012, Battle of the Cartoonists, Big Draw Big Make, cartoons, Procartoonists.org, Raphael, The Big Draw, V&A, Victoria and Albert 7 Comments »