More CAT awards…

Lord Baker and me (Photo: David Hartley)

It was a superb evening as usual, with the added excitement this year of picking up an award!
The Saatchi Political Award for Political Cartoonist of the Year.
It’s a peculiar feeling to receive that kind of honour in front of so many terrific cartoonists, most of whom would have had every right to stand up and shout: “WHAT?! HIM?”
Fortunately they all waited until I was out of earshot, so it was all very civilized.

An essential part of the evening is the fundraising for the Cartoon Museum. When presenting the award for Joke Cartooning, director Mike Leigh heaped praise on the work the small team at the Museum does, and quite rightly so! It is a terrific place which deserves to be supported in any way possible. For most of us on the night it means happily paying ten quid to pop a balloon or to be photographed sticking our heads through a humongous Dave Brown paining of an executioner holding the head of Gordon Brown (See below). For those with rather more impressive bank balances, it means paying £3200 for a Matt cartoon.

Other memorable moments included a simply hilarious speech by the old gag master Barry Cryer. Madness singer Suggs throwing Ollie Preston’s rather too heavy looking pen into the crowd after a mock auction, and Martin Rowson’s annual rant about the need to find young new cartooning talent so that we can break their fingers.

Black tie events are a rarity for most cartoonists, and most would probably say mercifully so. However, this annual chance to dress up in ill-fitting hired fineries is terrific fun.

For more on the awards, read Christian Adam’s blog and PCO’s Bloghorn.

CAT awards

I just won the Cartoon Art Trust political cartoonist of the year! Hurrah!
More from the evening tomorrow…

From Monday’s Paper: Climate Talks…

©mørland/the times

If…

I was just catching up on Steve Bell’s IF-strip, and came across this gem. Superb last frame.

From Monday’s Paper: Thinker in Chief…

©mørland/the times

Gerald Scarfe…

…at his very best in today’s Sunday Times.

Excellent Dave Brown cartoon…

…in the Indy today. A frighteningly apt picture.

Stunning image-making on a Friday: Simon Evans…

Hat-tip to the brilliant itsnicethat.com for this link to possibly the most beautiful images you will see this this Friday. Done by Berlin-based Londoner Simon Evans.
Exceptional talent, devotion and sensitivity.

2010 KALendar!

Cartoonist for the Economist Kevin KAL Kallaugher has done what looks like an inspired cartoon calendar for 2010. Not just 12 seasonal pictures, but a fully illustrated “journey through the world’s most celebrated (and occasionally obscure) global events, milestones and holidays” sprinkled with KAL’s characteristically amusing drawings and written by the great man himself.
Or as the blurb puts it: “Each of the 12 monthly spreads provides a visual feast of original, hand-drawn artwork that brings to life the events of the current month and combines them into a hilarious interconnected story.”

Looks terrific.

From Monday’s Paper: Johnson on high…

©mørland/the times