Panel Borders: A Cartoon History of Private Eye

May 17, 2014 — Comics and controversy

A classic Gerald Scarfe cover from 1965 / Private Eye: A Cartoon History book cover / recent cartoon by Alexander Williams / inside spread from A Cartoon History

A Cartoon History of Private Eye: Continuing a month of shows about comics and controversy, guest presenter Tom Sutcliffe talks to Nick Newman (author of Private Eye: A Cartoon History) and magazine editor Ian Hislop about memorable and controversial cartoons and strips in the fortnightly periodical. The trio discuss the history of cartoon art in Private Eye from the days of scurrilous Gerald Scarfe covers to the present day, which images have proved unacceptable and potentially libellous and how Hislop’s commissioning process for the magazine works. Recorded at the Victoria and Albert Museum, November 2013 and edited by Alex Fitch. (Originally broadcast 12th May 2014 on Resonance 104.4 FM, London)

For more info and a variety of different formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org

Links: Private Eye website
Nick Newman’s profile on procartoonists.org
Tom Sutcliffe’s profile on bbc.co.uk
Info about the event and Ian Rakoff’s comic book blog on the Victoria and Albert Museum’s website
Listen to Alex Fitch’s 2010 interview with Gerald Scarfe about his work / with the curators of the Rakoff collection of comics at the National Art Library in the Victoria and Albert Museum

Recommended events:

Comics at the AusNZ literary festival

Various Australasian comic book creators are in London and are featured in documentary screenings for the Australia and New Zealand festival of literature and the arts taking place from 30th May – 1st June. These include:

Screening: THE SHARP EDGE – The Art of Martin Sharp (Oz magazine illustrator)

Eccentric. Outsider. Artist. Genius. Martin Sharp shaped pop art and culture in Australia and around the world for half a century.

Friday May 30th, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Talk: GRAPHIC LIVES – Sarah Laing, Dr Mary Talbot and Evie Wyld

What does working with graphic novels to remember great lives add to the biography genre?

Friday May 30th, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Talk: WRITING AS THE ‘OTHER’ – Ed Hillyer and LF Bollée

Ed Hillyer and LF Bollée discuss post-colonial indigenous representation in novels and comics with broadcast journalist Alex Fitch.

Saturday May 31st, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Workshop: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL COMICS with Sarah Laing

Join this award-winning Kiwi fiction writer and graphic artist to create your own comics.

Saturday May 31st, 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Screening: GRAPHIC NOVELS! MELBOURNE!

This feature documentary goes deep inside the burgeoning graphic novel scene in Melbourne.

Saturday May 31st, 5:30 pm – 6:45 pm

Other guests at the festival include Clive James, John Pilger and Val McDermid talking about their work. Full programme at http://ausnzfestival.com/events/