House of Illustration

It is an honour to be a part of this exhibition alongside some amazing other artists all in aid of the Women’s charity Refuge, a charity for abused women and children, called ‘She Lights Up The Night’. 

Although hard to see in still photography, for the show I created 4 Lenticular artworks that flip between an original magazine cover and my doodle-bombed/illustrated version (exhibited on the above photograph next to the awesome Charlie Patterson).

Next thursday Christies will be holding an auction to sell all the artworks and raise money for Refuge. You can read more about this incredible project/exhibition here.

Other artists involved include Camille Walala, Anthony Burrill, Jordy Van Den Nieuwendijk, Ana Montiel, Supermundane and many more

COMIX CREATRIX AT THE HOUSE OF ILLUSTRATION

The House of Illustration dispels the myth that the world of comics is a male dominated affair in their latest exhibition Comix Creatrix. The title’s unusual spelling borrows from the underground comic scene that emerged in the late 1960s, but this show goes much further than the well-known heyday of counterculture zines to show an incredible array of work made from 100 different women between the 1800s and now.

Beginning in a firmly historical setting, the first gallery highlights groundbreaking careers such as that of Jackie Ormes, who introduced the USA to its first black female leads including Torchy Brown in the Pittsburg Courier in the 1930s. Although the strip followed the well-known trope of a modern woman looking for love it also focused on environmental, social and civil rights issues.

The show also showcases artists that are telling often overlooked stories of cultural and gender identity. Leela Corman’s Unterzakhn reveals the life of Jewish immigrant twin sisters who are struggling to get by on the Lower East Side circa 1910, while Jackie Fleming’s The Trouble With Women examines why there are so few historical records of some of history’s most powerful and influential women.

The success of this show also lies in the fact that there is such an enormously rich variety of graphic styles, both in their visuals and story-telling narratives. One one side you have the exquisite, densely coloured artwork of Fay Dalton’s Reaper Files, while on the other the bold, gestural lines of Kate Beaton’s Borgias. Such a well-rounded selection of graphic novels, daily strips and zines is a testament to the female creators of today and their older counterparts, and will certainly leave you with a long reading list.

Earlier this morning, news broke that the list of 30 nominees for this year’s Grand Prix d'Angouleme was announced, and did not include a single female creator. The Grand Prix is a lifetime achievement award, and the winner is named president of the following year’s Angouleme International Comics Festival. In the event’s 43-year history, just one woman, Florence Cestac, has been awarded the Grand Prix. Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) and Posy Simmonds (Gemma Bovery, Tamara Drewe) have been among those nominated in years past. 

In the wake of today’s announcement, Fantagraphics Books and Daniel Clowes endorse the French group BD Egalite in its call for a boycott on voting for this year’s list, and Clowes has announced that he will withdraw from consideration as a result.