Cartooning for peace

"If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace."

John Lennon

Wishing you all a peaceful 2014. Hope you support like I do the need for freedom of expression as does Cartooning for Peace who makes a great effort  for a better understanding of different cultures and religions, through editorial cartoons as a universal language.

You can support the organisation buy buying the book "100 Dessins de Cartooning for Peace pour la liberté de la presse" (in French and English language).

This is part of the book description on Amazon.com:

100 Cartoons for Press Freedom

The Cartooning for Peace movement arose in response to a fatwa issued against Danish cartoonists who had dared to draw the face of the Prophet Mohammed, triggering violent protests in January 2006 that resulted in 50 deaths in Pakistan, 11 in Libya and the closure of European embassies.

Then United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan and Le Monde cartoonist Plantu organized a conference entitled “Unlearn Intolerance” at UN headquarters in New York on 16 October 2006 in which 12 of the world’s most famous cartoonists took part.

It was this conference that gave rise to “Cartooning for Peace,” which was created with the aim of promoting better understanding and mutual respect between peoples of different beliefs and cultures, using press cartoons as a universal language and means of expression.

Cartooning for Peace brings professional cartoonists of all nationalities to the attention of a broad public in order to promote a debate about freedom of expression and recognition of the journalistic nature of the work of cartoonists.

Learn more:
Cartooning for peace website
LikeCartooning for Peace on Facebook
Some cartoons aren't funny - review on IPS News Agency
Reporters without borders review

Wishing you all a very happy 2014!

Catalogue Knokke Heist 2013

Take a good look at this year's catalogue and you'll notice why this is a kind of special edition...

I think the (desktop) publisher did his work on a monday morning after a wild weekend... and nobody saw his mistake untill the catalogue was printed.

If it was a stamp, this catalogue would make a fortune.

Learn more:

Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist.be

Illustration - A visual history by Steven Heller and Steymour Chwast

Illustration or cartoon? That's the question.

Is an illustration a cartoon? Or is a cartoon an illustration? Is a drawing an illustration or a cartoon?
Searching cartoon books a time ago, I noticed between the art books, this particular publication . At first sight the book is about illustrations (and it is), but browsing the pages with a 'cartoon eye' I noticed many illustrations that I and many of our readers should catalogue as cartoons. That's what I like about this book: it's describes many styles and forms of illustrations. This styles and forms can not only be applied on illustration art, but also on cartoons.

Here are some examples of forms and styles in which I recognized cartoon art. There many more examples in the book.

FORM

Anthropomorphic

Parody:

Conceptual:

Propaganda:

Political

STYLES

Neo surrealism:

Neo expressionism:

Psychedelic:

Gothic 1:

Gothic 2:

Cartoon expressionism:

Polish:

Expressionism:

On the back cover of the book:

"This  book is a unique survey of this vital, popular art form. Alongside striking illustrations that exemplify the character of key historical movements, Heller and Chwast offer a collection of every significant style and form from the Industrial Revolution to the Digital Age. A trove of reference material and inspiration for designers, ILLUSTRATION: A VISUAL HISTORY is an impressive overview of a medium that has had a vital influence on many aspects of modern life, from politics to advertising, and has provided us with some of the world's most iconic images."
(Abrams, New York, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8109-7284-1, 272 p.)

Learn more:
Amazon.com