And Old Bill saw it was good... exhibition "Humor as a weapon" opened yesterday...

I must congratulate the ECC team for the excellent new exhibition. Old Bill, the character created by Bruce Bainsfather saw it wasn't good, it was just excellent!  Come and see...

European Cartoon Center Kruishoutem Belgium

Starting the 29th of June
Humour can be a weapon - cartoons from the Great War

War and humour? Two things that, at first glance, are incompatible.
However, cartoons had an enormous impact during World War I. Humour was a powerful propaganda weapon during this war, but it was also a strategy for survival, in which amusement and comradeship helped civilians and soldiers bear their situation. Caricatures and other derisive drawings certainly had a soothing power, in addition to their strategic aspect.

This exhibition certainly does not aim to trace the history of the war through cartoons. Our aim is more to invite you to step into the war years. Put yourself in the skin of this soldier setting off for the front, or this starving citizen desperate to flee...

The old cartoons are complemented by contemporary cartoons about war and violence, and the hope for peace that also lives in the international symbol of the 'peace dove'.

You can visit the exhibition from June 29 to September 21, 2014 in the ECC, every Sunday from 10 to 12 and 14 to 17 hours. Groups of 10 persons or more are welcome on other days by appointment.

After the exhibition in Kruishoutem "Humour can be a weapon" will also be presented in Wavre, Rixensart, Eupen, Brussels ...

Bruce Bainsfather, my favorite WWI cartoonist.

Keeper Humor

Once in four years I follow some soccer matches during the FIFA World Cup. Our national soccer team, the Belgian Red Devils is quite good and we have an excellent goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois.

Especially for all goalkeepers and soccer lovers, I present this book: "Voetbalhumor", published in 1982 by Mondria (original edition by Glénat, France). The cartoons are by the French cartoonist DuBouillon (Alain Bouillon).

Learn more:
More football cartoons on our blog.

Wilhelm Busch

In Hannover,  the German Museum for Caricature and Drawing is called after Heinrich Christian Wilhelm Busch (15 April 1832–9 January 1908)who was a German humorist, poet, illustrator and painter.

When I saw this book, I couldn't resist buying it. It's from 1907 and the title is "Die fromme Helene" ("Helen who couldn't help it"). The text (in German)  is written in verses that rhyme. The text is printed in Fraktur and not easy to read, even is you understand German language.

 

Die fromme Helene is one of the most famous comics of Wilhelm Busch. The story mocks the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church and it's dubious morality.

The English Wikipedia page shows a translated fragment and some more information on this book.

Learn more:
Wilhelm Busch Museum

The Luck of The Draw by Fougasse

During the preparation of the WWI cartoon exhitition in the ECC I noticed some drawings of Fougasse. Recently I bought me one of his books entitled "The Luck of The Draw".
First published in 1936, this is a sixt edition from 1945. The book contains drawings of the British cartoonist Fougasse (1887-1965)  that were originally published in Punch magazine. Fougasse is the pseudonym
Cyril Kenneth Bird.

Fougasse sounds more as a French name, but it appears to be kind of a mine. Fougasse served in WWI and got seriously injured in Gallipoli. You can enjoy some of his typical drawings in the HeidICON database (Heidelberg Universitätsbibliothek).

Learn more:
Fougasse on Wikipedia
Still available on Amazon...