100 drawings for human rights - Cent dessins pour les droits de l'homme

Nothing is more important than human rights and freedom of speech. I found this book some days ago at the Braderie de Lille. It wat published in 1987 by Le cherche midi éditeur. 27 years later we have to defend this rights more than ever. 

You may have heard of the documentary "Caricaturistes - Fantassins de la démocratie": cartoonists are the infantryman of democracy. Learn more about it on the YouTube channel  or the Facebook page. In the documentary, the French cartoonist Plantus says"The first language is the image".  He's damned right!

A rebrousse-poil (trad. against the grain) by Lionel Labeyrie

One of my latest finds is this cartoon book by the French artist and humorist Lionel Labeyrie (°1949). I think he only published one cartoon album in 1984 "A rebrousse-poil" (Glénat France, ISBN 2-7234-0506-0)
It's full of fun, very well drawn and mostly erotic cartoons. Not surprising if you know that Labeyrie drew cartoons that were published in Lui, Playboy, Pilote and Circus between 1978 and 1983. Labeyrie drew later on also for aviation magazines.

Enjoy some of the cartoons:

WWI aviation cartoon

One discovery I made in this album was a stunning similarity (plagiarism?) with a cartoon by Jozef De Sutter (James) from Belgium. This was published in the Knokke Heist catalogue from 1982 and is also published in the cartoon anthology "Lijnscherp" (Davidsfonds, 2011). This similarity is not coincidental.

Labeyrie

Jozef De Sutter

The Cartoonist.be (Brussels)

Cartoon lovers who visit Brussels should take at look at The Cartoonist. It's the first and only cartoon gallery that represents the work of 12 famous Belgian (editorial) cartoonists: Kamagurka, Kroll, Marec, Gal, Vadot, Johan De Moor, Cécile Bertrand, Quirit, Ilah, Kanar, Kim and duBus.

You'll find orginal cartoons, prints and cartoon books by the artist. There are also signing sessions. When I went along, I was happy to meet the great GAL (Gerard Alsteens) there. Marloes De Cloedt runs the galley and I must say she gave me a warm welcome.

Address: Hoogstraat 11, Brussels (Zavel /Sablon)

Visit the website and webshop for more information and signing sessions: www.thecartoonist.be

GAL and Marloes De Cloedt

originals for sale

cartoon books... 

100 years ago Germany invaded Belgium. Today...

Without words...

"Kultur has passed here." (Belgium - 1914)

"Kultur has passed here." (GAZA - 2014)

The Belgian Massacres (1914)

The Gaza massacre (2014)

Ei Ei Ei ... Cartoons by Jiri Sliva

One of my latest buys is Ei Ei Ei Cartoons (Eulenspiegel Verlag Berlin, 96 pages) by the Czech cartoonist Jiri Sliva (who had an exhibition in the ECC some time ago). The book dates from 1984, but the humor is timeless, even after 30 years.
It's the kind of cartoon book I appreaciate very much...

Learn more:
Jiri Sliva Cartoon Gallery
Sliva on Toonpool
Sliva on Bestcartoons.net

Les Frangines

I get bored of the huge load of digitally made poor quality cartoons that circulate on the web. Yes, I know that cartoonists make use of Photoshop techniques more and more and that sometimes a touch of Photoshop can be useful. But let's not forget the basics of drawing: the use of pencil and paper.

I found this nice book with drawings by VEESSE (Vincent Scherrer, Lutterbach, France, 2001).
The title is "VEESSE propose une ballade autour du lac avec ... les frangines" , translated "VEESSE offers a walk around the lake with ...the sisters". Enjoy these  humoristic drawings...

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.