Drawn

Sometimes it’s the obscure, forgotten cartoonists who can teach us so much about humour, art, ideas and the sheer joy of life. I discovered Gerard Hoffnung as a child, when I would read and re-read my most treasured cartoon collection: A Century of Punch. Ok, so it was my mother’s book, but after much crying and gnashing of teeth, she did eventually pass it on to me, so now it really is mine. But back to Hoffnung. His talents were endless. Artist, teacher, cartoonist, caricaturist, musician and tuba player, broadcaster and raconteur, were just a few of the things he did during his brief lifetime (he died at the age of 34). He was probably most well-known for his witty and delightful musical cartoons of conductors and tuba players and instrument aficionados. It’s hard to find much info on him on the web, but I did manage to find this official web site. If you ever find any of his cartoon books at used book sales, for pity’s sake buy them. And then give them to me.