Ronald Searle

British cartoonist Ronald Searle turned 90 this week.

Paul Giambarba, at his 100 Years of Illustration blog, proffers a video interview with the legendary illustrator, as well samples of his work through the years. Above: a sketch recalling Searle's days in a Japanese POW camp, when he came close to death. I agree with Paul: my favorites are his illustrated comic strip pieces for Punch.

Richard Thompson, at his Cul De Sac blog, shows a piece of Searle art that he owns, and shares with us that Searle used to ink with something like furniture stain.

The Ronald Searle Blog has a lot to say, of course. This must-bookmark site has coverage of the opening night of Searle's Cartoon Museum show, as well as a wonderful tribute to Searle's drawings by movie director Mike Leigh, who says that those inky Searle lines "taught me filmmaking."


Above: one of the drawings that inspired Mike Leigh: A bar in North Berlin, 1959.

Drawn! also has a trove of Searle, via its tireless cartoonists/fans/bloggers, my friend John Martz and Ward Jenkins.