30 Years of Big Nose - Hilarity with Hunt Emerson

Phenomenomix in The Fortean Times and Firkin the Cat in Fiesta have been firm fixtures in those long running magazines, and that bastion of British anarchy The Beano has seen him become a firm kids' favourite with his incomparable visual stylisations.

He also works in the more established literary field of real books, having illustrated The Jeremy Brown children's book series written by Simon Cheshire and also worked for Graphic Classics in America.

To state Leo Baxendale's countless D.C. Thomson published creations and George Herriman's Krazy Kat newspaper strip all filtered through The Goons' radio show, as a starting point to describe Emerson's work, may be redundant these days. From the more scratchy whirling dervish anthropomorphism of his early work (that can only be likened to a be-bopping busy bumble bee), through to the sturdier renderings of today where his blacks are solid and deep enough to swim in; his work is affirmed in its clarity, his panel sequences dance with the reassured understanding of a man who feels rhythm like a musician, and beyond it all, as everyone can see, he is a master at creating irresistibility funny work.

Aside from writing and drawing so many cartoon strips to entertain the unwashed public, he helped sew the fruits of the UK independent comics scene via his involvement with Ar-Zak and later Knockabout and has found time to teach his craft (including classes at The Custard Factory).

Having hosted art exhibitions (such as The Art of Folly & Vice at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery) the Birmingham International Comics Show was naturally proud to be holding one for the man himself at its debut show in 2006 and now those further a field are getting a chance to see his originals.

30 Years of Big Nose is an exhibition of Hunt Emerson's cartoons and drawings that that runs until 29th June and can be viewed at The Ruskin Museum, Brantwood on Lake Coniston in the Lake District that runs until 29th June.

The exhibition coincided with the recent release of How To See, the second in a trilogy of comics based on the ideas of the 19th century philosopher, critic, traveller and collector John Ruskin. They are written by Kevin Jackson and illustrated by Hunt Emerson. While the subject matters may on first impressions sound like industriously dry topics for comics the artist states otherwise, describing them as "Funny and easy to read." The first one, How To Be Rich was, so I'm sure How to See will be too!

Hunt Emerson is a national icon within the British comics industry and celebrated wordwide as a cartoonist. Birmingham remains fortunate that he still chooses to call the city his home!

Website of Note:

For more on Hunt Emerson visit: www.largecow.com
For more on The Beano visit: www.beanotown.com

For more on The Fortean Times visit: www.forteantimes.com

For more on John Ruskin visit: www.ruskin.org.uk

For more on Brantwood visit: www.brantwood.org.uk