Cartoons from The Oldie

The Cartoon Museum is hosting a small display of cartoons published in The Oldie to coincide with the release of The Oldie Book of Cartoons 1992-2009. In 1992 Richard Ingrams and a group of friends launched The Oldie, a monthly magazine described by Ingrams himself as ‘a veritable Private Eye for grown-ups’. Cartoons play an important part in the magazine: as editor, Ingrams liberally sprinkles joke cartoons throughout its pages. Each issue contains around 30 cartoons, though the magazine receives at least five times that number each month. Oldie readers care about the cartoons and often respond to them: the magazine from time to time receives complaints about cartoons that were a bit too close to the bone, but also receives more positive letters about others. Either way, the cartoons are strong enough to provoke a reaction. Our selection presents some of the cartoonists’ most popular themes, including animals, couples, religion, technology and the darkly comic trials of an older generation grappling with a fast changing world. The Oldie’s reputation as the last resort for grumpy old men - and women – has become something of a badge of honour for the magazine, summed up in its slogan – ‘The Oldie: Buy it before you snuff it.’ The display includes cartoons by Neil Dishington, Nick Downes, GED, Grizelda, Nick Hobart, Tony Husband, Jim Hunter, Roger Latham, Mark Lemso, Lowe, Geoff McNeill, PAK, Bill Proud, Simon Pearsall, G T Riach, Robert Thompson, Bill Tidy, Philip Warner, Colin Whittock and Mike Williams.