Via Stan Madeley I discover this marvellous cartoon by Kliban. The world can be divided into two types of people: those who like to divide the world into two types of people and those who don’t. I firmly belong in the latter camp, but nonetheless the world can be divided into ... Read More...
Comedy
I have in my possession a little book, subtly entitled: FOUR CONFUSING TALES each illustrated by six UP-TURNABLE PICTURES from the incredible TOPSY-TURVY world of GUSTAVE VERBEEK. It has to be seen to be believed. This Gustave Verbeck was born in 1867 in Nagasaki, the child of Dutch-American parents. Educated in Japan ... Read More...
Despite our island nation's belief in ourselves as thoroughly amusing chaps, decent British-made televisual comedy has been a bit thin on the ground recently, so it was with some trepidation that I approached new comedy series The Trip (BBC 2 Mondays 10pm.) In this six part show, comedians Steve Coogan and ... Read More...
I recently spent ten days in hospital. One of the non-medical consequences is that I'm now lavishly appreciative of my phone (by the way, the medical consequences were also positive). It's a smartphone that I acquired via an upgrade a couple of months ago. It entertained me beyond my wildest dreams. ... Read More...
Medieval illuminated manuscripts sometimes feature animals capering irreverently around the margins, such as the ones above and below. I discovered whilst reading Peter Ackroyd's fascinating Albion: The Origins of the English Imagination that these doodles are quite excellently called 'babooneries'. I also learnt that, at least according to Nikolaus Pevsner, ... Read More...
