By Thelwell (written by David Wootton)
Publisher: Chris Beetles
ISBN: 978-1905-738144
I feel a bit of swine for including The Effluent Society recently, but then came across this and thought I could rectify matters. It's a new collection, published in late 2009, and brings together a broad swathe of Thelwell's work from his early days as a cartoonist through to his landscape paintings that he enjoyed later in life. Many of the cartoons you'll have seen before, but such was the quality and quantity of his output that there's more than enough to enjoy here. And it's a good mix too, combining Punch covers, painted gags, book covers, sketches, and a few preliminary layouts alongside the finished piece. The introduction draws comparisons with Searle and Giles, which I thought a little absurd until I saw, further on, the cartoons being referred to. In fact there are a few that if you'd been told they were Giles you'd believe it. A little pricey at £15 but, bearing in mind how long you spend gazing at each cartoon, you'll get your money's worth.
And if you liked that: Plenty of old Thelwell books available on ebay and Amazon!
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