The event has featured an exhibition of cartoon art and a cartoon trails around town throughout April.
Each year the Festival adopts a theme for cartoonists to interpret. The result is a lot of original cartoons showing a lot of different styles and humour gathered together in one place. This year’s Festival theme is Music.
On 26 April professional cartoonists from around the UK will descend on Shrewsbury to caricature and cartoon for the public. The ‘Cartoonists Live’ Day in The Square is a one-of-a-kind event where you can see artists at work, creating giant cartoons, drawing caricatures and leading ‘have-a-go cartoon workshops in town centre venues.
The themed cartoon exhibition offers a great opportunity to see and buy original cartoons and quality prints, or just to enjoy the many different interpretations, gags and artistic styles of the best UK cartoonists. All events are free.
Cartoon festival founder, Roger Penwill, of Ludlow, is delighted it has inspired so many people. The 66-year-old had always wanted the UK to hold an international cartoon festival and got together with the local tourist office back in 2004 to help launch the Shrewsbury event.
“It started off very small and has just got bigger and bigger, with people now visiting us and taking part from all around the world,” he said. “It’s great to see such local enthusiasm and so many organisations, all keen to get involved and help further its success.”
Roger will be among the artists drawing on one of the big boards in the town centre over the weekend.
In Shrewsbury’s Darwin Shopping Centre, Cartoonist and illustrator Cathy Simpson wants people to tune in to her quirky sense of humour when she assembles a band of flatulent musical instruments.
She will be conducting a workshop showing children and adults how to make the unusual sounding and fun gizmos out of drinking straws, paper tubes and coloured-in paper.
Cathy has received standing ovations for similar workshops she has run around the country and welcomes complete beginners and more advanced wind practitioners to the free drop in workshop, called Blow Your Own Trump.
It will be held on the middle level of Darwin shopping centre, next to the Mothercare store, from 10-11.30am.
For more information on the Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival visit www.shrewsburycartoonfestival.com.
Shropshire Live is regulated by