The Cartoon Museum facts for kids
The Cartoon Museum Interior
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| Established | 2006 Reopened 1 July 2019 |
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| Location | 63 Wells St London, W1 United Kingdom |
| Type | the art of comics and cartoons |
| Collection size | 4,000 plus original cartoons and prints |
| Public transit access |  Oxford Circus |
The Cartoon Museum in London is a super fun place! It celebrates British cartoons, funny drawings called caricatures, comic strips, and animation. It's run by a group called the Cartoon Art Trust.
The museum has a huge library with over 5,000 books and 4,000 comics. You can see more than 250 original cartoons and prints from their collection of over 4,000 artworks. The museum's goal is to keep the best British cartoon art safe. They want everyone to enjoy and learn about the amazing world of cartoons, both old and new!
Contents
How the Cartoon Museum Started
The Cartoon Museum first opened its doors on 23 February 2006. The Duke of Edinburgh helped open it at its first home in Little Russell Street in Central London.
The museum's director, Anita O'Brien, said that before this, Britain didn't have a cartoon museum. This was surprising because Britain has a very long history of great cartoon art!
The Cartoon Museum moved to a new location in late 2018. It reopened at 63 Wells Street, north of Oxford Street, on 1 July 2019.
Awesome Exhibitions to See
The museum often changes its exhibitions. They have shown works by famous artists like Ronald Searle and Pont. You might also see cartoons from popular comics like The Beano and The Dandy.
Other cool exhibitions have featured artists like Mike Williams and Mel Calman. They've even had shows about the comic Viz and graphic novels like Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot. Sometimes, they show cartoons about famous people or from TV shows like Spitting Image.
Many exhibitions come with special books called catalogues. For example, the Ronald Searle: Graphic Master catalogue includes essays about his work. Famous cartoonists and filmmakers have also created art to honor Searle. These artists include Steve Bell, Roger Law, Mike Leigh, Posy Simmonds, and Ralph Steadman.
Learning and Workshops
The Cartoon Museum has a great learning program for schools. Kids can learn about art, media, history, English, and animation. They offer fun workshops for children during school holidays. Adults can also take courses to learn how to draw cartoons and graphic novels.
Cartoon Art Trust Awards
Every year, the people who run the Cartoon Art Trust give out special awards. One award is for the Young Cartoonist of the Year. They also give a Lifetime Achievement Award to an artist who has made a huge impact on British cartooning.
Some past winners of these awards include Ronald Searle, Gerald Scarfe, and Bill Tidy. They also give out the Pont Award. This award goes to a cartoonist whose drawings show "The British Character." Past winners include Norman Thelwell and Michael Heath.
Finding the Museum
- The museum is located at 63 Wells Street.
- The closest London Underground stations are:
- Oxford Circus (on the Central and Victoria lines)
- Tottenham Court Road (on the Central and Northern lines)
