Mo Olympics

The Olympics are over, the sun has gone behind the clouds, the politicians will soon be back from their summer hols …

Is there nothing which can cheer up the cartoon in this week’s Westmorland Gazette?

Well, yes. The Olympics aren’t quite over. It turns out there is one more story left in them; a local firm has been providing cryogenic treatment for Olympic champion Mo Farrah.

This apparently involves standing in a liquid-nitrogen cooled room for up to three minutes in order to um, well, do things to the bloodstream and stuff. Anyway, clearly it worked in Mo’s case so hurrah for local firms!

In other news, a Virgin balloon crashed in South Lakes. Good job that was the only bit of bad news for Virgin this week.

Here is the selection of cartoons I thrust at my steamed editor. Which would you have chosen?

Turn to my website to find out if you matched his finely-honed editorial instincts.

The Olympic Torch arrives

Excitement grips the Lake District as the Olympic Torch relay reaches the area. It's arrival in Windermere is a considerable bonus in a week when the Westmorland Gazette newspaper stories offer little else for a cartoonist to get to grips with. 

The Torch's arrival also added considerably to the atmosphere. I sat drawing the cartoon at the garden table, surrounded by trees. The sound of birds filled the air and in the distance, came the exotic thrum of the taiko drummers rehearsing in Bowness.

I had a number of stories thrust in my direction by my esteemed editor (see here for an explanation of the entire process). However it had to be The Torch.

Here are the sketches I presented. Which did my steamed editor pick? Was it the right one? (Clue: Yes.)

To find out, gather up your Lucozade Energy Drink With Excess Sugar and run over to my website.

Incidentally, if you think this week's cartoons are scruffier than usual (how rude), bear in mind the following: 

I usually have from 2.00 to 5.00 pm to do the cartoon, including all ideas, artwork, staring into space etc. This week, due to Unforeseen Stories in the Bagging Area, I didn't get to find out what was in the paper until 3.20. That always make for an exciting week. Can I lie down now?

Overground, underground …

Ideally a blog about a newspaper cartoon would focus on the headline story from the front page. It would explain carefully the essence of the story and then offer a dazzling array of sketches, all taking a different line of attack to arrive at the final, finished cartoon.

And then there’s the real world …

This week’s Westmorland Gazette front page features two stories which aren’t suitable for a cartoon. Within the paper there are several stories which offer potential. Here’s a swift rundown, so you have some idea of what I’m burbling about this week:

1. A new indoor climbing wall opens, the tallest in Britain.

2. A cave system has been opened up which links Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire (potholers and troglodytes rejoice).

3. Cumbria Crystal has some of its products featured on hit ITV drama series Downton Abbey.

4. The rout is announced for the 2012 Olympic Torch. It involves a lake cruise on Windermere.

Suitably armed with this information, I now invite you to peruse the five sketches. Feel free to declare which one you think should have been on the front page. You can see if you’re correct by buying the paper or visiting my website from Friday morning.