John Glashan
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John Glashan (born John McGlashan, 24 December 1927 – 15 June 1999Martin Plimmer,

, ''The Independent'', 22 July 1999. Accessed 20 August 2016.
) was a Scottish
cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...
, illustrator and playwright. He was the creator of the "
Genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for the future, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...
" cartoons. Glashan's cartoons typically included small pen-and-ink figures drawn over a fabulous backdrop often featuring fantastic Gothic or imaginary architecture, surreal landscapes or gloriously impractical ingenious-looking machines.


Life and work

Born in
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
and the son of the portrait painter Archibald A. McGlashan, John McGlashan studied painting at the
Glasgow School of Art The Glasgow School of Art (GSA; ) is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and design. These are all awa ...
after
national service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...
in the army. He moved to London intending to make a living from painting portraits, but was unable to do so. After switching to cartooning and illustrating he shortened his surname to "Glashan". Glashan's cartoons appeared in ''
Lilliput Lilliput is an island nation in Jonathan Swift's novel ''Gulliver's Travels''. Lilliput may also refer to: Geography * Lilliput (townland), a townland in County Westmeath, Ireland * Lilliput, Dorset, a district in the town of Poole in Dorset, ...
'', ''
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'', ''
The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...
'', '' Punch'', ''
Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satirical and current affairs (news format), current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely recognised ...
'', and various London newspapers, as well as ''
Holiday A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
'' and the ''
New Yorker New Yorker may refer to: * A resident of New York: ** A resident of New York City and its suburbs *** List of people from New York City ** A resident of the New York (state), State of New York *** Demographics of New York (state) * ''The New Yor ...
''. Glashan's illustrations were also used in advertising material for brands such as ICI, Aalders and Marchant, and
Blue Nun Blue Nun is a German wine brand launched by the company H. Sichel Söhne (Mainz) in 1923 with the 1921 vintage, and which between the 1950s and 1980s was a very popular international brand. For most of its existence, Blue Nun was a single Germ ...
.*
John Glashan
, British Cartoon Archive. Accessed 20 August 2016.
A series of humorous guidebooks created with
Jonathan Routh Jonathan Routh, born John Reginald Surdeval Routh,Dennis Barker"Jonathan Routh: Television presenter who brought Candid Camera to Britain" ''The Guardian'', 9 June 2008. (24 November 1927 – 4 June 2008) co-starred in the British version of th ...
in the late 1960s allowed extensive expression of Glashan's graffiti-like style, combining small figures (often bearded men) with scrawled text – but, even here, often with elaborate backdrops. The "
Genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for the future, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...
" cartoons, which allowed Glashan to use colour and a great expanse of space, ran in the ''Observer Magazine'' from 1978 to 1983, whereupon he concentrated on landscape painting. His cartoons reappeared from 1988 in the ''Spectator''.


Exhibitions

* Francis Kyle Gallery, 1979 * Francis Kyle Gallery, 1983 * The Cartoon Gallery, 1991 * The Fine Arts Society, 1991 * The Fine Arts Society, 1994


Publications


Books

* ''The Eye of the Needle.'' London: Dennis Dobson, 1961. A hardback of about eighty (unnumbered) pages. Some stories spread over as many as seven pages; many others are just single frames. Glashan's style already seems fully formed: little bearded men (by themselves, in small groups, or even in their thousands) are rendered even smaller by lovingly drawn but oppressive neo-renaissance or rococo backdrops. In the inner rear flap, we are told that Glashan was previously a brain surgeon. Much, perhaps all of the content of the book had previously appeared in ''Lilliput'' (a fact that goes unmentioned). * ''Speak Up You Tiny Fool.'' New York: Dial, 1966. A hardback of about ninety (unnumbered) pages, in a larger format than ''The Eye of the Needle'' and duplicating much of the content of the earlier book, with additions.
Jules Feiffer Jules Ralph Feiffer ( ; January 26, 1929 – January 17, 2025) was an American cartoonist and author, who at one time was considered the most widely read satirist in the country. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 for Pulitzer Prize for Editori ...
provides an introduction. * ''The Penguin John Glashan.'' Harmondsworth, Middx: Penguin, 1967. A paperback of about a hundred (unnumbered) pages, duplicating much of ''Speak Up You Tiny Fool''. * ''Private Eye Cartoon Library 7: The Jokes of John Glashan.'' London: Private Eye & André Deutsch, 1975. (On the front cover: "Private Eye Cartoon Library 7 / John Glashan / The Meths Festival and Other Celebrations".) Contains about one hundred (unnumbered) pages of cartoons, of which most were drawn from the book rather than reproduced from ''Private Eye'' (or so the copyright page informs us). Perhaps three quarters of the book is devoted to "The Meths Festival and other celebrations", a story about what transpires during one annual festival held in "the sleepy pig iron town of Grinding Mallet", a grim place whose every brick is lovingly delineated. While the Head Methner of the Meth Chateau shows around an appreciative group of Japanese businessmen, festival-goer Filbert learns to walk with his head tilted to one side. * ''The Mental Health Work-Out Book: An Account of the Darren Whitlow Technique.'' London: Crystal Clear, 1986. . "Researched" (written and illustrated) by Glashan. On the back cover: "This volume shows how you too can build a Powerful Brain and enjoy the Benefits of Radiant Mental Health." * ''John Glashan's World.'' London: Robinson, 1991. . An anthology of Glashan's work.


Illustrations in other people's books

* ''Tonight and Other Nights.'' By Alistair Sampson. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. * ''The Perpetual Pessimist: An Everlasting Calendar of Gloom and Almanac of Woe.'' By Sagittarius and Daniel George. London: Hutchinson, 1963. * ''Refer to Drawer.'' By Nicholas Luard and Dominick Elwes. London: Arthur Barker, 1964. * ''
Sex and the Single Girl ''Sex and the Single Girl'' is a 1962 non-fiction book by American writer Helen Gurley Brown, written as an advice book that encouraged women to become financially independent and experience sexual relationships before or without marriage. The ...
.'' By
Helen Gurley Brown Helen Gurley Brown ( Helen Marie Gurley; February 18, 1922 – August 13, 2012) was an American author, publisher, and businesswoman. She was the editor-in-chief of ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine for 32 years. Garner 2009. Early life Helen Mar ...
. London: Four Square, 1964. (This edition has "£ove $tory", an unpaginated 32-page supplement by Glashan, between pages 128 and 129.) * ''The Good Loo Guide: Where to Go in London.'' By
Jonathan Routh Jonathan Routh, born John Reginald Surdeval Routh,Dennis Barker"Jonathan Routh: Television presenter who brought Candid Camera to Britain" ''The Guardian'', 9 June 2008. (24 November 1927 – 4 June 2008) co-starred in the British version of th ...
with Brigid Segrave. London: Wolfe, 1965. Second (expanded) edition: Wolfe, 1968. * ''Good Cuppa Guide: Where to Have Tea in London.'' By Jonathan Routh. London: Wolfe, 1966. * ''Guide Porcelaine to the Loos of Paris.'' By Jonathan Routh. London: Wolfe, 1966. French translation: ''Guide Porcelaine des "lieux" de Paris'' (Editions de la Jeune Parque, 1967). * ''The Better John Guide: Where to Go in New York.'' By Jonathan Routh with Serena Stewart. New York: Putnam, 1966 * ''Private Eye's pSecond Book of Pseuds.'' Ed.
Richard Ingrams Richard Reid Ingrams (born 19 August 1937) is an English journalist, a co-founder and second editor of the British satirical magazine ''Private Eye'', and founding editor of ''The Oldie'' magazine. He left the latter job at the end of May 2014.B ...
. London: Private Eye, André Deutsch, 1977. * ''Sweet and Sour: An Anthology of Comic Verse.'' Ed.
Christopher Logue Christopher Logue, CBE (23 November 1926 – 2 December 2011)Mark EspineObituary: Christopher Logue ''The Guardian'', 2 December 2011 was an English poet associated with the British Poetry Revival, and a pacifist. Life Born in Portsmouth, ...
. London: Batsford, 1983. * ''Small Parts in History.'' By
Sam Llewellyn Sam Llewellyn (born 1948) is a British author of literature for children and adults. Biography Sam Llewellyn was born on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, where his ancestors lived for many years. He grew up in Norfolk. He attended Eton College and late ...
. London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985. * ''Journal of a Collector.'' By
Alistair McAlpine Robert Alistair McAlpine, Baron McAlpine of West Green (14 May 1942 – 17 January 2014) was a British businessman, politician and author who was an advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. McAlpine was descended from the McAlpine baronet ...
. London: Pavilion, 1994.


Partial list of anthologies including cartoons

* ''The Best of Private Eye.'' London: Private Eye, André Deutsch, 1976. . * ''30 Years of Private Eye Cartoons'', ed. Ian Hislop. London: Private Eye & Corgi, 1991. (paper), (hard)


Partial list of plays

*"Balance Wheel: A play in one act." In ''About Town'', August 1962.


References


External links


Official website
* Michael McNay,
John Glashan: Master cartoonist of our self-deluding world
, ''Guardian'', 19 June 1999. (Obituary.) {{DEFAULTSORT:Glashan, John 1927 births 1999 deaths Artists from Glasgow The New Yorker cartoonists Scottish editorial cartoonists Scottish dramatists and playwrights Scottish illustrators Scottish humorists 20th-century Scottish dramatists and playwrights