If you're heading to London anytime soon, here are a few locations that may interest the wandering cartoonist:



Of course, we have to start at the Cartoonist Pub (1). Situated in Shoe Lane, it's the official meeting place of the Cartoonists Club, and also home to loads of framed cartoon originals by club members past and present. The first Tuesday of the month is the normal time to head there and meet fellow cartoonists if you're in a sociable mood.

Top of the list (um… why is it 2nd then? Ed) for places to visit is the Cartoon Museum (2). Situated near the ever-so-slightly larger British Museum, this venue opened in 2006 and has more than 250 cartoons on display over two floors - the top covering comics and strip cartoons while the ground floor features all the usual suspects from Gillray to Steve Bell, plus the temporary exhibition showing at the time which is consistently excellent. They do cartoon workshops and have a good selection of cartoon books there too. Always worth a visit, but remember it's closed on Mondays.

Literally around the corner from the Cartoon Museum is the comic shop Gosh! (3) which makes up in sheer inventory what it lacks in size. Here you can find a large and diverse range of graphic novels, strip collections, mini-comics and independent titles, with knowledgeable staff to help you locate that hard to find title. It's open seven days a week, and well worth a gander.

For any cartoonists with a craving for pen nibs and inky fingers, Great Russell Street is also the home to L. Cornelissen and Son (4) - a supplier of art materials that was established in 1855 and is seemingly untouched by the modern world. It's a great place to have a nose around and stock up on those hard-to-find nibs. You'll feel like you've stepped into a Harry Potter set, and wonder where they keep the wands!

Next we have some more comic bookshops: Forbidden Planet Megastore (5), found on Shaftesbury Avenue. Forbidden Planet is indeed "mega" in size, although the ground floor is mainly dedicated to toys and figurines while the comics and graphic novels are relegated to the basement. Loads of stuff to browse through.

Further up Shaftsbury Avenue is Comicana (6) - described as having an 'old school' feel to it, with an extensive range of comic back issues and staff who know their stuff. Orbital Comics (7) in Great Newport Street is another comic shop to happily lose a few hours in, plus it has regular events and signings.

If animation is your thing, try Art You Grew Up With (8) (previously the Animation Art gallery) which is situated at County Hall, next to the London Eye. Original and limited edition artworks from comics, animated film and television are available for you browse and purchase. Some big name visitors attend the special signing events, so be sure to check the website for updates.

Another place to spend your money or simply have a gawk is the Chris Beetles Gallery (9) in St James's. Again there are some excellent exhibitions to check out, while artwork by the likes of Al Hirschfeld, Quentin Blake, Giles and ffolkes are on show. A stone's throw away is The Illustration Cupboard (10) which fills it's compact premises chock full of classic contemporary book illustration. Loads of originals and prints for sale from the likes of Shaun Tan, Maurice Sendak, Nick Park, Dr Seuss and many more.

For the Tintin fan, head straight to The Tintin Shop (11) in Covent Garden, a place (as the name obviously suggests) devoted entirely to Herge's famous creation. If it's got Tintin on it, there's a fairly good chance you'll find it here.

As you can see, there's plenty to do in London, and if you've managed to see all that lot, congratulations and feel free to head to the nearest pub. Which pub? Ah, now you're on your own!


Address and contact details:

(1) The Cartoonist Pub
76 Shoe Lane,
London, EC4A 3JB
Tel: 020-7353 2828

(2) Cartoon Museum
35 Little Russell Street
London, WC1A 2HH
Tel: 020-7580 8155
www.cartoonmuseum.org

(3) Gosh!
39 Great Russell Street
London, WC1B 3NZ
Tel: 020-7636-1011
www.goshlondon.com

(4) L Cornelissen and son
105 Great Russell Street,
London, WC1B 3RY
Tel: 020-7636 1045
www.cornelissen.com

(5) Forbidden Planet London Megastore
179 Shaftesbury Ave
London, WC2H 8JR
Tel: 020-7420 3666
www.forbiddenplanet.com

(6) Comicana
237 Shaftesbury Avenue
London, WC2H 8EH
www.comicana.com

(7) Orbital Comics
8 Great Newport Street,
London, WC2H 7JA
www.orbitalcomics.com

(8) Art You Grew Up With
County Hall,
London, SE1 7PB
www.artyougrewupwith.com

(9) Chris Beetles Gallery
8 &10 Ryder St, St James's
London, SW1Y 6QB
Telephone: 020 7839 7551
www.chrisbeetles.com

(10) The Illustration Cupboard
22 Bury St
London, SW1Y 6AL
www.illustrationcupboard.com

(11) The Tintin Shop
34 Floral Street,
London,WC2E 9DJ
www.thetintinshop.uk.com



This guide is compiled by Tim Harries and was updated on 11 Feb 2010. If we’ve missed any relevant information, please let us know and it will be added in the next update.