Description
One of the most popular staples of printed newspapers is the topical cartoon. The cartoonist’s genius lies not just in drawing skills, but in their ability to visually relate their subject to contemporary events. Such cartoons make us smile, sometimes laugh out loud or just reflect, no matter how grim the news of the day is. Once Upon a Time in Southend (and District) brings contemporary and historical events together in a single image through the imagination of F.T Naughten (or Fred Naughten) and Stan Harvey who drew for the Southend Standard Group in 1930s.
If ever we need a laugh and a pick-me-up this super book is just the tonic. You’ll be hard pressed to put it down. It’s a showcase of the work of the talented Southend Standard cartoonists of the mid-1930s – smart, analytical and topical at the same time. Although the cartoons were created 90 years ago many would not be out place today. The images have been drawn from the Southend Standard archives, a newspaper ancestor of the Essex Echo. It’s wonderful that we now have a readable and entertaining collection in the form of this book – guaranteeing these supreme cartoons will never be forgotten.
Emma Palmer
Chief Features Writer
Essex Echo
