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During my recent romp through 'kept' 'toons I came across this dip-pen n ink B&W caricature sketch. It's on pretty cheap layout paper and was found among lots of other scraps labeled '80s drawings.
'Helpfully', I did not notate the piece with any indication of who it is supposed to be. However, I reckon it might be Brian Kogler who was a beaut comic strip and gag cartoonist in the ABWAC/ACA Sydney stable thru the '80s and 90s. before apparently dropping out of the scene altogether? I never had the pleasure of meeting B.K., but very much liked his strips 'B.Bunting esq.', 'Herb and Flora' and 'Thin Ice'. The latter featured a little furry animal tied to a large rock by a rope. On reflection, that character was a lot like the ill-fated squirrel and his acorn in the much later 'Ice Age' animated film series. I think this caricature was drawn from a photo in some ABWAC publication(?)
Can any of the old hands tell me if this sketch is anything like B.K. ,,, and, what happened to make him apparently disappear from the scene so abruptly?
Hi Robert
ReplyDeleteMy daughter drew my attention to your blog and to your caricature of Brian Kogler. I can tell you that it is a very good likeness, for I am he. I've been sporting a white beard for some years now, but underneath it must lurk a face just as you have depicted. It's true that I dropped suddenly out of cartooning in the late 1990s. I was diagnosed with Major Depression, the heavy form of the illness, and was out of commission for seven years. When I rejoined society I no longer wanted anything to do with my past. I went on to retrain as a TAFE teacher (Adult Basic Education) and have only recently retired. I still communicate with a few cartoonists from my heyday. Thank you for your kind comments about my old comic strips. I wish you well with your blog!
Brian Kogler