The Trustees of the Cartoon Art Trust and the Director of The Cartoon Museum are delighted to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Cartoon Museum – and have launched a new Crowdfunder to expand its work.
In 2006, The Cartoon Art Trust succeeded in opening Britain’s first museum dedicated to cartoons, caricature and the comic arts. The Museum, first located on Little Russell Street, London, and in a new location on Wells Street since 2020, boasts a unique and historically significant collection of more than 6000 artworks and 8000 library items telling the 300-year story of British cartooning from the Georgian era to today. They invite everyone to participate in the power of line and laughter.
Over the last 20 years, The Cartoon Museum is proud to have welcomed more than 500,000 local, national and international visitors; engaged with nearly 40,000 children with its schools, learning and outreach programmes; given a platform to more than 200 cartoon, caricature and comic artists in its exhibitions; and supported the work of new talent through its young neurodivergent cartoonist in residence programme, conferences, shop merchandise and a lively events programme
To mark this celebratory occasion, the Museum has shared its continuing 2026 programme, including a 20th anniversary gallery trail, new collaborations, a brilliant events programme, exclusive offers for Friends and Patrons, and opportunities to support the charity’s mission of preserving the best of British cartoons, caricatures, comics and animation.
Events coming up soon include All Tomorrows – C.M. Koseman in Conversation on Thursday 19th March – a very special evening with the creator of cult phenomenon All Tomorrows offering a discussion on speculative evolution, illustrated futures and cult sci-fi imagination; and the Young Cartoonist Awards presentation on 26th March.
The Museum recently announced an extended run until April for its current exhibition, The Future Was Then, which features over 80 pages of original comic art alongside other items that tell stories about the future of the human race from 1990 to 4000AD.
It also staged the first outing for its new travelling exhibition, Comics: The Famous & Forgotten, at The Beacon, Whitehaven, reviewed here on downthetubes, which has now ended.
“As a small independent charity receiving no regular funding, the Museum has never faced more significant financial challenges,” says Beth Bryan, the Director of The Cartoon Museum. “However, through new support and continued dedication to our collection and audiences, we will continue to make the creativity of cartoon art – past, present and future – accessible to all for the purposes of education, research and pure enjoyment.
To continue to deliver on their mission to the public, the charity has launched a sustainability appeal through Crowdfunder with a goal to raise £20,000 for their 20th anniversary.
There are a number of goodies for those making a donation to this good cause, including exclusive pin badges, a Roald Searle cat print, and more, depending on the level of your support.
They also invite everyone to support the Museum by becoming a Friend or Patron, subscribing to their newsletter, following the Museum on social media, browsing their online and onsite shop, and coming to visit their wonderful galleries.
• Visit The Cartoon Musuem at 63 Wells Street, London, W1A 3AE | The Cartoon Museum is online at cartoonmuseum.org – check out its full event programme
• Check out the Cartoon Museum 20th Anniversary Crowdfunder
• Follow the Museum on social media, on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, Comic Art, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, Exhibitions
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