Date set for re-opening of London’s Cartoon Museum

By John Freeman on May 22, 2019

The new Cartoon Museum will open to the public on Monday 1st July 2019, at its new home on Wells Street, London, near Oxford Circus.

The Cartoon Museum has been a fixture of the UK Cartoon and Comics world since 2006 and after raising over £1 million and a six month fit-out, its Central London venue is due to re-open in July.

The Museum has been designed by celebrated architect Sam Jacob, who has created a vibrant and playful space that celebrates the language of cartoons and comic art. With cartoony smashed windows, desks with feet, a stairwell decorated with icons from over a century of cartoon characters, word balloons and tiger-striped flooring, the Museum will provide a vibrant and welcoming experience.

The Museum says the move to Wells Street is pivotal giving the museum a permanent home for the next 25 years in Fitzrovia. The flexible and accessible new space includes two main gallery areas – one for the Museums permanent collection, and another for changing special exhibitions, a new Clore Learning Studio, and destination shop.

The new Cartoon Museum Shop

The Museum has recorded over 400,000 visitors since it opened in 2006 at its old site, and will be even more diverse, engaging and entertaining than before, with a new display curated by Cartoon Museum Trustee and political cartoonist Steve Bell. The team aim to tell the story of the history of cartoon and comic art with superb examples from the museum’s 6,000 strong nationally important collection, and which features work by over 300 artists.

Plans for the new Cartoon Museum in Wells Street, London

HLF funding has allowed the museum to add to its considerable archives of British original comic artwork and the opening exhibition aims to make the most of this, featuring more than a century’s worth of British comic creators and original artwork from The Dandy, The Beezer, Judy, “Jane Bond“, 2000AD, V for Vendetta, Roy of the Rovers and Watchmen and many more, including many works that have never previously been on public display.

The Cartoon Museum team are now busy planning an exciting and dynamic programme of exhibitions and events that will continue to animate and add humour to London’s cultural landscape through 2019 and beyond.

“Moving to a permanent home just off Oxford Street is very exciting for The Cartoon Museum,” says Oliver Preston, Chairman of the Museum. “With important collections of cartoons, caricatures and comics, the collection is an important part of Britain’s heritage. Sam Jacob’s unique style has helped us to design a creative and fun museum space from scratch – right in the heart of the city.”

Cartoon Museum director Becky Jefcoate. Photo: Richard Sheaf

“The new Cartoon Museum will build on the success of the past 12 years, enable us to bring our amazing collection to life and share it with wider audiences,” says Becky Jefcoate, Museum Director. “We intend to provide a fantastic visitor experience and there will be something for everyone to enjoy, young and old’.

“Cartooning is a peculiarly urban artform, particularly as practiced in London from the early 18th century onwards,” notes cartoonist and Museum Trustee Martin Rowson. “So it makes complete sense for the Cartoon Museum’s new home to be just as firmly entrenched in the heart of the metropolis as our old place.

“This is a unique opportunity to build on the extraordinary richness of Cartoon history to create something entirely new for the future.”

• Do you want to be one of the first people though the door of the new museum? If you become a friend of the museum you can be. Plus you will get museum shop discounts, free entry to the museum, invites to all private view we have for new exhibitions, and special friends events. Plus becoming a friend of the museum helps us in everything we try to with ongoing support.

• Hero Collector has posted a terrific behind the scene s look at the new Museum, written by Will Potter

With thanks to downthetubes contributor Richard Sheaf and Will Potter for the use of his photograph

About the Author
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John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “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.

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