Paul Cemmick
Encyclopedia
Paul Cemmick is a cartoonist
and caricaturist whose designs and work have been seen in many different media, most prominently animation, (British) comics and book covers. According to the website ChildrensIllustrators.com, Mr Cemmick "started drawing cartoons as a child by copying Popeye
, Tom and Jerry
and Yogi Bear
from his gran’s TV."
children's series Maid Marian and Her Merry Men
, for which he provided the artwork for the famous closing credits. Concurrent with the series' run during 1989-1993, Mr Cemmick illustrated eight comics adapted from the programme's scripts by series creator and lead writer Tony Robinson
. In 2006-2007 he produced four all-new mini-comics which were included in the each of the four series DVD releases from Eureka Entertainment. See Bibliography (below) for details.
's comic-fantasy novels, published by Orbit Books
in the UK. Mr Cemmick was the third regular Holt cover-artist, following in the footsteps of Josh Kirby
and Steve Lee. Mr Holt explained the transition from Lee to Cemmick being due to "some sort of falling-out between [Lee] and the Orbit people" after his novel "Open Sesame" (1997).
, and publications including "Take a Break" magazine. He co-created "N.U.T.S. Investigations" with Spitting Image
and 2DTV
alumnus Giles Pilbrow for The Sunday Times
, and has produced full comicstrip artwork for several BBC
magazines, including "Girl Talk" and "It's Hot". These official BBC comicstrips include adaptations of EastEnders
, adventures of the Blue Peter
pets, and most recently (as an interesting semi-follow-up to his work on MM&HMM
), the latest BBC One
version of Robin Hood (2006) in 'Robin Hood Adventures' issue 1 (BBC Magazines, 10–23 October 2007).
Paul is currently producing 2 comic strips in the weekly BBC publication Match of the Day. As well as a double page comic strip in a new magazine based on the massively successful TV show Top Gear. The mag is called Top Gear Turbo.
as well as the afore-mentioned Maid Marian and Her Merry Men
. He was also one of the designers and three main artists on the ITV
television series 2DTV
(2001), working on that programme for all of its five series'. He recently designed the logo for the revamped ITV
animated series Emu (2007) starring Emu
, Rod Hull
's famous sidekick.
" hue.
He lives in Hove
with a stuffed piranha
.
, illustrated by Paul Cemmick. Published by the BBC
and Penguin
Character Books Ltd. between 1989 and 1992.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
and caricaturist whose designs and work have been seen in many different media, most prominently animation, (British) comics and book covers. According to the website ChildrensIllustrators.com, Mr Cemmick "started drawing cartoons as a child by copying Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
, Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
and Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear is a fictional bear who appears in animated cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. Yogi Bear was the first breakout character created by Hanna-Barbera, and was eventually more popular than...
from his gran’s TV."
Maid Marian and Her Merry Men
Arguably his best-known credit is for the well-loved BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
children's series Maid Marian and Her Merry Men
Maid Marian and her Merry Men
Maid Marian and her Merry Men is a British children's sitcom created and written by Tony Robinson and directed by David Bell. It began in 1989 on BBC One and ran for four series, with the last episode shown in 1994...
, for which he provided the artwork for the famous closing credits. Concurrent with the series' run during 1989-1993, Mr Cemmick illustrated eight comics adapted from the programme's scripts by series creator and lead writer Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, author, broadcaster and political campaigner. He is best known for playing Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder, and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. Robinson is a member of the Labour Party...
. In 2006-2007 he produced four all-new mini-comics which were included in the each of the four series DVD releases from Eureka Entertainment. See Bibliography (below) for details.
Covers
Mr Cemmick's best-known cover artwork adorns several of the later covers of Tom HoltTom Holt
Tom Holt is a British novelist.He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London....
's comic-fantasy novels, published by Orbit Books
Orbit Books
Orbit Books is an international publisher that specialises in science fiction and fantasy books. It was founded in 1974 as part of the Macdonald Futura publishing company...
in the UK. Mr Cemmick was the third regular Holt cover-artist, following in the footsteps of Josh Kirby
Josh Kirby
Ronald William "Josh" Kirby was an English commercial artist born in Waterloo, on the outskirts of Liverpool, Merseyside. He was educated at the Liverpool City School of Art, where he acquired the nickname Josh, which comes from having his work compared to that of Sir Joshua Reynolds...
and Steve Lee. Mr Holt explained the transition from Lee to Cemmick being due to "some sort of falling-out between [Lee] and the Orbit people" after his novel "Open Sesame" (1997).
Cartoons
Cemmick's cartoons and caricatures appear regularly in the UK Sci-Fi magazine SFXSFX magazine
SFX is a British magazine covering the topics of science fiction and fantasy.-Description:SFX magazine is published every four weeks by Future Publishing and was founded in 1995. The magazine covers topics in the genres of popular science fiction, fantasy and horror, within the media of films,...
, and publications including "Take a Break" magazine. He co-created "N.U.T.S. Investigations" with Spitting Image
Spitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
and 2DTV
2DTV
2DTV is a British satirical animated television show that was broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom, directed by Tim Searle.2DTV employs the same satirical style as Spitting Image, but using animation rather than puppets. The animation was produced on computer, frequently with animators working up...
alumnus Giles Pilbrow for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, and has produced full comicstrip artwork for several BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
magazines, including "Girl Talk" and "It's Hot". These official BBC comicstrips include adaptations of EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, adventures of the Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
pets, and most recently (as an interesting semi-follow-up to his work on MM&HMM
Maid Marian and her Merry Men
Maid Marian and her Merry Men is a British children's sitcom created and written by Tony Robinson and directed by David Bell. It began in 1989 on BBC One and ran for four series, with the last episode shown in 1994...
), the latest BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
version of Robin Hood (2006) in 'Robin Hood Adventures' issue 1 (BBC Magazines, 10–23 October 2007).
Paul is currently producing 2 comic strips in the weekly BBC publication Match of the Day. As well as a double page comic strip in a new magazine based on the massively successful TV show Top Gear. The mag is called Top Gear Turbo.
Television Credits
In television, he has worked on Spitting ImageSpitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
as well as the afore-mentioned Maid Marian and Her Merry Men
Maid Marian and her Merry Men
Maid Marian and her Merry Men is a British children's sitcom created and written by Tony Robinson and directed by David Bell. It began in 1989 on BBC One and ran for four series, with the last episode shown in 1994...
. He was also one of the designers and three main artists on the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
television series 2DTV
2DTV
2DTV is a British satirical animated television show that was broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom, directed by Tim Searle.2DTV employs the same satirical style as Spitting Image, but using animation rather than puppets. The animation was produced on computer, frequently with animators working up...
(2001), working on that programme for all of its five series'. He recently designed the logo for the revamped ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
animated series Emu (2007) starring Emu
Emu (puppet)
Emu is a puppet emu given to Rod Hull in the 1960s while he was presenting a children's breakfast television programme in Australia. Hull adopted the mute puppet for his cabaret act, and took it with him to the United Kingdom when he returned in 1970...
, Rod Hull
Rod Hull
Rodney Stephen Hull , better known as Rod Hull, was a popular entertainer on British television in the 1970s and 1980s. He rarely appeared without Emu, a mute, highly aggressive arm-length puppet of the flightless emu bird...
's famous sidekick.
Other
In his spare time he and Mark Harrison are in a band called "2BC", which produces music of an "Electro/Comedy/ElectronicaElectronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
" hue.
He lives in Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
with a stuffed piranha
Piranha
A piranha or piraña is a member of family Characidae in order Characiformes, an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers. In Venezuela, they are called caribes...
.
Maid Marian and Her Merry Men
Written (and adapted) by Tony RobinsonTony Robinson
Tony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, author, broadcaster and political campaigner. He is best known for playing Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder, and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. Robinson is a member of the Labour Party...
, illustrated by Paul Cemmick. Published by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and Penguin
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
Character Books Ltd. between 1989 and 1992.
- How the Band got Together (Penguin Character Books/BBC (Nov 1989)) ISBN 0-563-20808-2
- Robert the Incredible Chicken (Penguin Character Books/BBC (Nov 1989)) ISBN 0-563-20809-0
- The Whitish Knight (Penguin Character Books/BBC (Oct 1990)) ISBN 0-563-36040-2
- The Beast of Bolsover (BBC/Penguin Character Books (Oct 1990)) ISBN 0-563-36041-0
- The Worksop Egg Fairy (Penguin Character Books/BBC (Oct 1991)) ISBN 0-563-36220-0
- Rabies in Love (BBC/Penguin Character Books (Oct 1991)) ISBN 0-563-36219-7
- It Came From Outer Space (Penguin Character Books/BBC (Nov 1992)) ISBN 0-563-36709-1
- Driving Ambition and Keeping Mum (Penguin Character Books/BBC (Nov 1992)) ISBN 0-563-36710-5
Other Illustrations
- The Funny Side of Teaching by Stirling Johnstone and Paul Cemmick, with an introduction by Ronnie CorbettRonnie CorbettRonald Balfour "Ronnie" Corbett, OBE is a Scottish actor and comedian of Scottish and English parentage who had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the British television comedy series The Two Ronnies...
(Stevenson Publications Ltd (Oct 1995)) ISBN 0-952-63950-5 - The "Funday TimesFunday TimesThe Funday Times was a section of the UK Sunday Times. It was intended mainly for children, and included several comics, including Dennis and Gnasher, Rex and Tex, Beryl the Peril, Fans Utd., Scooby Doo, Space Raoul, The Powerpuff Girls, Creature Feature, Newton's Law, Jarvis, Squirt, The...
" Fantastic Fun Book by Richard Lloyd-Perry and Paul Cemmick (Boxtree) ISBN 1-852-83858-2 - Crocodile by Rachel Ward and Paul Cemmick (Quadrillion Media, LLC (Jun 1999)) ISBN 1-841-00210-0
- Hippo by Rachel Ward and Paul Cemmick (Quadrillion Media, LLC (Jun 1999)) ISBN 1-841-00211-9
- Panda by Rachel Ward and Paul Cemmick (Quadrillion Media, LLC (Jun 1999)) ISBN 1-841-00213-5
- Tiger by Rachel Ward and Paul Cemmick (Quadrillion Media, LLC (Jun 1999)) ISBN 1-841-00212-7
- The Ultimate Scooter Guide by Ben Sharpe and Paul Cemmick (Scholastic (Jan 2001)) ISBN 0-439-28554-2
- Pulp Idol (SFX (2006))
- Choices, choices... by Dawne Allette and Paul Cemmick (Tamarind Books Limited (Jul 2007)) ISBN 1-870-51683-4
Covers
- Wish You Were HereWish You Were Here (novel)Wish You Were Here is a humorous novel by English Author, Tom Holt. It was first published in the U.K by Orbit Books in 1998.The moral of this book is 'Be careful what you wish for....it may come true'. A mischievous ghost of an ancient Native American princess, who has many guises, tricks...
by Tom HoltTom HoltTom Holt is a British novelist.He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London....
HB (Orbit (1998)) PB (Orbit (1998)) ISBN 1-85723-687-4 - Only Human by Tom HoltTom HoltTom Holt is a British novelist.He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London....
HB (Orbit (1999)) PB (Orbit (2000)) ISBN 1-85723-949-0 - Snow White and the Seven SamuraiSnow White and the Seven SamuraiSnow White and the Seven Samurai is a humorous novel by the English author Tom Holt.It was first published in the United Kingdom in 1999 by Orbit Books.In the novel, three children hack into a computer system to find out what really goes on in fairy tales....
by Tom HoltTom HoltTom Holt is a British novelist.He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London....
HB (Orbit (Dec 1999)) ISBN 1-85723-898-2 PB (Orbit (Jun 2000) ISBN 1-85723-988-1 - Valhalla by Tom HoltTom HoltTom Holt is a British novelist.He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London....
HB (Orbit (Jun 2000)) ISBN 1-857-23983-0 PB (Orbit (May 2001)) ISBN 1-84149-042-3 - Nothing But Blue SkiesNothing But Blue SkiesNothing But Blue Skies is a humorous fantasy novel by English author Tom Holt. It was first published in the UK by Orbit Books in 2001.-Plot introduction:...
by Tom HoltTom HoltTom Holt is a British novelist.He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London....
HB (Orbit (May 2001)) ISBN 1-84149-040-7 PB (Orbit (2001)) ISBN 1-84149-058-X - Falling Sideways by Tom HoltTom HoltTom Holt is a British novelist.He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London....
HB (Orbit (2002)) ISBN 1-84149-087-3 PB (Orbit (2002)) ISBN 1-84149-110-1
External links
- Official Site
- Paul Cemmick at ChildrensIllustrators.com
- Paul 'Smooth' Cemmick and Mark 'Heavy' Harrison's band 2BC at MySpace Music
- A small portfolio of Paul Cemmick's work at the Brighton Illustrator's Group mirrored here
- A small portfolio of Paul Cemmick's work at Picture-Book.com, the Directory of Children's Illustration
- A very short - and incomplete - list of Paul Cemmick's cover artwork