Rick Brookes
Encyclopedia
Rick Brookes is a satirical cartoonist born in Bangor, Wales, on June 16, 1948. Having studied art at the Manchester School of Art of the Manchester Metropolitan University
, he worked first as an assistant art editor for Mirabelle magazine and then as a graphic artist and designer for IPC magazines such as Woman's Own
, Woman's Realm and Ideal Home
.
Brookes was an illustrator
and staff cartoonist
at the Evening Standard
from 1977, signing his strips first "Rick Brookes" then "Brookes". He worked alongside Jak
for seventeen years, deputising for him and remembering him as "one of my best friends." In 1994 Brookes began contributing to the Daily Express
, using the signature "Brook", and he kept the same signature after he moved to The Sun
in 1996, taking over from Tom Johnston
.
Brookes's cartoons appear regularly in newspapers such as News of the World
, Mail on Sunday, The American
and Punch
, and is especially popular on Metro
, with his series THIS LIFE. He also worked on the Allied Lyons advertising campaign for Saatchi & Saatchi
. Greatly influenced by Giles
, Low and Jak
, Brookes also admires Oliphant
, Matt
and Mac
. He is reported as drawing his sketches with a Swan fountain pen and flexible nib, just so that he can be suppler in his drawing. He used to hide a rook in his drawings "because there is a rook
hidden in 'Brookes'".
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
, he worked first as an assistant art editor for Mirabelle magazine and then as a graphic artist and designer for IPC magazines such as Woman's Own
Woman's Own
Woman's Own is a British lifestyle magazine aimed at women.Woman's Own was first published in 1932. It is one of the UK's most famous women's magazines and is published by IPC Media....
, Woman's Realm and Ideal Home
Ideal Home
Ideal Home is the title of a British home decorating magazine, published monthly by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary. Ideal Home is the best-selling homes magazine in the United Kingdom, and has a readership of over 1,005,000...
.
Brookes was an illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
and staff cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
at the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
from 1977, signing his strips first "Rick Brookes" then "Brookes". He worked alongside Jak
Raymond Jackson ("JAK")
Raymond Jackson, best known by his pen-name JAK was one of Britain's best-known newspaper cartoonists, working for the London Evening Standard from 1952 onwards.-Life:...
for seventeen years, deputising for him and remembering him as "one of my best friends." In 1994 Brookes began contributing to the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
, using the signature "Brook", and he kept the same signature after he moved to The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
in 1996, taking over from Tom Johnston
Tom Johnston
Tom Johnston, Thomas Johnston or Tommy Johnston may refer to:*Thomas Johnston , Canadian industrial and political figure*Thomas A. Johnston , US educator*Thomas D. Johnston , US political figure...
.
Brookes's cartoons appear regularly in newspapers such as News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
, Mail on Sunday, The American
The American
The American is a 217 ft bronze statue of a Native American to be built at Holmes Peak near Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, by sculptor Shan Gray....
and Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
, and is especially popular on Metro
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
, with his series THIS LIFE. He also worked on the Allied Lyons advertising campaign for Saatchi & Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi is a global advertising agency network with 140 offices in 80 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in London in 1970 but now headquartered in New York. The parent company of the agency group was known as Saatchi & Saatchi PLC from 1976 to 1994, was listed on the London...
. Greatly influenced by Giles
Carl Giles
Ronald "Carl" Giles , often referred to simply as Giles, was a cartoonist most famous for his work for the British newspaper the Daily Express....
, Low and Jak
Raymond Jackson ("JAK")
Raymond Jackson, best known by his pen-name JAK was one of Britain's best-known newspaper cartoonists, working for the London Evening Standard from 1952 onwards.-Life:...
, Brookes also admires Oliphant
Pat Oliphant
Patrick Bruce "Pat" Oliphant is the most widely syndicated political cartoonist in the world, described by the New York Times as "the most influential cartoonist now working"...
, Matt
Matt Pritchett
Matthew Pritchett MBE has been the pocket cartoonist on the Daily Telegraph newspaper since 1988.Pritchett studied graphics at St. Martins School of Art. Unable to get work as a film cameraman, he worked as a waiter in a pizza restaurant, drawing cartoons in his spare time...
and Mac
Stanley McMurtry
Stanley McMurtry MBE , often referred to as Mac, is a British cartoonist. McMurtry is perhaps most famous for his work, since 1970, for British newspaper The Daily Mail.- Career :...
. He is reported as drawing his sketches with a Swan fountain pen and flexible nib, just so that he can be suppler in his drawing. He used to hide a rook in his drawings "because there is a rook
Rook
-Games:*Rook or castle, a piece in the board game of chess*Rook , a trick-taking game, usually played with a specialized deck of cards-People:*Alan Rook, editor of the 1936 issue of New Oxford Poetry, one of the Cairo poets...
hidden in 'Brookes'".
