Reviewing a London exhibit of 500 book, animation and graphic novel illustrations by over 50 leading illustrators from around the world...

On my recent trip to London, I thought I should make a visit to The Illustration Cupboard's 14th Annual Winter Exhibition as recommended by Gravett's List. Often a tendency with UK comics arts related events is London-centrism. A factual trait which as a symptomatic side, effects exclusivity. The showing runs until the end of January and is worth a look if not in person, then by cyberspace travel. The Cupboard's search engine is poor; browsing by gallery or by artist will get you to were you want to go as fast.

With prints starting at £55, and originals around £200, though many at £4,000, it's mentalism the thought of me buying any of these. The Cupboard do a full-colour illustrated catalogue for £10 (p&p UK inc) though, that's not bad, showing over a hundred of the works from this exhibition. Here, as online, you can see John Vernon Lord's "Drawings of a Muchness and Things Beginning with M", cut up techique using Lewis Caroll weirdness and a little bit of Dali. I also greatly enjoyed looking at Anthony Browne's pop sensation 'Kong' illustrations and was glad the website provided me with more to look at. Pictured here is 'Kong fought bravely but in vain'

Cartoonist Chris Riddell's black ink illustrations for The Graveyard Shift, co-authored with Neil Gaiman.
are quite eldritch and chilling, as is Inga Moore's pieces from Wind In The Willows

To the left, John Lawrence's 'A Boy Went Forth' from 'A New Treasury of Poetry'.
Jlawrence's wood engravings look like a beautiful kind of fever. A sort of white magic working man bliss surge into the Dark Ages, like Scott McCloud visiting Chaucer, in William Blake's cab of course. In addition to these comic strip like works, the illustrations accompanying Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island are worth a look around for.