Carl Giles

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"Carl" Ronald Giles (September 29, 1916 - August 28, 1995), often referred to simply as Giles, was a cartoonist most famous for his work for the UK newspaper the Daily Express.

His cartoon style was a single topical highly detailed panel, usually with a great deal more going on than the single joke. Certain recurring characters achieved a great deal of popularity, particularly the extended Giles Family, which featured prominently in the strip. Of these, the most famous is the enigmatic matriarch of the family, known simply as Grandma. Another recurring favourite was Chalkie, the tyrannical school teacher whom Giles claimed was modeled on one of his childhood teachers, and Larry, the mop-haired child from next door, often seen with a camera, who it is said is the alter ego of Giles himself.

Giles was born in Islington, London. He was nicknamed "Karlo", later shortened to "Carl", by friends who decided he looked like Boris Karloff. After leaving school at the age of 14 he worked as an office boy before becaming an animator for cartoon films. This included a stint working for Alexander Korda on the unfinished animation The Fox Hunt.

In 1937, Giles started work as a cartoonist for Reynold's News. In 1943 he was offered wages of 20 guineas a week to move to the Daily Express. He served as a War correspondent during World War II and in 1959 was awarded an OBE. Among his fans were the British Royal Family, who often requested the originals of his work.

A bronze statue depicting Grandma looking up at the newspaper office window in Ipswich, England where he used to work was unveiled by Warren Mitchell. Giles, who was by this time wheelchair-bound, was present at the unveiling.

He supported Ipswich Town.

References

External links

[A 'Tribute' page]
[a short biography]
[Centre for the Study of Cartoons and Caricature] A substantial online collection of Giles' work. The physical museum also has everyday objects from his studio.

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