Famed British illustrator Sir Quentin Blake has many honors –
as detailed in his entry at the Lambiek Comiclopedia:
Throughout his career, Blake has been covered in prizes. His illustrations for Russell Hoban’s ‘How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsmen’ won the Whitbread Award (1974), while his work in Michael Rosen’s ‘Sad Book’ was bestowed with the English Book Award for Category 4-11 (2004). In the Netherlands, he won two “Zilveren Penselen” (“Silver Pencils”), one for Roald Dahl’s ‘The BFG’ (1984), the other for his own ‘The Story of the Dancing Frog’ (1985). ‘Mr Magnolia’ won the Kate Greenaway Medal for Best Children’s Book Illustration by a British Subject (1980) and the Dutch “Pluim van de Maand” (“Plume of the Month”, 1991). Blake’s ‘All Join In’ won the Kurt Maschler Award (1990), ‘The Green Ship’ the Nestle Smarties Book Prize (1998) and ‘Clown’ the International Bologna Regazzi Prize (2004). Blake was additionally bestowed with the Hans Christian Andersen Award (2002), J.M. Barrie Lifetime Achievement Award (2008), Prince Philip Designers Prize (2011) and Eleanor Farjeon Award (2012). “Sir” Quentin Blake was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2005 New Year Honours for his services to children’s literature. In France, he was named a “Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters” (Chevalier dans l’Orde des Arts et des Lettres, 2002), and “Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters” (Officer dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, 2007). He also received the French Légion d’Honneur (2014). Blake has additionally received a CBE medal (2005), Knight Bachelor (2013) and was made a Honorary Freeman of the City of London (2005).
And, as of today, he adds Senior Stripper to that long list.
Despite his protestations to the contrary,
“I’m not a cartoonist”, Blake told one interviewer: “I hate doing cartoons.”
Blake’s style evinces cartoonish qualities and sequential art has played a large part of his career, which includes his Waldo and Wanda comic strip that ran in Cricket magazine.
It even extended to an early autobiographical strip.
Blake’s seemingly simplistic style is rather intricate.
I do a freewheeling sort of drawing that looks as though it is done on the spur of the moment. However even a single drawing needs a certain amount of preparation and planning…
We wish Sir Quentin the very best and a happy 90th birthday!
all illustrations © Quentin Blake and copyright owners
