Madam & Eve come to Cape Town!

And Africartoons was at their booklaunch...

MADAM & EVE creators Stephen Francis & Rico were in Cape Town on September 24th for the Open Book Festival to promote their new annual 'The Pothole at the End of the Rainbow'.

Capetonians were presented with a rare opportunity to meet with the Johannesburg based creators of South Africa's top comic strip, and purchase signed copies of their books.

Held at The Fugard Theatre in Caledon Street, it was a book launch with a difference. Stephen and Rico had prepared an hour-long show featuring some slapstic comedy, lots of humour, anecdotes, surprises and a powerpoint presentation of many cartoons from their new book - 'The Pothole at the End of the Rainbow' - including their own personal favourites. An audience of over 60 were happy to fork out the R40 to watch as Stephen commandeered the stage, ably assisted by Rico, who usually does his talking with a pen.

Members of the audience were invited to come up with a theme for a strip, which Steve would convert into an idea and Rico would draw, live on stage, all in under two minutes. But, that would be just too easy, say the cartoonists. ...And so they undertake to blindfold Rico, and tie Stephen to a chair to make it a little challenging (and to demonstrate that he can think of an idea with his hands tied behind his back!). Then, to add to the suspense; Stephen takes a swig of poison from a mysterious bottle (aided by his pretty blond assistant), and Rico undertakes to only provide the antidote once the cartoon has been created - all within two minutes, you understand.

Africartoons will refrain from revealing whether Stephen made the deadline alive,just  in case they plan to do it again at a future event.

Ooops; I think we just did give away the end! No fear, there's still a fun twist to make it worth seeing one's self. Another surprise unleashed at the event was the revelation that Eve is to appear on the October cover of Playboy, as well as the inside pages. You can read all about that here, on Africartoons.

COMIC STRIP: Eve bares (almost) all in the October 2011 South African Playboy.

THE CHALLENGE: To create a cartoon in TWO MINUTES...

...RICO is blindfolded...

...STEPHEN is bound to a chair...

... and STEPHEN drinks his poison, while RICO draws the cartoon to a tragic and bitter conclusion.

MAMA TAXI meets MADAM & EVE: Deni Brown and Gavin Thomson (co-creators of the comic strip Mama Taxi) meet their match; the amazing escape artists from Madam & Eve!

JUST THEIR POT LUCK: The latest Madam & Eve collection is out now.

Posted on Sep 25, 2011 by Madam & Eve