Dec 8, 2009; Book Launch | 'DON'T JOKE'

THE BOOK LOUNGE in Cape Town was filled to the brim with cartoonists and appreciators of their art for the launch of DON'T JOKE! The Year in Cartoons, a collection of almost 400 cartoons chronicling the past year in the life of South Africa's young democracy. And what a year it's been!

Pictured above: Cartoonists Chip, Stent, Zapiro, John Curtis; Dr Jack, Jerm, Andy Mason, Gavin Thomson, Brandan. Top: Editors Mason and Curtis. [Click here for more photos from the event]                                                                                                                                                                  SPANNING THE MONTHS between August 2008 and September 2009, DON'T JOKE! recounts the demise of Thabo Mbeki, the caretaker presidency of Kgalema Motlanthe, and Jacob Zuma's inevitable ascendancy to the top job. There was also the rise and flop of COPE, the DA's colonisation of the Western Cape, the world beating feats of the Springboks and the Proteas, the defeats of Bafana Bafana, and liberal helpings of entertainment from Julius Malema, Carl Niehaus, Judge Hlophe, and Brandan Huntley the Safa Refugee. Obama took office while Mugabe took a few more farms - and all the time our cartoonists took note.

Cartoonists attending the launch included Zapiro, Dr Jack, Brandan, Chip, Jerm, Gavin Thomson, Deni Brown, Stent, and Andy Mason and John Curtis who compiled Don't Joke! A presentation to the attendant contributing cartoonists was followed by a few short speeches and a slide show of the cartoons, and when all was said and done The Book Lounge had sold out of every copy of the book.

Posted on Dec 08, 2009 by Africartoons