4 days Ago By Caroline James
A much loved British cartoonist known for his work with Fleet Street publications and hit children’s TV cartoons recently died peacefully at his home in Alhaurin el Grande. Born in Birmingham in 1928, Peter Maddocks loved drawing from childhood. In 1939, he received a scholarship to study at the Moseley School of Art.
One of his tutors was Norman Pett, the creator of the ‘Jane’ cartoon strip which was popular around that time. After completing his studies, he served in the Merchant Navy from 1943 until 1949. The cartoonist said that this period was an unforgettable experience which made him a man and gave him many ideas for storylines that he would later use in his work.
Most Read on Euro Weekly News Proud to be in the award-winning Euro Weekly News How to Draw Cartoons, by Peter Maddocks PETER MADDOCKS: 65 years as a cartoonist and painter In 1954 he got his first big break creating the daily strip ‘Four D. Jones’ . The cartoon , which related the tales of a time-travelling cowboy, gained cult status and ran in the paper for ten years.
Peter later became one of the 20th century’s most prolific and respected Fleet Street cartoonists, creating cartoons for The Daily Sketch, The Daily Express, The Sunday Express, The Daily Mail, The Evening Standard, The Times, The Daily Mirror, Private Eye, and Mayfair. Although he earned a name for himself as a political satire newspaper cartoonist , he later had great success creating cartoons for children. Working with his sons, they set up Maddocks Cartoons and had long-running TV hits with series such as The Family Ness, Jimbo and the Jet Set and Penny Crayon.
Always a committed freelancer who preferred to spread himself over many projects and publications, Peter also drew well-known cartoons, such as The Mr Men and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, for other studios. After moving to Spain aged 72 in 2000, to escape London’s gloom and bustle, Peter was asked to produce a cartoon strip for the newspaper SUR. Later, he began painting and became an active member of the local art scene.
His paintings have been exhibited in the Artsenal Inoxis Cultural Space and Art Gallery in Alhaurin al Grande. In recent years, Peter began working on producing ‘How to’ ebooks for would-be cartoonists including ‘How to Be a Cartoonist’ and the follow up, ‘How to Be a Super Cartoonist’ both of which are still available in English and Spanish. Peter died aged 96 after a short illness at his home in his beloved Alhaurin el Grande.
He will be sadly missed by his family and the many friends he made along the Costa del Sol..
