Fizzers

Fizzers is a Scottish slang word for “faces”. It is the title used by the Scottish Cartoon Art Studio for books and exhibitions featuring their caricature artwork.

In April 2006, Mercat Press Ltd of Edinburgh published the first Fizzers book, subtitled Famous Scottish Faces Caricatured. The book featured a foreword by the Scottish stage and screen actor Brian Cox, and included over one hundred caricatures.

The first Fizzers exhibition, subtitled The Alternative Portrait Gallery, ran at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh from the 7th of April to the 2nd of July 2006. The show featured over two hundred and fifty pieces and marked the first occasion on which the Gallery had displayed contemporary caricature work in such a manner. Four of the caricatures where acquired as permanent additions to the Gallery’s collection in April 2007. These where caricatures of the late comedian Chic Murray, lead singer of Wet Wet Wet Marti Pellow, golf champion Sam Torrance and darts champion Jocky Wilson.

Fizzers pieces are not executed in the traditional, satirical mode of British caricature epitomised by Gerald Scarfe, but are inspired by the works of European artists such as Sebastian Krüger and Patrice Ricord.

External links

* [http://www.scottishcartoons.com/ Scottish Cartoon Art Studio]
* [http://www.mercatpress.com/BookDetails.asp?ISBN=1841830941&Category=culture Fizzers at Mercat Press]
* [http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/?p=544 Fizzers launch - Forbidden Planet International Blog Log]
* [http://heritage.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=159402006%20 Put a face to a name - Scotsman article]
* [http://www.skinnymag.co.uk/content/view/966/192/ Fizzers - The Skinny]
* [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article703933.ece Great Scots! It's them to a T - Times Online]