As Searle began to branch out into editorial and illustration assignments on the Continent during the 1950s he did several cartoons for French newspaper Le Figaro Littéraire.
Perdu dans le Labyrinthe Londonien, pen and ink, 12 x 13.5", Figaro, 18 February, 1955
Vroomp!!! Crrakk!! Zok!!! (1966) Pen and wash, 35.2 x 49.1 Collection Monica Searle Le Figaro Littéraire, October 20, 1966 The Square Egg & The Vicious Circle (1968), Page 15 Ronald Searle (1973) Cabinet des Estampes, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, Catalogue number 153 Searle & Searle (2001), Catalogue number 16, page 39
Thanks to those who have left comments and reviews on both the US and UK Amazon sites- it helps promote the book and support the case for another. You can purchase it at the link on the right or if you've bought it please do consider leaving a review too. 'This is a stunning book, clearly a labour of love. The US-based author, Matt Jones, maintains a consistently interesting Ronald Searle blog. Here he has gathered an astonishing range of Searle's art into a really impressive package. It's beautifully printed and for the most part lets the artist's work do the talking. One reason that it does this so well is that it's BIG! More than 360 whopping pages, with plenty of room to let the drawings breathe. In the UK we usually see Searle associated with St Trinian's, Nigel Molesworth and various wine-drinking felines (and nothing wrong with that per se) but it's refreshing to be led off in a different direction for a change. A real treat, and well worth the price-tag.' -S. J. Carter
'This great thumping book is an embarrassment of riches! Every page (and there are 350+ of them) dazzles with the genius of Ronald Searle. British fans shouldn't be put off by the American slant. Quite the opposite, in fact, as there'll be loads you haven't seen before, and boy, are you in for a treat! You can lose yourself for hours in the quality of Searle's line (sometimes softened with a subtle wash) and the skill of his composition and the sheer beauty of his draughtsmanship. From the quickest sketchbook thumbnail to the most detailed architectural study serving as a backdrop for some supremely observed character, there seems nothing this man couldn't do. His terrific humour, coupled with an ability to draw like an Old Master, make him, for my money, the most brilliant cartoonist of the last century. This book (which is well-bound, with high production values, by the way) is crammed with examples of his unique talent and we should be grateful to the editor, Matt Jones, for assembling it all for our delight and amazement.' - Colin West
'This book is incredible. I bought it on pre-order because the deal was great - but this book is well worth the 85 dollars listing price. It is GORGEOUS. Both the quality of the printing and the size/weight of the pages is great. But of course MOST importantly - this book is chock-full of beautiful illustrations. Ronald Searle was a wonderfully prolific and hugely inspirational artist, and this book showcases his work beautifully. I suspect I'll be taking this one off the shelf quite often.' - Amazon customer
I am a story artist working in the animation industry (Aardman, Pixar, Netflix, Sony) I retain all copyrights to original artwork & material posted on my blog.