Rude Britannia

What gets me about Gerald Scarfe's cartoons is that no matter how outlandish they are, you know who he's lampooning. Take this Ptorydactyl (1989). How do I know it's Margaret Thatcher and not Angelina Jolie? I don't know! I can't see the slightest similarity to Maggie, yet I know it's her. This is a hint of the treat in store for us when Tate Britain in London runs Rude Britannia: British Comic Art, from 9 June to 5 September, which covers the school summer holidays. The exhibition will show Britain's comic traditions from the 1600s to the present day, with examples from William Hogarth, James Gillray, George Cruikshank, David Low and Gerald Scarfe, ably assisted by Harry Hill and the team at Viz Magazine. Tickets £10. Ouch! Not funny.