Step into the irreverent world of disabled cartoonist Crippen aka Dave Lupton, who has been in the vanguard of disability arts movement for more years than he cares to mention. His work has appeared in mainstream press, on TV and film and is now probably the best Disabled cartoonist in the world!

Super Crips

29 November 2007

Blog

Super Crip strikes again and this time it’s a Disabled person who’s supporting that urban myth that when we loose one of our senses, we develop our remaining senses to become super improved to compensate! The man in question is the latest recruit to the Brussels police, who, along with five other blind and visually impaired detectives have been enlisted to aid the fight against international terrorism and drug trafficking. The article, which appears in the Independent earlier this week,...

Comments: 0

Cartoons

27 November 2007

Blog

Incidentally, were not sure why some of the cartoons on this blog come out in different sizes when they are all uploaded at the same size. Nor is it understood why some of the speech bubbles have clearer text in some and not others. Once the techies have sorted this out we’ll redo the cartoons for you.

Comments: 0

Two tribes

27 November 2007

Blog

I’ve had a look at an article being written in support of trying to bring the two 'camps' of carers and Disabled people together to campaign on the fundamental, underlying issue of adequate social care. I must admit to having a pretty knee jerk reaction whenever the subject of carers, linked to Disabled people, comes up! I can even remember upsetting a few carer support groups with cartoons I’ve done in the past! I think there were issues around the terminology itself and the very split...

Comments: 0

Spanish disability

26 November 2007

Blog

Whilst we’ve been in Spain we’ve tried to make contact with other Disabled people down here, preferably Spanish. We had some success communicating with a deaf guy a little while ago, mainly through his Spanish sign language and Jeni’s BSL, which had a lot of similarity. He belonged to a Deaf group in Granada which was mainly a social thing. He didn’t really have any concept of Deaf politics, nor about Disability politics generally. He sold raffle tickets for a living and had a licence...

Comments: 0

Stuck on you!

25 November 2007

Blog

Jeni’s worn a back brace for as long as I’ve known her. She recently changed from the heavy-duty leather type prescribed by the NHS, to a lightweight model which we’ve sourced in Spain. This new one is fastened by Velcro and doesn’t have the many straps and buckles that the NHS go in for. The reason I mention this is that I’ve now taken to wearing something similar (the discs in my back having finally given up the ghost and come out in sympathy with the rest of my ailing body!) and...

Comments: 0

Cartooning Part 3

24 November 2007

Blog

Along with the personal computer (PC), the other major influence on my cartooning life has been the introduction of the Internet and the world-wide-web (www). The time that I’ve spent educating myself about this medium has been a worthwhile investment and it has more than compensated for itself over the recent years. I am now able to carry a virtual portfolio of my work around with me, anywhere there is a computer connected to the internet. I can send an image across the world in seconds...

Comments: 0

Blog wars

23 November 2007

Blog

Oh dear, started something here. Now our faithful Editor Colin has restarted his own blog in these pages and has targeted me for some pay back. Well deserved, I have to admit. I'm going to have to mind my P's and Q's from now on eh? - although I wouldn't hold your breath! I don't think he realised, but his opening line "I understand that reprobate Crippen's missus has become a blog widow!" sort of implies that Jeni's the reprobate?! I think there's an email from Mrs Crippen winging it's way to...

Comments: 0

Chainsaw massacre

23 November 2007

Blog

Another event yesterday saw the invasion of our quiet little village by hi-vis jacket wearing hombres from the big city of Granada. The whole area is undergoing a tart -up due to it being designated one of the major tourist spots in Southern Spain (have to agree with them there). We've already had street lights installed (resulting in the loss of our amazing star lit nights) and they've now decided to widen the road. Nothing too major there, you probably think. Wrong! These city boys, with no...

Comments: 0

Friday 23rd November 07

23 November 2007

Blog

Oops. Seem to have lost a day somewhere! Spent yesterday frantically finding space in the house for the giant mobiles I've constructed for the village fiesta. We get so used to having never ending blue sky and sunshine that when it rains, as it did yesterday for the first time in about 8 weeks, we get caught with our watsits down. Or in my case, caught with the mobile hanging from olive trees around the terraces! No harm done though, although it's weird eating breakfast with a giant red...

Comments: 0

Blog change

21 November 2007

Blog

Had an email from Col’ our faithful editor this morning. He’s cracked the coding for putting each month of this blog onto a separate page (you can find the link for October over on the right now … no, up a bit … yes, there!). So you’ll only have to struggle with one month at a time on this presenting page. Are we kind to you or what?! Col' also added … “I like the fact that Jeff contacts you in bloody Spain to let you know about LDAF's Tate Modern...

Comments: 0

Wednesday 21st November 07

21 November 2007

Blog

Jeff, from the London Disability Arts Forum (LDAF), got in touch the other day and asked me if I had heard about the LDAF/Tate Modern debate at 7pm on Monday 3rd December, in the Starr auditorium. The title of the debate is Should Disability and Deaf Art be dead and buried in the 21st Century? The panel includes Sandy Nairne, Paddy Masefield OBE, Yinka Shonibare, Nabil Shaban, Ju Gosling and Jenny Sealey. The debate will be chaired by Melvyn Bragg. If you want more information, have a look on...

Comments: 0

Performance art

20 November 2007

Blog

Just to show you that it’s not only cartooning that I do, I sometimes get dragged into local events down here in Southern Spain. One such event was last Thursday when I was approached by the older mujeres of the village (little old ladies who all wear the black of widowhood) and asked if I can decorate the village hall for them for the forthcoming village fiesta. We used it last year for Jeni’s birthday celebration (no, I’m not saying how old!) and I managed to get hold of the big flags...

Comments: 0

Cartooning Part 2

19 November 2007

Blog

The computer has revolutionised my work over the past 10 years or so. I can remember drawing cartoons by hand, inking them in, and then hunting for the right sized envelope to post them on to a client. I used fax machines to send a rough and then waited for the return fax with any amendments needed. I can also remember frantically drawing a cartoon and waiting for the ink to dry, as a leather clad motorcycle courier waited to whip it down the MI to the BBC Studios in London! Talk about...

Comments: 0

Monday 19th November 07

19 November 2007

Blog

Decided to put the blog format back to the way it was for now as it’s presented some editing difficulties with the months in reverse order. So I’m afraid it’s still the case of scrolling down to the bottom for the latest entry. Colin is busy working out the coding to build me some archive pages so that we can run with the current month here, and with the past months accessed via a link at the side. This should make for a less cumbersome blog for you to access. That’s the...

Comments: 0

Sox

18 November 2007

Blog

Those of you who’ve visited my other blog on the a-n arts site (temporarily suspended while I concentrate my efforts on this one) will know that I‘ve admitted to having another cartooning identity. Someone saw one of my Spanish ‘Laughabull’ cartoons whilst on holiday in the Alpujarras and made the connection. My other pen name is Sox and I use this identity to address more mainstream issues, mainly in the commercial market. My work as Sox is up on my main web site, along...

Comments: 1

Sunday 18th November 07

18 November 2007

Blog

Following on from my cartoon about the Leonard Cheshire Foundation I’ve been sent some links to a couple of articles relating to same. They’re both on the old ‘Crip Stirring’ site that Clair Lewis used to run. The first is a poem by Karen Sheader called The Leonard Cheshire Cat. This is the link The second is a whistle blowing account about skulduggery in the early days of the Sue Ryder and Leonard Cheshire camps. It’s purported to be written by an ex PC called...

Comments: 0

Open Forum

17 November 2007

Blog

Had a query about the DAO open forum and why it isn't instantly published? Well, the answer is that unfortunately – in common with a lot of websites – we got inundated with offensive rubbish and spam when it was an open forum, so it was changed to its present settings to avoid this. Hope this answers your query Pam.

Comments: 0

Cartooning Part 1

17 November 2007

Blog

Well the hardest part is coming up with the ideas, and this can either be a solo effort, or admitting defeat and saying to Jeni “got any ideas for this one?”. We find that we work well together in this respect, building on a vague idea and bouncing it around until we’ve got the finished thing. I then draft it out, perhaps changing some aspects of it, before sending off the roughs if it’s for a client. I sometimes get ideas from the client as well, which is great and cuts...

Comments: 0

Saturday 17th November 07

17 November 2007

Blog

Having had a few enquiries about how I create my cartoons; what software do I use, etc., I thought I’d share some of the process with you. This is the first part of that (I now expect Disabled cartoonists to be springing up all over the place!).

Comments: 1

PM

16 November 2007

Blog

By the way, does anyone know what happened to the sculpture of Alison Lapper Pregnant? It has been replaced on the fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square, but where has she gone? It was my understanding that she was there permanently. Any ideas folks? Just had an email exchange with Colin (Editor) and we think that we might turn this blog journal around so that the most recent entry is at the beginning. Would certainly make it easier for you to see what's new without having to scroll down to the...

Comments: 0

Friday 16th November 07

16 November 2007

Blog

Have just posted up onto my web site this 'positive' equality cartoon relating to the new Equality and Human Rights Commission. There should be a balance now in the Equality folder between the pros and the cons around this issue. This should make a few of you happier! Hopefully, from the debate that's started about this I'll get some more material to work with. I'll post up any new stuff as and when. I've also been answering a few emails I got today from some Crips who stumbled across the...

Comments: 0

Thursday 15th November 07

15 November 2007

Blog

Okay ArtyFartyBoy, to respond to your comments about the fact that so many of the ‘characters’ in my cartoons are wheelchair users – when we all know (though the non-disabled community is still sometimes surprised by the statistic) that only around 5% of us Crips in the UK are full-time or virtually full-time wheelchair users. And by the way, before I forget, I promise that it wasn’t short term memory loss that caused me to delay in answering you, it’s just that I...

Comments: 1

Wednesday 14th November 07

14 November 2007

Blog

OK, I can take a hint Fleur in comments! You mean cut down on the wittering and produce more cartoons (I'm just not appreciated, that's the problem ... mumble ... grumble... working my fingers to the bone here, and what do I get?! ... mumble ... sigh ... it is supposed to be a blog!) (Oh my God. Someone's started him off on one! Never hear the end of this now! - Ed) OK. More cartoons eh?! Back later ...(wanders off, still muttering) ... (a couple of hours or so later, sound of Crippen returning...

Comments: 0

Tuesday 13th November 07

13 November 2007

Blog

More comments I see, including another from our young friend Artyfartyboy as I predicted (who is that masked man?!). Thanks for your comments Richard and Gaz.It is strange how the Social Model can sometimes sneak up and bite you on the bum sometimes isn't it! And I am getting back to you AFboy. Patience, dear boy, patience. For those of you who may have submitted comments and haven't yet seen them posted - well, we've had a bit of a problem with the system. Could we ask that you send them again...

Comments: 0

Cute and Cuddly alert

12 November 2007

Blog

Had a 'heads up' this morning about a new venture being undertaken by Aardman Productions of Wallace and Grommet fame. They've been commissioned to produce an animation on disability issues in the UK to be called Creature Discomforts (Geddit?!). And the people they've been commissioned by ... wait for it ... those leading exponents of disability rights (not) ... can you see who it is yet? ... Yes, it's the Leonard Cheshire Disability Foundation (big fanfare of trumpets ending in a fart!). Now,...

Comments: 0