Folking Pun: Everyday Humour with Oslo Davis

‘There aren’t many jobs that pay you to be absurd,’ Oslo Davis has said. But Oslo himself has carved out a niche in absurdity and he’s coming to the Wheeler Centre to present a masterclass in the ridiculous.

Oslo’s medium is, of course, cartooning. His silly, savvy and sometimes downright bonkers work has graced the pages of the Age, Meanjin and the New York Times. Oslo is already the author/illustrator of several graphic books, including This Annoying Domestic Life: A Mindless Colouring Book for the Whole Goddamn Family and The World According to Trump. With his new book, Drawing Funny, he reveals the twisted logic behind his nutty brand of observational humour – as he strives to explain what works, and what doesn’t, when crafting gag cartoons.

What can cartoons convey that other artforms can’t? What’s the future of the gag cartoon? And where did he get the idea for venn diaphragms? Join the consummate cartoonist in conversation with David Astle for answers to these questions, and probably many weirder ones. There might even be time for a caption-writing contest or a snap drawing competition.