The Inventive Evaluation Humor Situation is right here!
As you will no doubt be all too aware, the world is not a very fun place right now. But that seems even more of a reason for us to turn our attention to humor and find out what makes us laugh these days and why.
The February / March 2021 edition of Creative Review is dedicated to the topic of laughter and shows the actors, writers, illustrators, directors and photographers who find humor in our everyday lives and in our hot political landscape.
While stand-up comedy has inevitably suffered from the bans and restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, there is no shortage of fun to be found online or on channels like TikTok. In fact, we are witnessing a wave of comedians emerging as new voices find a way to reach audiences directly and bypass the industry's traditional gatekeepers.
One of them is Munya Chawawa, who has amassed huge audiences on YouTube and social media via a series of cartoon characters he created to reflect on modern life and politics. We talk to Chawawa about his career so far and what advice he would give to other comedy writers and performers. We also look at the growing popularity of webcomics and interview three cartoonists whose stars have risen online.
Comedy on television is also booming as networks and streaming channels leverage both new talent and classic comedy series to attract audiences. We examine how streaming channels and social media use comedy to attract audiences and create opportunities for new voices.
The issue also interviews three photographers who find comedy moments on the street, as well as political satirist Morten Morland, who has been creating cartoons for viewers like The Times and The Times for nearly two decades. We'll also explore how luxury fashion houses finally discovered their fun side.
The humor edition also features articles from our usual lineup of columnists, including Tanya Livesey, Anna Higgs, Ben Kay, Patrick Burgoyne, and Daniel Benneworth-Gray, all of whom offer their insights into the landscape of creativity in 2021.
As life continues to be challenging, we could all use a good laugh now. Hopefully the subject of humor can help everyone keep smiling through the darkness.
The humor edition can be purchased from magculture.com. Price £ 12