Ray Lowry RIP

[Nick Dando]

The BBC News site has announced the death of the very talented cartoonist Ray Lowry. When I was an avid NME reader in the early 80s, his cartoons were always a highlight.



And only 64.



Nick



BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Clash illustrator Ray Lowry dies



Clash illustrator Ray Lowry dies



Rock cartoonist Ray Lowry, best known for his work on The Clash's classic 1979 album London Calling, has died at the age of 64.

He was found dead at his home in Lancashire on Tuesday.

He contributed illustrations and cartoons to NME throughout the 1970s and 1980s as well as Punch, Private Eye and The Guardian, among others.

Lowry accompanied The Clash on their 1979 tour of the US and later designed the artwork for London Calling.



He had met the band during the Sex Pistols' now infamous Anarchy tour at the Electric Circus, Manchester.

Lowry also had four collections of his drawings published: Only Rock and Roll, This Space to Let, Ray Lowry - Ink and The Clash, Up-Close and Personal.

His work has been widely admired by collectors and celebrities, including the late BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, artist Damien Hirst, comedian Phill Jupitus and musician Patti Smith.

An exhibition of Lowry's work is running at the See Gallery in Rawtenstall in Lancashire, until 7 November.

Curator Julian Williams said it was the first solo exhibition of Lowry's work.

"Ray was regarded as Britain's best rock cartoonist, but he was also a very, very intelligent man, commenting on religion and politics as well as music," he added.

[Lord Brett]

Terribly sad news - I also used to love his NME cartoon in the eighties - didn't he used to do The Lone Groover?

[billy bentley]

The best cartoonist of his generaion. I have three of his books and they're all great.

[Diamond_Sky]

It was Tony Benyon that did The Lone Groover! Erk alors, as El Groovo might have said... :)



Ray Lowry's strip was called Not Only Rock and Roll, later (after he had dropped the cartoon style and gone on to cut-outs of old magazine and newspaper ads) to become 'Note Oilskin Base', which after being totally baffled by for a few weeks I then thought was a work of absolute genius.

He also did the brilliant single-frame cartoons often involving King Kong or Elvis - his punk take on 'Elvis, Snotty and Bill' was sublime.



Here's a couple of his cartoons (non Elvis/King Kong!)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2153/...bd1aa1.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/...b21de3.jpg?v=0



I'm going to have to dig out my old copies of NME and have a wander down memory lane now...

[wadsy]

Er sorry....... Thanks Ray. R.I.P!

[Diamond_Sky]

Er, yes, great picture of Tony Benyon's Lone Groover there...

[billy bentley]

If you poke about on e-bay, or other used booked dealers, you can still pick up copies of Ray 's three cartoon paperbacks "Ink", "This Space To Let" and "Only Rock'n'Roll". All worth owning.

[Diamond_Sky]

name='wadsy']Er sorry....... Thanks Ray. R.I.P!

Lol, I bet that used to happened all the time!







Can't find my edit button anywhere...





Got one pound fifty from down the side of the cushions though!





Ah - there it is, on the floor! >>>>>