Punch (magazine)

Punch magazine cover, 1867

Punch was a British weekly magazine of humor and satire published from 1841 to 1992 and from 1996 to 2002.

History

Punch was founded in July 17 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. At its founding it was jointly edited by Mayhew and Mark Lemon. Initially it was subtitled The London Charivari, this being a reference to a satirical humor magazine published in France under the title Le Charivari. Reflecting their satiric and humorous intent, the two editors took for their name and masthead the anarchic glove puppet, Mr. Punch; the name also referred to a joke made early on about one of the magazine's first editors, Lemon, that "punch is nothing without lemon." Mayhew ceased to be joint editor in 1842 and became 'suggestor in chief' until he severed his connection in 1845. Punch was responsible for the modern use of the word 'cartoon' to refer to a comic drawing. The illustrator Archibald Henning designed the cover of the magazine's first issues. The cover design varied in the early years, though Richard Doyle designed what became the magazine's masthead in 1849.

Editorial meeting of Punch magazine in the late nineteenth century.

During the late 19th century Punch became notorious for regularly publishing anti-Irish jokes.

Circulation peaked during the 1940s when it reached 175,000, but slowly declined over the years, until the magazine was forced to close in 1992 after 150 years of publication.

1996 resurrection

In early 1996, the Egyptian businessman Mohamed Fayed bought the rights to the name, and it was re-launched later that year. It was reported that the magazine was intended to be a spoiler aimed at Private Eye, another British satirical magazine, which had published many items critical of Fayed and showing him in a bad light. Fayed, on the other hand, claimed his purchase of the magazine was because it was a British institution.

One notable entry in the second incarnation of Punch was its involvement in 'Shaylergate,' the case of a former MI5 worker who revealed secrets about British intelligence in both Punch and Mail on Sunday. Shayler had a column in Punch.

The magazine never became profitable in its new incarnation, and at the end of May 2002, it was announced that Punch would once more cease publication. Press reports at the time quoted a total loss to its owner of some £16 million (about $28 million U.S.) over the six years of publication, with only 6,000 subscribers at the end. The magazine's archive and other memorabilia associated with the magazine was acquired by the British Library in March 2004. Of the sale, Fayed said, "It is vital that it should be preserved for the nation so that future generations may have the benefit of this historic collection of the best of British humorous writing and art which chronicled British society over many generations."

Impact on Culture

Despite its seemingly trivial role in society, Punch Magazine can be said to have played a significant role in the development of satire in the modern Western world. Punch continued the tradition of European satire seen in much of Europe's history from the French Revolution through the World Wars. Satire is an effective and often ingenious method of propagating oftentimes unpalatable ideas in the easily accepted form of humor. The establishment of a long-running satire magazine such as Punch provided a stable outlet for such writers and artists working in the genre and provided a central source of for consumers. Having a stable source is important as it gives a constant home to possibly unpopular ideas so long as they are able to be expressed in a funny fashion, giving more support to the extremely important freedom of speech that is prized in today's modern democracies. Aside from this more symbolic importance, Punch had a number of direct effects on culture as well.

Punch gave several phrases to the English language, including the "Curate's egg" and The Crystal Palace. Several British humor classics were first serialized in Punch, such as the Diary of a Nobody and 1066 and All That. Cartoons from Punch magazine are commonly used in GCSE History examinations to reflect the conservative views of the middle class. Scottish Standard Grade and Higher History examinations also often use the cartoons to illustrate British attitudes to foreign and domestic issues. Punch Cigar Co. was named after the character Mr. Punch in order to increase British patronage. Punch is also the brand of a coffee sold in Fortnum and Mason of Piccadilly, London. Until 23 September 2006 Harrods had a Punch themed cafe.

External links

• Punch cartoon library, including a history of the magazine
• List of issues available on-line from Project Gutenberg
• Works by "Mr. Punch". Project Gutenberg
• Mr Punch at the British Library, an article from the British Library website
• John Leech Sketch archives from Punch, a fan's website with more than 600 of Leech's sketches
• Punch Archive at the British Library

Credits

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