Ed McLachlan (b. 1940) was born in Humberstone, Leicestershire. He attended Wyggeston Grammar School, Leicester before winning a place to study at the Leicester College of Art (1956-59), where he became a lecturer in graphics between 1967 and 1970.
After sending Punch a portfolio of his cartoons, Ed McLachlan began his career as a cartoonist in 1961, contributing regularly to the magazine. He has since created cartoons for a host of other periodicals; amongst them Private Eye, Spectator, The Oldie, Saga Magazine and The Big Issue.
He has worked on advertising campaigns for many national and international organisations including the Post Office, the NHS, Renault, Volvo, the Open University and Friends of the Earth.
He has written & illustrated many children’s books such as The Dragon Who Could Only Breathe Smoke, Magnus & the Land of Lost Property and the Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings series.
As well as doing the artwork for his own books, he provided the illustrations for authors such as Roger Kilroy, Robert Kirkwood, John Rogerson, Paul Groves and even the actress Nanette Newman who wrote over 30 children’s books.
There are over 500 of his original works currently for sale on the Chris Beetles Gallery website. A book of his cartoons was published in 1976, entitled The Cartoons of Edward McLachlan.
Here’s Ed McLachlan in 2016 accepting his honorary degree from the University of Leicester. The introduction by the chancellor gives you far more information about the man and his work than I’ve included above.
