Wonderful article full of insight!

The core of Punch’s world is caricature — the deliberate exaggeration of character for the purpose of revealing human traits, weaknesses, and foibles. This, I think, is at the core of its kinship with cartooning. Caricature, in fact, links all of puppetry with cartooning. But among puppets, Punch is the Grand Master of caricature. The Punch show is a masterpiece of satire, and in it caricature looms large, outrageous, and inescapable. Charles Dickens, too, was a master of caricature; it’s perhaps one reason why he loved Punch so much.

I do have one nitpick with your post.

The Collier (writer)/Cruikshank (illustrator) text is viewed with some skepticism among Punch scholars, since Collier was a known plagiarist and forger. In many ways the Collier script couldn’t have worked well with the Punch performance techniques in use at that time. And of course, Mr. Punch’s ancestry dates back to 13th century Commedia dell Arte, long before Cruikshank raised his pen. So it isn’t quite accurate to imply that the Collier/Cruikshank script is the foundation for centuries of Punch tradition that followed.

That being said, Cruikshank was a wonderful illustrator. His contributions to Dickens’ novels are priceless!

A more accurate representation of a 19th century Punch script (and of the lifestyle of a Punch performer) can be found in Henry Mayhew’s book, “London Labour and the London Poor,” published in 1851, in which Mayhew interviewed an itinerant Punchman. It’s fabulously entertaining reading:

http://www.spyrock.com/nadafarm/html/punch-mayhew.html

For more insights into the tradition of Punch and Judy, visit Around the World With Mr. Punch at http://punchandjudyworld.org/portalblog/ , the online journal of The Worldwide Friends of Punch and Judy

http://www.punchandjudyworld.org/ .

Best regards,

Diane

(aka Professor Freshwater)

U.S. Director, The Worldwide Friends of Punch and Judy

And the very best part is hearing the kids squealing in the Pulcinella video.