Grimbledon Down: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 19:12, 15 December 2024

Grimbledon Down is a satirical comic strip created by British cartoonist Bill Tidy. It was a staple of New Scientist magazine, running from 26 March 1970 to 26 March 1994.

Setting and Concept

The strip is set in a fictitious UK government research laboratory, which served as a parody of the real-life Porton Down chemical and biological warfare facility. New Scientist commissioned the comic to provide "some straight talking about the scope and purpose of research on Porton Down."

The satirical narrative revolved around the morally ambiguous and often absurd experiments conducted by the laboratory's scientists. Their work ranged from bizarre to grotesque, offering a biting critique of scientific research ethics.

Notable Research Projects

Antipornography

One of the lab's most infamous projects was the production of "antipornography." These were disgustingly grotesque pornographic films designed to suppress the viewer's sexual drive. The ultimate goal? To prevent catastrophic overpopulation.

Nu-Food

Another recurring feature in the strip was Nu-Food, an artificial foodstuff created from processed human waste. This dystopian innovation was a satirical jab at humanity's reliance on industrial and artificial solutions to global crises.

Characters and Organization

Internal Structure

The internal workings of Grimbledon Down were rarely detailed. However, divisions like "BioWar" and "ChemWar" occasionally surfaced in the scientists' conversations, hinting at the lab's focus on biological and chemical research.

Director Treem

The enigmatic leader of Grimbledon Down was Director Treem. A recurring character, he was portrayed as a dark-haired man with a moustache, always dressed in a chalk pinstripe business suit. Treem, while not a scientist in appearance, claimed to be a former potential Nobel Prize candidate and displayed scientific literacy. He often engaged in detailed technical discussions with his staff, despite being differentiated from the lab-coated scientists.

Legacy

Over its 24-year run, Grimbledon Down offered a humorous yet sharp critique of scientific research, government secrecy, and ethical dilemmas. Its unique blend of wit and satire made it a memorable feature of New Scientist magazine.

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-{{short description|British comic strip in the New Scientist}}
+[[Category:British comic strips]]
-{{italic title}}
+[[Category:Comic strips missing date information]]
-{{more citations needed|date=November 2010}}
+'''Grimbledon Down''' is a satirical comic strip created by British [[cartoonist]] [[Bill Tidy]]. It was a staple of ''New Scientist'' magazine, running from '''26 March 1970 to 26 March 1994'''.
-{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
-'''''Grimbledon Down''''' is a [[comic strip]] by [[United Kingdom|British]] cartoonist [[Bill Tidy]]. It ran in ''[[New Scientist]]'' magazine from 26&nbsp;March 1970 until 26&nbsp;March 1994.<ref name=Tidy1994/>
+== Setting and Concept ==
+The strip is set in a fictitious UK government research laboratory, which served as a parody of the real-life Porton Down chemical and biological warfare facility. ''New Scientist'' commissioned the comic to provide "some straight talking about the scope and purpose of research on Porton Down."
-==Description==
+The satirical narrative revolved around the morally ambiguous and often absurd experiments conducted by the laboratory's scientists. Their work ranged from bizarre to grotesque, offering a biting critique of scientific research ethics.
-The strip was set in a fictitious [[United Kingdom|UK]] government research [[laboratory]], satirising the secret [[Porton Down]] [[chemical and biological warfare]] establishment. (''New Scientist'' wanted 'some straight talking about the scope and purpose of research on Porton Down'.<ref name=Tidy1994>{{cite magazine |author=Tidy, William Edward (Bill) |author-link=Bill Tidy |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14119185.200 |title=New Scientist's farewell to Grimbledon Down |magazine=[[New Scientist]] |date=26 March 1994 |access-date=2018-07-19}}</ref>) Grimbledon Down's scientists engaged in all sorts of questionable research, such as the production of ''antipornography'' – grossly disgusting [[pornography|pornographic]] films which were intended to turn off the audience's [[libido|sexual drive]] and thus save the world from catastrophic [[Human overpopulation|overpopulation]]. Another frequent feature was attempts to create or distribute ''Nu-Food'', an artificial foodstuff made with processed human waste.
-Very little of Grimbledon Down's internal organisation was ever revealed, although "BioWar" and "ChemWar" divisions were mentioned from time to time in the characters' dialogue. The man in charge was a recurring character – Director Treem (no first name given) – a moustachioed dark-haired man in a chalk pinstripe business suit. Treem was apparently not a scientist, as the scientists were drawn wearing white lab coats, but he once described himself as a former potential [[Nobel Prize]] candidate, was scientifically literate, and often got into detailed technical discussions with his staff.
+== Notable Research Projects ==
-==References==
+=== Antipornography ===
-<References/>
+One of the lab's most infamous projects was the production of "antipornography." These were disgustingly grotesque pornographic films designed to suppress the viewer's sexual drive. The ultimate goal? To prevent catastrophic overpopulation.
-[[Category:British comic strips]]
+=== Nu-Food ===
-[[Category:Comic strips missing date information]]
+Another recurring feature in the strip was '''Nu-Food''', an artificial foodstuff created from processed human waste. This dystopian innovation was a satirical jab at humanity's reliance on industrial and artificial solutions to global crises.
+== Characters and Organization ==
+=== Internal Structure ===
+The internal workings of Grimbledon Down were rarely detailed. However, divisions like "BioWar" and "ChemWar" occasionally surfaced in the scientists' conversations, hinting at the lab's focus on biological and chemical research.
+=== Director Treem ===
+The enigmatic leader of Grimbledon Down was '''Director Treem'''. A recurring character, he was portrayed as a dark-haired man with a moustache, always dressed in a chalk pinstripe business suit. Treem, while not a scientist in appearance, claimed to be a former potential Nobel Prize candidate and displayed scientific literacy. He often engaged in detailed technical discussions with his staff, despite being differentiated from the lab-coated scientists.
-{{UK-comics-stub}}
+== Legacy ==
+Over its 24-year run, ''Grimbledon Down'' offered a humorous yet sharp critique of scientific research, government secrecy, and ethical dilemmas. Its unique blend of wit and satire made it a memorable feature of ''New Scientist'' magazine.