Art Editor of “Punch”. Born 15.4.1913 – Died 14.5.1979, by Peter Anderson
See also entry for Cartoons of Russel Brockbank.
*Former name of Thursley History Society
Born in Canada and educated at Ridley College, Ontario, Russell came to England in 1929 and studied Art at Chelsea School of Art in London. A temporary diversion into industry occurred between 1932 and 1936 when he resumed his career as a freelance artist until the War. He married Eileen Hames in 1933.
During the War he served as Lieut. RNVR, Northern Convoys, in the British Pacific Fleet and was demobilised in 1946. He then freelanced until 1949 when he became Art Editor of Punch. This appointment was intended to be one to five years but in fact it lasted until 1960. in Thursley. Russell had been secretly receiving agents' particulars of properties for sale in the area including one on “Badgers” in The Lane, or Back Lane as it was then called. By some strange quirk, or so it appeared to Eileen at the time, they arrived in the village following a brief inspection of the property, out of the blue Russell made an offer tp purchase which was accepted! Eileen was “rather surprised”. The year was 1951.
Most of his work was carried out above the garage in the studio which Eileen called “The Haven”. He would draw seven days a week and as a result was not often in evidence when it came to various village activities with perhaps one exception – namely the annual New Year's Eve Party given by Val and Paddy at the Three Horse Shoes!
Russell was a perfectionist as far as his drawing was concerned, When at work he would be surrounded by many photographs of the subject in order to build as much detail and accuracy into the drawings as possible and avoid too many critical letters from his readers.
Publications have included:-
1948 Round The Bend
1953 Up The Straight
1955 Over The Line
1957 The Brockbank Omnibus
1958 Manifold Pressures
1963 Move Over and The Penguin Brockbank
1970 Motoring Through Punch 1900 – 1970
1973 Brockbank's Grand Prix
1975 The Best Of Brockbank
Apart from drawing his other passion was of, and in, cars. He started drawing them at the age of four and it seems couldn't stop. He was a regular contributor to magazines including Speed and Motor in ten countries including Japan. He also drove fast cars, some say too fast, tried out exotic prototype models such as the Mini Cooper and D type Jaguar and was a motor racing aficionado. He visited all the Grand Prix.
Russell became ill in the late 1970s and in 1978 they decided to move to Frome in Somerset to be nearer their daughter who was in the medical profession. He had once said to Eileen that he wanted to be buried in Thursley churchyard and wanted someone to draw an eye on his headstone so as to keep watch over Eileen. Sadly he died within two years of leaving the village and was cremated in Somerset. He left a widow and two children, Susan and Roger.