A joke several million years in the telling

Browsing our new book (did we mention it … ? Oh, we did), I was reminded of the genesis of the above cartoon, and it struck me as an interesting example of the journey we sometimes go on as cartoonists — in search of a joke, or the best way to tell a joke.

In one of our monday morning meetings, back in May 2009, Pascal suggested we might do a cartoon about the idea that the moon is made of cheese. What would mice do with this piece of misinformation, he wondered. As we talked I drew a sketch based on his idea, of two mice pondering their next move.

I can't remember the precise details of how we got from that sketch to the cartoon that got printed, but it's a pretty long journey, I think you'll agree. The final cartoon is set several million years after the scene in the sketch, when mice have evolved to the point where they have achieved moused space flight, and set off en masse to their promised land.

I still like the joke in the sketch, maybe we could have run with that — but we decided that taking the end of the story and looking back left that little gap for the reader to fill in, which is always worth striving for. 

In fact, in some ways, the subtext of the final printed cartoon is that first spark of inspiration; the idea that at some point, mice decided it might be worth finding out.

Where we humans fit in to the picture is another matter. Presumably, at some point on their evolutionary journey, the mice kill us all off so they can take over the running of NASA — Mouston, we have a problem. JB

We're gonna need a bigger barrel

We've always loved the bit in Jaws this is inspired by – and the trivia of how Spielberg came to get this scene out of John Milius etc. Maybe next Halloween we'll have Hannibal Lecter salivating on about how Clarice Starling can't escape the screams of the apples in her nightmares … The Silence of the Apples … Yeah … And a guy making a horrific outfit out of lots of peel, in his maggot infested basement. Yet again I am amazed we haven't had the call from Hollywood. Here's the Jaws bit, anyway … PW

The making of Roger the Pig

Time to celebrate the skills of Scott Brooker.

When Joe and I were asked to do the exhibition at the Guardian, we thought it would be good to have something 3D in the gallery along with the prints. Perhaps the closest thing we have to a mascot is Roger the Pig, who appeared – having one of his "dark days" – in an early food cartoon. I contacted Peter Fluck, who, having brought us Spitting Image, was bound to know someone who could help. So we were put in touch with Scott.

I'll admit, calling a guy to see if he could make us a large model of a depressed pig holding a felt tip in his snout ranked as one of my more exotic days. But when Scott showed us his gallery of work – from film, TV and stage – it became clear this was a pretty regular gig for him. This man seems to be able to model anything.

"How big do you want him?" said Scott. We shuffled uneasily in our seats and said it would depend on the cost – while mentally picturing our Spinal Tap moment: the grand unveiling of a four inch pig.

"Have it as big as you like, more or less. Doesn't change the price very much at all," said Scott. That's one of the clever things about the way he has made it, based on an initial miniature model (see the slideshow below). We opted on a lifesize, fairly big pig.

Roger is currently in Bristol, preparing for a week-long appearance at Source in November (we'll post more on that later). After that he may be making an appearance at Foyles bookshop. He hasn't quite decided. All this fame is quite new.

I'm still amazed at how close to the cartoon the model is. And I still laugh at how Scott brought Roger to the Guardian on the No 73 bus. PW

Oh my gourd

Occasionally we come up with an idea for a cartoon that, while food-related and (arguably) funny, we don't file for the simple reason that it might put readers off their saturday brunch.

If we were anywhere else in the newspaper we probably wouldn't care; but knowing that our cartoon is going to print alongside photos of delicious food, we feel a certain repsonsibility not to induce queasiness.

Here's a recent cartoon we haven't submitted. It was inspired by Pascal tearing his achilles tendon while playing squash — for some reason I seem to have cast him as the doctor, and taken the more compromising role myself. Make of that what you will . . . JB

Piggy treats

If you're in the King's Cross area in London any time in September, please come and see our exhibition at King's Place, York Way (the offices of the Guardian). Courtesy of ace model-maker Scott Brooker, Roger the Pig has even gone 3D for the event. Crackling! PW