admin
LONDON. — “Toon In!” by Michael Payne, former director of the International Olympic Committee and long-time Olympic commentator, has won the prestigious Illustrated Sports Book of the Year Award at the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards 2022 held at the Kia Oval in London.
He started creating the book during a lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, as a collector of political cartoons.
“Toon In!” is a uniquely insightful book of wicked humour and visual genius, which uses the cutting insight of 400 of the world’s greatest cartoonists from 50 countries to help tell the extraordinary story behind the modern Olympic Games.
Started as a Covid-19 lockdown project, Michael, a collector of political cartoons, pulled together more than 1 200 Olympic-themed cartoons, accompanied by a personal 100 000-word commentary, to produce a one-of-a-kind, 500 page, very large coffee table book.
Speaking about “Toon In!” after receiving the award, Michael said: “I am proud and very honoured to be presented with the prestigious Illustrated Sports Book of the Year Award. It was very special to receive it from eleven-time Paralympic gold medallist Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.
As a collector of political cartoons, I have always admired the incredible skill and visual genius of the cartoonist. It’s that ability to tell the most incredible stories and reveal hidden truths, often without words.
What started as a little Covid-19 lockdown project to bring people a few smiles ended up as fun, time-consuming, but very rewarding project.
“I would firstly like to thank the IOC for not suing me for libel! I would also like to thank the publishers, Vision Sport, and the designer, Theodora Mantzaris, whose design brilliance was actually able to pull this creativity together. The whole project was for four charities around the world.”
All profits from the sale of “Toon In!” are being donated to the following four charities and special causes: Back Up Trust, Cartooning for Peace, Peace and Sport, and Yunus Sports Hub.
Toon In! is published by Vision Sport (UK). To see a full overview of the book and to purchase a copy of “Toon In!” for €80 (US$95), visit: www.olympiccartoon.com. A special collectors’ version, with a limited edition (250 copies) art litho of the cartoon from Jim Thompson detailing the history of the Olympic ceremonies, along with signed copy of “Toon In!” by the author is available for €200 (US$250).
Payne has been at the forefront of the sports marketing industry for over thirty years – having led the global marketing effort for the Olympic Movement for more than two decades, from 1983 to 2004 as the IOC’s first ever Marketing and Broadcast Rights Director.
Payne was a member of the Great Britain freestyle skiing team in his teens, before retiring as an athlete and working in sports marketing, working on the IOC’s marketing from 1983 until 2004, when he joined Formula 1.
During his time at the IOC, he helped launch the TOP sponsorship programme in 1985. Today, there are 15 sponsors on the programme, nowadays known as
The Olympic Partner Programme. Although no longer working in the IOC, Payne helped broker new TOP deals, including the IOC’s agreement with Alibaba and the joint Coca-Cola & China Mengniu Dairy TOP partnership. — www.olympiccartoon.com
Online Reporter