Life After the Theme Park

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For eight years I drew caricatures at Alton Towers, the UK’s largest theme park. This was my dream job. I couldn’t believe my luck when I was given the opportunity by concession owner Mick Hollinworth. I loved everything about drawing there and got to work with fantastic artists like Mick and Mike Giblin. It was a great learning ground for me as a new caricaturist to learn my trade and without a doubt helped make me the artist I am today. There was a quality-first attitude, with the emphasis on giving the customer a good experience and value for the money. Yes, you got the odd comment now and again ― “her nose isn’t that big,” etc., as if that was the first time you had heard it, but nothing could take away from what, to me, was the perfect job. We had repeat customers each season, and even in these hard financial times, the sales remained at a good level. Records were broken for most caricatures drawn in a day, a record that I am proud to say I still hold to this day. You may think it was too good to last, and sadly it was.

The arrival of a new management team, who had no prior experience with theme park management, soon began to change things.

Their expertise was in retail, managing a chain of stores, which went into liquidation. From the outset, it was clear that they intended to make big changes and soon started to apply pressure, telling us that they would want a much higher percentage from our sales “if you want to keep the concession.” They wanted to open another caricature booth to be manned by two more artists. This was not a new idea, as the addition of an extra booth had been tried on a number of occasions over the years, without any real success. Experience told us that on most days, there was only enough work for one artist, two on a good day. In addition, due to the new concession terms they had in mind, it would not attract good artists, as they would be unable to make enough money.

The quality-first approach of the old management team was a thing of the past, with the new team even urging us to spend less time on each caricature, which would inevitably result in worse drawings. It was clear that they had little regard for the caricature art, asking us to draw at a lower level in order to employ more artists with less drawing skills than ours. It was also clear that any advice we tried to give was not well received and that, from their point of view, it was their way or the highway. The last straw was when we were informed that a new caricaturist had offered them a better deal, the plan being that they would have four artists manning two booths every day of the season. The lead artist claimed that she could train anyone to be a caricature artist in seven days! So you can imagine the level of skill each artist would have. All the previous enjoyment had gone from the job, and I knew I couldn’t continue any longer.

I admit it was a big worry leaving the security of the theme park, wondering how I would pay bills, etc., and initially I felt anger at basically being forced out and replaced by less-skilled artists. I decided then that I wasn’t going to go down without a fight, so I started to promote myself more and looked for different events and festivals to draw at. I also started to do more studio work. I remember the first event I worked at after leaving the theme park. I was sitting at my easel feeling a bit low and wondering if anyone would sit for a caricature. I was still angry with the way I had been treated by my past employers, and my confidence had taken a knock. I was also worried that I wouldn’t find enough work to pay the bills even though other artists had told me that I was one of the best live-caricature artists in the UK. I never talked about how worried I was, so on the outside, I would give the impression that everything was fine, but the way I felt inside was very different.

So I will never forget that first caricature after I left, when a lady asked me to draw her son. I felt all the worry and anger flow out of my body, and I started to regain my confidence. It turned out to be a great day, and my mojo was well and truly back! The fire had been lit! Let the marker see the paper!

Since that day, I have worked at all sorts of events, one of my favorites being the Tattoo Tea Party. It rocks. I get to see some awesome tattoo art and the opportunity to draw some very unique looking people. It makes drawing at weddings seem very tame!

My latest venture is producing themepark- style color caricatures for Wowcher, an Internet-based discount site. They are a massive company, and I am very happy with the deal I have negotiated and also the exposure I have received.

I recently had a booking at a wedding for a couple who worked at Alton Towers, and as many of the guests were Alton Towers’ staff, it was great to see everyone again. They all told me the same thing, that the new caricature team takings were very low and there were reports of complaints from guests unhappy with their caricatures. I was told that the artists are now on a low wage, with a bonus payable if they reach an unrealistic target, the result being that they don’t care how many caricatures they draw, as they will still earn a wage. It is sad to see what has become of a once successful caricature concession, and I get no satisfaction from being the guy who said “I told you so.” I no longer feel anger about the way I was treated, as I am doing just fine on my own.

I have great memories of the fantastic people I met and the great times I had working alongside my fellow caricaturists, who I am glad to report are all doing well too! There was concession owner Mick Hollinworth. The hard-working, hard-drawing, quick stretching, doodle master, cider drinking, marker bending, nose stretching Wayne Savage. Sadly, Wayne only had one season at the park. He was developing into a good artist, and I am sure that, given time, he will become one of the better artists in the UK. Then there was Liesbeth Beckers, whose catchphrase before each drawing was “Let’s see what we can do then.” She is a great artist and a fantastic person. And last but not least, my good friend Tim Wells, who helped us out from time to time whilst learning his trade. Tim now works in sunny Blackpool!

Looking back, I now know that the experience at Alton Towers has made me stronger and a better artist, and more confident in my own ability. So to all fellow caricaturists who are reading this, remember that all is not lost if you are told that your services are no longer required. Here are a few of the things that I tried in order to secure bookings and establish myself: Stay calm and stay focused and never doubt your ability. Be willing to adapt to other methods of working and to learn new skills. Adopt a quality-first approach, a value-for-money, quality product will always attract more clients. It is also important to grow as a business man or woman, as it is to grow as an artist. The two should go together. With hindsight, I suppose I was insulated at Alton Towers, without the need to look for additional work. These days, I am always looking for new ways to put myself in the shop window to attract more business.

Finally, I would like to thank my partner, Helen, for her never-ending support and encouragement and also to the wider circle of my family and friends who helped through the darker times of being a caricature artist.

Here’s to the future and the next chapter!

Mike recently finished filming a segment for a the new spin off Pawn Stars UK, to be aired in the UK, USA, Japan, and Europe. To see what else he has been up to, visit his website at www.mickeytoones.co.uk

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