The nation's favourite cartoonist: A tribute to Ronald 'Carl' Giles. In its 116-year history, many famous names have written for the Daily Express. But arguably the newspaper’s most popular contributor has not been a writer but a cartoonist. Next week marks the centenary of the birth of Ronald “Carl” Giles, the modest but hugely talented man whose cartoons were a mainstay of the Express Newspaper titles for almost 50 years.

His first work for the Daily Express appeared during the Second World War, his last cartoon was published in our sister paper the Sunday Express in 1991 when John Major was prime minister. Giles’ characters were instantly recognizable and loved by millions, especially his formidable, spiky-haired Grandma. Annuals of his work were first published in 1946 and have featured regularly in the Christmas bestseller lists. “I think Giles is the funniest cartoonist in the world,” wrote comedian Tommy Cooper in his introduction to the 29th Giles collection in 1975.