Allan Stomann (born 1943) is an Australian cartoonist and illustrator. He is best known for illustrating children's books, notably the long-running and award-winning Selby the Talking Dog series by author Duncan Ball.[1] His work reached a wide audience through the popular children's school songbooks published by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in the 1970s and 1980s, and cartoons in the Australian Women's Weekly in the early 1980s.[2]
Career
Born in Melbourne, Stomann entered the Art School at Swinburne Technical College in 1959, where fellow students in his year included Keith McMenomy (later author of Ned Kelly: The Authentic Illustrated History).[3] In July 1965, he was one of a number of artists (including Noel Counihan and Louis Kahan) to exhibit at the Stagecoach Gallery in Queens Road, Melbourne.[4] Stomann later spent some time working in Great Britain, where he had a stint as an illustrator on thirty episodes of the children's TV series Jackanory, broadcast between May 1969 and November 1970.[5] During this time, he also illustrated a book of children's poetry, Nothing at All Rhymes, published by Paul Hamlyn in London (1969) and later in Sydney (1971).
In the mid-1970s, Stomann took over from Tony Oliver as illustrator of the children's songbooks published annually by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to accompany a radio series used as a teaching aid in primary schools. Stomann illustrated all of the editions of this songbook between 1976 and 1986 (except for two 1982 editions, both illustrated by Bob Graham) in the distinctive and colourful style that became his trademark. Around 1980, he began to regularly contribute cartoons and illustrations to the Australian Women's Weekly. Although best known for his children's book illustrations (notably the long-running Selby series, by Duncan Ball, published for more than two decades from 1985), Stomann has also, since the early 1980s, contributed artwork to humorous or instructional books for adults. He has also designed sleeves for LP records by popular children's entertainer Peter Combe, including Toffee Apple (1987) and Spaghetti Bolognaise (1988).
In November 1983, Stomann registered his business as Allan Stoman & Associates Pty Ltd. It continues to operate under that name, based in McMahons Point, Sydney.
Works
Early works
Nothing at All Rhymes (London: Paul Hamlyn, 1969)
Clancy Carruthers with Ted Ashby, My Learn-to-take-photos Book (Sydney: Hamlyn, 1971)
