Introducing: Funny man George McCallum and his pun-tastic work

Winter can be gloomy, so just in case you were after a tequila slammer of happiness to dilute your grey afternoon we’ve got George McCallum in for this week’s Introducing. And he loves a colour, does George. Making work which revolves primarily around puns and wordplay – from a chair made out of Chairman Mao to a chest of drawers which lets you keep your socks in a muscle man’s six-pack – he’s guaranteed to pull half-smirk, if not a full belly-laugh, from your November face. Here he is in his own words…

Where do you work?

I split my time between my studio in south London and my Dad’s workshop, whether he likes it or not! He doesn’t have an extraction system, though, so he’s starting to get a bit tired of the paint fumes and the thick layer of MDF dust that coats everything in there.

How does your working day start?

I start my day with a Berocca and the number 47 bus into the studio. I check my emails, resist getting a McBreakfast, watch ridiculous over the top Rick Ross videos and work out a plan of action for the day. This is normally planning a project, drawing, making, painting or (my favourite) admin.

How do you work and how has that changed?

I like to use a bright colour palette that my tutor used to call ‘girl colours’ and most of my personal work is driven by puns. I used to draw autobiographical comics about everything from ex-girlfriends taking drugs to how bad me and my friends are at being ‘lads’, but I’ve got rid of my demons and now my work is predominantly three-dimensional. I love working with my hands and physically realising my ideas; I’m really into the idea that your material should not restrict you, so I want the freedom to use whatever material best fits the brief. This means I’ve learnt to find my way around vast amounts of Sainsbury’s basic cake mix.

Where would we find you when you’re not at work?

Orange Wednesdays, street beers and losing pub quizzes. I recently moved back to London and have loved rediscovering my home city. There’s so much ridiculous people watching to be done, so I’ve spent quite a lot of time going around pouring money in to the black hole that is my Oyster card.

Would you intern for yourself?

Yeah, I always thought it would be cool to have a twin. You could be in more than one place at a time and it might be useful if I ever needed an alibi! And it would be good to have someone to laugh at my jokes.