The Queen’s Cartoonists

Pulling from over 100 years of animation from around the world, The Queen’s Cartoonists bring animated films to life, perfectly synchronizing their performances with the films projected on stage. The band matches the energy of the cartoons, leading the audience through a world of virtuosic musicianship, multi-instrumental mayhem, and comedy.

Projections of animated films dazzle the audience, while the band re-creates original soundtracks note-for-note, or writes their own fresh compositions to modern pieces, all the while breathing new life into two uniquely American forms of art: jazz and animation. Tying everything together is the TQC brand of comedy – anecdotes about the cartoons and their composers, stream-of-consciousness humor, and elements of a musical circus.

Watch your favorite classic cartoon characters interact with the musicians on stage, and expect the unexpected from the Golden Age of Animation, cult cartoon classics, and modern animated films. Inspired by the cross-roads of jazz, classical music, and cartoons, TQC features Jazz Age composers like Carl Stalling, Raymond Scott, and John Kirby, alongside classical giants Mozart, Rossini, and Strauss (to name just a few).

The six members of The Queen’s Cartoonists, all now residing in Queens, New York, originally hail from four continents. TQC has performed in a wide variety of venues, including opening for the New York Philharmonic, selling out the Blue Note Jazz Club, a residency at Konzerthaus Berlin, and an extended run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They have been featured in over fifty publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, The L.A. Times, The San Diego Tribune, The Houston Chronicle, NPR, and Mashable.