# Mr Bingo > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mr_Bingo > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mr_Bingo.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Bingo > Source revision: 1350338861 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Mr Bingo** (**Geoff Hand**;[4] born 1979,[5] Kent) is an [illustrator](/source/Illustrator), [artist](/source/Artist) and speaker living and working in [London](/source/London), UK.[6] ## Biography Mr Bingo grew up in [Leigh, Kent](/source/Leigh,_Kent) and attended [The Judd School](/source/The_Judd_School) in [Tonbridge](/source/Tonbridge). In 1998 he studied a foundation course at the [Kent Institute of Art & Design](/source/Kent_Institute_of_Art_%26_Design) in [Maidstone](/source/Maidstone) and it was during this year that he played [Bingo](/source/Bingo_(United_Kingdom)) at Gala Bingo in [Maidstone](/source/Maidstone) winning £141 earning him the nickname ‘Bingo’.[7][8] He went on to study graphic design at [Bath Spa University College](/source/Bath_Spa_University) and specialised in [illustration](/source/Illustration).[9] He graduated in 2001 and moved to [London](/source/London). ## Work Mr Bingo has worked as an illustrator since 2001 working for a large number of commercial clients across a broad range of media including editorial, advertising, branding, clothing, book covers, walls, packaging and television. Among his many clients have been such big-name organisations as [Oxfam](/source/Oxfam), [Orange](/source/Orange_United_Kingdom), [Microsoft](/source/Microsoft), [Nike](/source/Nike,_Inc.), the [BBC](/source/BBC), [Volkswagen](/source/Volkswagen), [Virgin](/source/Virgin_Group), [The TATE](/source/Tate), [The Mighty Boosh](/source/The_Mighty_Boosh), The [Amy Winehouse](/source/Amy_Winehouse) Foundation, [Jimmy Carr](/source/Jimmy_Carr), [Channel 4](/source/Channel_4), [Converse](/source/Converse_(shoe_company)), [Howies](/source/Howies), [Carhartt](/source/Carhartt), [Absolut](/source/Absolut) and [MTV](/source/MTV). He has created editorial illustrations and other work for [The Financial Times](/source/The_Financial_Times), [The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post), [The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) and [The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) newspapers, and has had work featured in magazines as diverse as [The New Yorker](/source/The_New_Yorker), [TIME](/source/Time_(magazine)), Bearded, [Dazed and Confused](/source/Dazed_%26_Confused_(magazine)), [WIRED](/source/WIRED), [Esquire](/source/Esquire_Magazine) and [GQ](/source/GQ_Magazine). In 2006 and 2007, he provided the covers for the two **[QI](/source/QI)** books based on the comedy panel quiz fronted by [Stephen Fry](/source/Stephen_Fry). *[The Book of General Ignorance](/source/The_Book_of_General_Ignorance)* and *[The Book of Animal Ignorance](/source/The_Book_of_Animal_Ignorance)* are both published by [Faber and Faber](/source/Faber_and_Faber). A selection of rough artwork and preliminary designs have since been showcased by the *QI* website.[10] Mr Bingo and his work has been featured in a wide range of magazines including *[Creative Review](/source/Creative_Review)* and *Icon*.[11][12] He was recently described by Caroline Roberts in *Vroom* Magazine as ‘a person who has redefined the traditional job description of an illustrator’.[13] Alongside his commissioned work, Mr Bingo has regularly created limited edition prints which are represented by the [Nelly Duff Gallery](/source/Nelly_Duff_Gallery)[14] in London. Notable among these prints were the *Hair Portrait* series from 2007[15] where he depicted famous groups of people such as characters from *[Star Wars](/source/Star_Wars)*, *[The Mighty Boosh](/source/The_Mighty_Boosh)* and [Guns N' Roses](/source/Guns_N'_Roses), by drawing only their [hair](/source/Hair). After consistently being asked to work for free and tiring of it, in 2011 Mr Bingo put a section on his website called *Does Mr Bingo work for free?*.[16] The piece was so popular, it was turned into a limited edition print by *[Intern Magazine](/source/Intern_Magazine)* and was also read out in its entirety on air by [Chris Moyles](/source/Chris_Moyles) on his [Radio X](/source/Radio_X_(United_Kingdom)) show in 2015.[17] ## Hate Mail Mr Bingo is best known for his *Hate Mail* project which he began in 2011. The project, which involves sending offensive postcards to strangers, started as a 'drunk idea’[18] but was then exhibited in galleries and led to two books. In 2012, [Camden Town Brewery](/source/Camden_Town_Brewery) released a limited edition *Hate Ale* [beer](/source/Beer) with Mr Bingo called *[Camden Town](/source/Camden_Town) Is Full Of Cunts*. 5000 bottles were produced.[19] In the summer of 2015 Mr Bingo ran a [Kickstarter](/source/Kickstarter) campaign[20] to fund a high-end art book of his Hate Mail illustrations. The campaign, which was launched with a rap video for which Mr Bingo wrote and recorded an original song,[21] was set to run for 28 days but was successfully funded within 9 hours and finished 386% funded with 3,732 backers, becoming the most successful ever Kickstarter campaign for a book in the UK. ## Speaking Mr Bingo has appeared at events including The Lost Lectures,[22] FITC, OFFSET, Pictoplasma, Vice, OFFF, Reasons To Be Creative, The Economist Big Rethink, [BBC Worldwide](/source/BBC_Worldwide) Creative Summit, Bookslam, D&AD Presidents Lectures, Guardian Masterclasses, TYPO Berlin and [Latitude Festival](/source/Latitude_Festival).[23] ## References 1. ["London artist Mr Bingo interview: 'I was jealous of the NHS'"](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/exhibitions/london-artist-mr-bingo-interview-i-was-jealous-of-the-nhs-b973357.html). *Evening Standard*. 2022-01-10. Retrieved 2026-04-21. 1. ["Mr Bingo | Semi Permanent"](https://semipermanent.com/profiles/mr-bingo). *semipermanent.com*. Retrieved 2024-05-28. 1. ["London artist Mr Bingo interview: 'I was jealous of the NHS'"](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/exhibitions/london-artist-mr-bingo-interview-i-was-jealous-of-the-nhs-b973357.html). *Evening Standard*. 2022-01-10. Retrieved 2026-04-21. 1. ["London artist Mr Bingo interview: 'I was jealous of the NHS'"](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/exhibitions/london-artist-mr-bingo-interview-i-was-jealous-of-the-nhs-b973357.html). *Evening Standard*. 2022-01-10. Retrieved 2026-04-21. 1. ["Mr. Bingo"](https://beyondtellerrand.com/speakers/mr-bingo). *beyond tellerrand*. Retrieved 2026-04-21. 1. Evening Standard, 2022. 1. Jeffries, Stuart (2015-07-19). ["Troll for hire: the abusive art of Mr Bingo"](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jul/19/mr-bingo-troll-social-media-postcards). *The Guardian*. [ISSN 0261-3077](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved 2016-05-02. 1. ["Mr. Bingo"](https://beyondtellerrand.com/speakers/mr-bingo). *beyond tellerrand*. Retrieved 2026-04-21. 1. ["#CSinterview, Mr Bingo"](http://creativesocialblog.com/interviews/csinterview-mr-bingo). *Creative Social Blog*. 2013-10-18. Retrieved 2016-05-02. 1. [*QI* Book's Photos at Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=6464352822&ref=pb). Accessed February 6, 2008 1. [Contemporary Urban Art Blog: *Mr Bingo - ASDA, thick humans & juvenile graffiti*, September 14, 2006](http://www.yardwear.net/blog/CommentView,guid,20d49385-43bc-4fa2-909c-c2e89c8dfcc8.aspx). Accessed February 6, 2008 1. [Mr Bingo biography at Blanka.co.uk](http://www.blanka.co.uk/Art/Mr_Bingo). Accessed February 6, 2008 1. ["Instagram photo by Mr Bingo • Mar 15, 2016 at 3:21pm UTC"](https://www.instagram.com/p/BC-oAV-t5EP). *Instagram.*. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BC-oAV-t5EP) 2021-12-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2016-05-07. 1. ["Mr Bingo Limited Edition Prints & Artworks - Nelly Duff"](http://www.nellyduff.com/artists/mr-bingo). *Nelly Duff*. Retrieved 2016-05-14. 1. ["~ Mr bingo"](http://www.mr-bingo.org.uk/index.php?/latest/hair-portraits/). *www.mr-bingo.org.uk*. Retrieved 2016-05-14. 1. ["~ Mr bingo"](http://www.mr-bingo.org.uk/index.php?/does-mr-bingo-work-for-free/). *www.mr-bingo.org.uk*. Retrieved 2016-05-14. 1. ["DJ Chris Moyles reads 'Does Mr Bingo work for free?' on air"](https://soundcloud.com/mr-bingo-5/dj-chris-moyles-reads-does-mr-bingo-work-for-free-on-air). *SoundCloud*. Retrieved 2016-05-14. 1. ["Mr Bingo - FITC"](http://fitc.ca/speaker/mr-bingo/). *FITC*. Retrieved 2016-05-14. 1. Team, The Untappd. ["Untappd"](https://untappd.com/b/camden-town-brewery-camden-is-full-of-cunts/332323). *Untappd*. Retrieved 2016-05-14. 1. ["Hate Mail: The Definitive Collection"](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mrbingo/hate-mail-the-definitive-collection). *Kickstarter*. Retrieved 2016-05-14. 1. Mr Bingo (2015-09-03), ["Mr Bingo's kickstarter rap"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOioshwasl4), [archived](https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/MOioshwasl4) 2021-12-21 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2016-05-14 1. The Lost Lectures (2015-12-30), ["Mr Bingo: Hate Mail"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht66pDl36oo), [archived](https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/Ht66pDl36oo) 2021-12-21 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2016-04-30 1. It's Nice That (2015-02-17), ["Nicer Tuesdays: Mr Bingo on Humour"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L9y2wXHZHo), [archived](https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/5L9y2wXHZHo) 2021-12-21 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2016-04-30 ## External links - [Mr Bingo's website](http://www.mr.bingo/) - [Mr Bingo's postcard collection](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mr-bingos_postcards//) - [Mr Bingo at "Nelly Duff Gallery"](http://www.nellyduff.com/artists/mr-bingo) - [Mr Bingo's Twitter](https://twitter.com/Mr_Bingo) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mr Bingo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Bingo) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Bingo?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.