Cartoonist Zoom Rockman exhibits Amy Winehouse and Lord Sugar puppets

Visitors to his debut solo show at JW3 will be able to hand crank machinery to hear Sugar fire you from his Bagel shop, take a selfie with Baron Cohen as Moses parting the Red Sea, and make a lifesize Winehouse dance and sing.

Lord Sugar has recorded his own voice speaking the lines, while Mitch Winehouse gave permission to use Amy's likeness and songs. The Borat comic, who hails from Hampstead Garden Suburb, is dressed as the Biblical hero because "he doesn't look like himself unless he's wearing a costume."The 10 British Jewish cultural icons include Lord Sugar

Inspired by a box of Beanos at a car boot sale, Zoom started selling comics to fellow pupils at Rokesly Primary School, Crouch End, and at 12 became the youngest ever contributor to The Beano.

While still at JCoSS secondary in Barnet his cartoons featured in Private Eye and The Sunday Times. Now 22, he has graduated from Central Saint Martins in Graphic Design.

"I have been a fan of Alan Sugar for a long time," says Zoom, who divides his time between Crouch End and his Shoreditch studio.

"My first comic was inspired by The Apprentice, I didn't get any pocket money so I came up with an enterprising way to make money for myself."

Zoom Rockman started selling his own comics while at Rokesly Primary in Crouch End and became the youngest contributor to The Beano at 12 (Image: Courtesy of Zoom Rockman)

The interactive exhibition in Finchley Road features automata made from laser cut acrylic of 10 British Jewish cultural icons engaging in beach-themed activities, such as running a fossil or candyfloss stall. Lioness Alex Scott is also among the famous faces, with more to be announced.

"The idea was to get British Jewish icons together in one room, a diverse group of people from different industries," said Zoom.

"I want the Jewish community to come together and discover and celebrate British Jews. Ivor Baddiel said 'it's like the Jewish Madame Tussauds', but my ones actually move."

Visitors will enter via timed tickets to allow them to interact with the figures. Around 100 cartoons of well known Jewish figures will also be on display, and Zoom - who has made 14 comics in the 14 years since he started - has created a book especially for the event.

“I’ve always wanted my drawings to move, but when I started doing animation I didn't like drawing the same thing over and over again, so I started making paper puppets," he explains.

"At the end I was making machines that did the puppeteering for me. Pushing puppets in real time is a more efficient way of doing animation. I really like having the figure in front of you, so the audience can turn the handle and the drawings come to life."

Zoom has created a special edition comic to accompany the exhibition (Image: Courtesy of Zoom Rockman)

His automata were inspired by "pre-cinema" techniques such as magic lanterns and shadow puppets.

"At Central Saint Martins there were people doing AI and digital work, but I can't code and felt there was more that could be developed in the real world. During the pandemic I didn't like everything being online, I like the physical aspect, and started researching everything we used to create moving images before cinema.

"When I was younger I wanted to be a film maker - cartoons are like storyboarding either for either live action or animation - you are making a little world."Zoom has created 14 comics in 14 years since his first attempt while still at primary school in Crouch End (Image: Courtesy of Zoom Rockman)

Zoom Rockman’s Jewish Hall of Fame runs from May 23 to September 3 at JW3 in Finchley Road. https://www.jw3.org.uk/