Inkspot 60 by Australian Cartoonists' Association

BROELMAN: Cartoonist of the Year

Number 60, Summer 2009

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: THE 25TH ANNUAL STANLEY AWARDS www.cartoonists.org.au

president’sparlay Number 60 Summer 2009 www.cartoonists.org.au 1300 658 581 --- ACA Board --Patron Vane Lindesay (03) 9523 8635 President Jules Faber president@cartoonists.org.au Deputy President Jason Chatfield deputy@cartoonists.org.au Secretary Kerry Anne Brown secretary@cartoonists.org.au Treasurer Grant Brown treasurer@cartoonists.org.au Membership Secretary Peter Broelman membership@cartoonists.org.au Vice Presidents Steve Panozzo (NSW/ACT) nsw@cartoonists.org.au Rolf Heimann (Vic/Tas) vic@cartoonists.org.au Gary Clark (Qld) qld@cartoonists.org.au Simon Kneebone (SA/NT) sa@cartoonists.org.au Mick Horne (WA) wa@cartoonists.org.au ABN 19 140 290 841 Inkspot is produced four times a year by the Australian Cartoonists’ Association.

PO Box 318 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012

ACA AFFILIATED ORGANISATIONS National Cartoonists Society President: Jeff Keane Secretary: Rick Kirkman

www.reuben.org

Cartoonists’ Club of Great Britain

Holy mackerel, those Stanleys were GOOD! Thanks so much to everyone who attended, to those who wrote in afterwards and to those who helped in any way, however small. Without the members we don’t have an ACA and it’s you guys who make it all possible (and make it so much fun!) I fear I was remiss when I spoke onstage at the Stanley Awards – I neglected to thank the Committee of Management for all their incredibly hard work throughout the year. The decision to move from the Gold Coast was a difficult one but one we made nonetheless. In moving the Stanleys at a time when we should have been finalising contracts, it put us behind all year but the CoM rose to the challenge and worked indefatigably against that closing deadline. It wasn’t an easy year, but I think everyone will agree, the result in Sydney was worth it. So a mega thank you to the Chairman of the Stanleys Organising Committee for 2009, Steve Panozzo. He and his Committee did an incredible job in organising the biggest Stanleys we’ve seen in a long time and the comments from our members elsewhere in this issue certainly reflect that. Thanks Steve. Thanks too to Kerry-Anne Brown, our incredible Secretary. As I’m frequently reminded, she’s not a cartoonist, but that makes her part all the more special because she works tirelessly on our behalf getting discounts and sourcing the cheapest possible prices so the rest of us can enjoy the weekend. Thanks Kerry-Anne. Yer awesome. I’d also like to thank Steve and Lindsay Foyle for putting together the concurrent Insiders Cartoon Exhibition. This was a brilliant event showcasing just how

Artwork by Dee Texidor

dynamic our membership is, with the good news being that the ABC are now considering taking the show to Melbourne! Thanks to Roger Fletcher and (as ever) our band, The Stanleys Steamers. They were awesome and whilst the set wasn’t as long as we wished, what was left out in quantity, was made up for in quality. Finally, I’d like to thank Jason Chatfield for his amazing work with the AV presentation. It’s one of those invisible tasks that is so easily taken for granted, but which makes our evening so much more special. The beloved Mick Horne also went above and beyond in his involvement amidst the Stanleys weekend. At no point over the weekend did I not see him flat out and organising something. He’s a credit to not only WA but to the ACA as a whole. Between he and Peter Broelman running (among other things) the auction, the weekend could not have been the giant success it was.

President: Terry Christien Secretary: Richard Tomes

www.ccgb.org.uk FECO

President-General: Marlene Pohle Secretary-General: Peter Nieuwendijk

www.fecoweb.org

Australia Post Registration PP 533798/0015

Inkspot Editorial Team Steve Panozzo, Jason Chatfield, and Lindsay Foyle Many thanks to all Inkspot contributors! Cover illustration by John Spooner

www.cartoonists.org.au

“Would the owner of the white ambulance, blocking the ABC driveway, please... oh, sorry...”

I’ve left people out here (again) but only because I just don’t have the room to thank them all. To all those who contributed in any way, please accept this as my heartfelt and sincerest thanks. We can’t do it without you. In closing, many people have since asked me what my highlights of the Stanleys were and I’ve compiled this short list: • Greeting Pat and Susan Oliphant at the airport on the previous Sunday at 6:00am. ‘After-Party’ Pete Rigby and I drove them back to the hotel and were then offered beer and conversation which kept us there well past 10am. • After meeting Mr. Squiggle at Norman Hetherington’s home, I met the Oliphants for lunch, only to find Pat had suffered a “funny turn”. I rode in the ambulance and stayed with Susan and he for the rest of the evening. With Pat coming good after an hour or so, we spent much of the time talking and laughing. • Greeting people I hadn’t seen in a year at the Conference. This is one of the best parts of the whole weekend for me – catching up with ACA Members and friends. This year there was a great way to do it – at the Insiders Cartoon Exhibition.

PARZ! Behind Every Line, There’s a Wilcox Win

Fairfax’s Cathy Wilcox has been presented with the 2009 National Museum of Australia political cartooning award.

Speaking at the opening of the Behind the Lines exhibition in Canberra, Senior Museum Curator Guy Hansen explained Wilcox’s award was in recognition of her “body of work”. He went on to say, “Cathy is always very good with words; there’s a strong emphasis on wordplay that really characterises her style.”

• Watching Pat and Alan Moir mesmerise the crowd.

This year’s Behind the Lines exhibition featured 86 works by 46 cartoonists. After closing at the NMA on 31 January, the show will travel to Parramatta, Melbourne, Perth and Darwin.

• Seeing 70 ACA members, heads bent feverishly over drawing boards whilst Tom Richmond gave caricaturing instructions.

A Pub With Much Cheer

• The look on four young student’s faces when they realised who they’d just met when introduced to Norman Hetherington. • The Harbour Cruise. Although arriving late it was a wonderful way to see Sydney. • The Stanleys themselves. What a night. • Tragically, I must also include The AfterParty. 30 people crammed into a Novotel room because the bars were all shut, and drawing for the first inaugural “After-Party Award” to the brief that ‘Pete’s a tool’. Congrats to Jason Chatfield for the win. There were many others, but these were the majors. We intend doing it just as well and just as big in 2010 so get ready because it’s going to be just as awesome! Cartooning forever!

To his horror, he recently learnt that the family had sent a copy of the cartoon to the Queen after his friend had received a congratulatory message from her. Back came the following reply from Buckingham Palace, accompanied by a photo of Her Majesty in all her splendour: “I had to smile at the reference to the ‘amusing birthday card’,” says George. ”Old Queen Victoria would have said, “we most certainly are NOT amused” and would have had the guards frogmarch me to the tower in chains!”

Paul is Gonna Party Like it’s 2009 Political cartoonists’ collections have become a rarity. In the 1970s and 1980s, rarely would a year-end be complete without a “best of...” book by Pickering, Mitchell, Moir, Tandberg, Alston or Leunig (to name but a few) to fill a Christmas stocking.

It’s three cheers to News Limited’s Peter Byrne and his brother Michael - their hotel, long a haunt for many a fellow cartoonist and the venue for several ACA dinners, The Friend in Hand has just been awarded the gong for “Best Pub in Sydney” by the publishers of TimeOut Sydney magazine. The hotel, established by their Dad, Peter Byrne Snr., has been a Glebe fixture for 29 years.

Was That a Smile The Queen Haddon?

In the wake of the success of Russ Radcliffe’s political cartoon collections, perhaps it’s time for these books to make a comeback? Paul Zanetti has taken it upon himself to make a first strike.

On the occasion of a friend’s 100th birthday, George Haddon drew a caricature of her in characteristic “Gypsy-ish” form – with a bottle of champagne, full of colour, dripping with beads, bangles and a colourful scarf.

Adorned with a foreword by Larry Pickering, Zanetti’s View 2009 (ISBN 1449573398, $34..95) is a 150+ cartoons-worth summary of the events of 2009 from Paul’s unique perspective, and is available online now at www.zanetticartoons.com www.cartoonists.org.au

PARZ!

Fab Rat... Again!

Membership Survey Imminent The globe is changing more rapidly than many can keep up with, and this is also true in our unique world of cartooning within its many forms. The approach and attitudes of editors and publishers - and other decision makers who make use of our creative output - are adjusting to the expanding use of the internet and increasing financial constraints. So too, he ACA must move with the times or stagnate and risk obsolescence. The ACA Committee of Management is looking at what we need to do to keep pace with this fast moving world and yet still retain the friendly atmosphere which has evolved over the years within the ACA. We also need to know how members feel about current ACA activities such as State functions, Inkspot, the ACA’s website, and the Stanleys weekend.

He’s one step ahead of us. No sooner did Volume 3 hit the shelves, did Craig “Jenner” Hilton release Volume 4 of the Doc Rat chronicles, That’s What I’m Here For, Doc (Platinum Rat Productions, $15.00). Check the mouse traps at Minotaur Books in Melbourne, or online at www.docrat.com.au.

Tracey’s in Orbit

To assist us in this, we will soon be conducting a membership survey. This will be an opportunity for members to forward their thoughts and ideas on their ACA, and its future directions. Only by listening to feedback from a majority of members can the Committee get a feel of what aspects of the ACA should be looked at, which fresh directions to take, and whether there are any problems to be addressed. We urge all members to participate in this survey and assist the Committee in shaping your ACA for the future. Survey details and how to participate will be emailed to members soon.

British War Cartoon Author Parachutes into Town Jason Chatfield managed to catch up, and have a pint, with British cartoon historian Mark Bryant, during a recent promotional visit Melbourne. “Mark has compiled the definitive World War 2 in Cartoons, World War 1 in Cartoons and the recent The Napoleonic War in Cartoons, which he was in Melbourne to promote,” said Chatfield.

If Tracey Warren looks like she’s over the moon, it’s because she probably is. Tracey was ommissioned by retired NASA Mission Control Retrofire Officer, Jerry Chris Elliot, to create a piece of artwork to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the moon landing by the Apollo 11 astronauts. US Consulate General Vice Consul Chris Corkey officially handed over the painting to Federal MP Alby Schultz at a ceremony in Bowral in December. Tracey’s painting took a month to paint and enshrines Australia’s involvement in the lunar landing. It depicts an astronaut on the lunar surface with the Earth in the background. Corkey described the work as “brilliant”.

www.cartoonists.org.au

Illingworth’s War in Cartoons is Bryant’s latest book, which is yet to reach our shores. The book covers the 50-year career of Leslie Illingworth, often considered by British scribblers to be the “cartoonist’s cartoonist”. Although his career spanned more than 50 years - longer than either of his great contemporaries Sir David Low and Vicky - very little has been published about his life and works. He joined the Daily Mail soon after the start of the Second World War and remained with the paper for 30 years. Editor Malcolm Muggeridge even felt that his cartoons were better than Low’s: “Illingworth’s go deeper, becoming, at their best, satire in the grand style rather than mischievous quips”.

Visiting author (left) being accosted by homeless person with Napoleonic tendencies

Bryant’s books are published by Grub Street, a British independent niche publisher (http://www.grubstreet.co.uk).

Ovation Overheard on Oslo’s Opening Occasion Melbourne cartoonist Paul Oslo Davis, who joined ACA last year, staged a one–man exhibition at the Lamington Drive Gallery in Fitzroy during November, titled “This Annoying Life”. His work is well known to the readers of The Sunday Age through his regular contribution, Overheard. These are not so much gags as short snippets of conversation that reveal people’s ignorance, naive assumptions, resentments and obsessions. His images are not very cartoon-like at all, they more resemble anatomically correct tracings from photographs, a style which goes hand-inhand with the matter-of-fact text.

In 2007 he edited and produced Conceived on a Tram, which also featured the work of 15 other Melbourne-based artists and cartoonists. One could say that Oslo practices a new genre of humorous art that relies more on observation and less on invention. It comes as a surprise to see all walls of the small gallery filled with his work; who would have thought that he’s accu-

mulated such a volume of work already! To be fair, sometimes one wonders whether some if the exchanges are invented, but if they are, it does not matter. Some lines seem to have dropped from a Harold Pinter play. For example, two ladies are looking out through the bus window. One says: “It’s a Men’s Club. Wonder what they do in there.” The other responds: “That’s where they smoke the cigars.” It’s humour that makes you smile rather than laugh. All in all Oslo’s work captures our zeitgeist, including our urban angst, our insecurities, prejudices and obsessive trivial quests. Do ticket inspectors on the tram have secret inspectors that check up whether ticket inspectors do their job? They do in Oslo’s world. And they don’t seem to be very happy people. Well, the name of the exhibition was, after all, “This Annoying Life”!

Oslo Davis’ pen and ink people have also appeared in The New York Times, BusinessWeek and Diplomat Magazine. as well as various journals including Meanjin, the Sleepers Almanac, Tango and Going Down Swinging.

Rolf Heimann

Kelly, Rowe and Nico Hit Walkley Paydirt The Maroondah Leader’s Chris Kelly, The Australian’s Peter Nicholson and The Australian Financial Review’s David Rowe have made it over the line at the 2009 Walkley Awards. Kelly was part of the team that earned a gong for Best Online Journalism for their multimedia piece, “Feeling the Strain”, about sufferers of mental illness and the increased social issues aroused by increased contact with police ill-equipped to deal with both their complex needs and sometimes volatile behaviour. The

Chris Kelly brandishes his latest weapon of choice

judges acknowledged the story, which may well have otherwise gone untold, was unable to be told by print media alone. Nicholson’s cartoon, “Bashir and Bombing”, was created under the pressure of complementing a breaking page one story, which established a link between Abu Bakar Bashir former students and the 17 July Marriott Hotel bombings in Jakarta. The judges lauded Nicho’s cartoon as “the art of cartooning at its highest” and commented on the cartoon’s “great depth” being delivered so simply. Rowe’s entry, “Budget Boat”, was a sculpture designed to grace the front cover of the AFR’s Federal Budget edition in as unique a way as possible. Sculpting the figures of Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan at home, he then oven-baked, painted and dressed them in hand-sewn clothes. Cast in a tempest-tossed photographic sea, the scene is

topped by an albatross preparing to deliver it’s own opinion on the debacle. the judges commented on Rowe’s excellent caricatured likenesses and extraordinary detail, labelling the finished piece as “oustanding”. Established in 1956 by Ampol Petroleum founder W.G. Walkley, the Walkley Awards recognize excellence in Australian journalism across all mediums including print, television, radio, photographic and online media. The 54th annual Walkleys were presented on 26 November at the Australian Jockey Club at Randwick in Sydney. www.cartoonists.org.au

Read About It: Garrett Announces Resale Royalty Rights for Visual Artists On November 26, 2009, while most of Australia was watching parliamentary members of the Liberal Party squabble among themselves, the Resale Royalty Right for Visual Artists Bill 2008 passed through the Federal Parliament. It granted Australian artists a portion of the proceeds from the resale of their work. “After waiting a long time for this kind of recognition this is a red letter day for Australia’s visual artists,” said Federal Arts Minister Peter Garrett. He went on to say that the introduction of a resale royalty scheme was one of the Government’s key election commitments for the arts and would benefit visual artists across the country. “Artists will receive five per cent of the sale price when their artworks are resold through the art market for $1,000 or more. This is an important right for artists, as the value of their works can often increase – sometimes substantially – over time and it is only fair that they

and their descendants should share in the growing appreciation of their work.” “Similar programs are operating in over 50 other countries around the world,” he added.

“This is a red letter day for Australia’s visual artists” “This legislation enshrines an important right for artists to receive royalty payments from subsequent sales of their artworks, both in their own lifetimes and carrying over to their heirs and successors for a period of 70 years after an artist’s death.” The legislation states that resale royalties will be collected and distributed to artists by a single collecting organisation, to be selected by the Government through a competitive tender process.

“It is only fair that artists and their descendants should share in the growing value of the artworks – particularly as value can grow substantially over time. In particular, there will be benefits for indigenous visual artists, who have experienced significant increases in the value of their work,” said Garrett. “The passage of this legislation through the Australian Parliament is an important development for the Australian art market and a significant result for visual artists, recognising the value and esteem in which they’re held by the wider Australian and international community.” Visual artists derive their main source of income from the first sale of original artworks and do not currently have the same range of revenue-making opportunities as other creators, such as authors and composers. The scheme will be prospective; applying to resales of original works acquired after the scheme takes effect, which is expected to be in place by mid 2010. This is to give the art market time to adjust to the scheme.

Snakes Alive! High Times on Mount Cole Saturday 5 December saw the final yearly meeting of Victorian cartoonists at George Haddon’s property on Mount Cole.

King George surveys his kingdom

With some of the “Stanleys Steamers” present, the music went full-steam ahead, showcasing Peter Foster’s latest opus, The Bunyip’ll Getcha with Vane Lindesay again assisting on bongos, Jim Bridges on vocals and Pete de Hahn and Jason Chatfield on guitar.

Lila Heimann with an eye on what’s important

The Mountaineers

“All together, now...”

www.cartoonists.org.au

Words: Rolf Heimann Photos: Jason Chatfield

Hartigan and Scott No Match for Cartoons Whilst Edward Bulwer-Lytton made a point, in 1839, of formally creating the oft-repeated phrase, it wasn’t until 13 November, 2009, when the pen finally proved to be mightier than the sword. After weeks of public slanging matches, News Limited and the ABC finally downed their weaponry and joined each other for a cup of tea and a chat in the foyer of the ABC’s Ultimo headquarters in Sydney, ostensibly to open the ACA/ Insiders Cartoon Exhibition, the first in what is hoped will be a regular event. Well hung, all of them... TOP: News Limited supremo John Hartigan flanked by (l-r) ACA President Jules Faber, MC Fiona Katauskas and Curators Steve Panozzo and Lindsay Foyle BELOW LEFT: ABC GM Mark Scott BELOW RIGHT: Sean Leahy watrches studiously as Pat Oliphant signs away

Featuring the work of more than 65 Australian cartoonists, the exhibition was a mammoth organisational task, with only 3 weeks in which to collect, mount and hang the artwork. In one corner was News Limited, represented by John Hartigan, CEO and

Chairman of News Limited. In the other, ABC General Manager Mark Scott. In the middle were anxious ABC and News Limited PR people, invited guests, journalists and more than a few cartoonists, wondering what was going to happen as each of the two men took turns at the podium. Aware that she could well be caught in the crossfire, a very brave Fiona Katauskas took to the microphone to kick-start proceedings and introduced the speakers, namely Hartigan, Scott, ACA President Jules Faber and Stanley Awards guest of honour, Pat Oliphant. Paying tribute to the “god-given gift” cartoonists have, Hartigan voiced his belief that Australian artists lead the world in political cartooning. He regaled the crowd with tales of the infamous antics of Paul Rigby, and noting the presence of familiar faces in the crowd, namely Warren Brown and 94-year-old Tony Rafty who, dauntlessly let the crowd know that he was still up to chasing girls. Despite the ceasefire, Hartigan couldn’t resist taunting Scott. “Even Mark would have to agree there’s one thing print does better than broadcast,” he said. “And that’s cartoons.” And then, with an unexpected exaltation of “Whoopie!”, Oliphant declared the exhibition open. According to the ABC, there is the distinct possibility of the exhibition travelling to Melbourne, so it seems the future is looking bright. Whoopie, indeed!

www.cartoonists.org.au

The glasses of champagne clinked together as old acquaintances were renewed and a sea of new faces intermingled with the stalwart, all and sundry decked out in a sea of black and white dinner suits and eye-catching ballgowns. The 25th Stan Cross Awards for Media Art was destined to be a night to remember. As the internationally-acclaimed Michael Fix began his introductory set, and several budding air guitarists sat transfixed at his string-plucking dexterity, others were taking in the atmosphere of the brilliantly decked-out Bayside Gallery and the dazzling panoramic view of Darling Harbour from it’s floor-to-ceiling windows. Even before comedienne extraordinaire, and Mistress of Ceremonies, Jean Kittson had taken to the stage, the 2009 Stanleys had already been declared a hit. That it was the result of much hard work on the part of the organisers, there was no doubt, and it didn’t go unnoticed by those present. However, the Stanleys themselves were but the icing on the cake for a much bigger, all-encompassing weekend which featured not one, but three international guests - Pat Oliphant, Tom Richmond

and Pran Kumar - necessitating an extended conference programme spread over two days. Add Friday morning’s opening of the 2009 ACA/Insiders Cartoon Exhibition to the mix, and you had a heady cocktail of the professional, the educational and the social in one comprehensive package; a perfect way to mark the 25th anniversary of the Stanleys, which has grown from a single night of black-tied revelry in 1985, to a full-grown interactive weekend for cartoonists, friends and families. The return to a CBD location and a formal dress code were appropriate nods to the Stanleys’ past, whilst the resulting bohemian atmosphere harked back to the days of the original Artists’ Balls, reflected in the commemorative programmes placed on each table. Whoopie!

The Class of 2009 STORIES Lindsay Foyle, Steve Panozzo, Tom Richmond and Dee Texidor PICTURES Jim Bridges, Grant Brown, Jason Chatfield, Jack Edmunds, Lindsay Foyle, Rolf Heimann, Craig Hilton, Mick Horne, Judy Nadin, Steve Panozzo, Geoff Richardson, Tom Richmond, Alan Rose and Lee Sheppard

www.cartoonists.org.au

ABOVE (left to right): ACA President, Jules Faber joins MC Jean Kittson, Gary Clark, Tom Richmond, Norman Hetherington, John Spooner, Peter Broelman, Pat Oliphant, David Follett and Anton Emdin

THE STANLEY AWARDS: THE FACTS AND FIGURES Story courtesy of the Walkley Magazine South Australian freelance cartoonist Peter Broelman was given the Gold Stanley award for Australian Cartoonist of the Year at a gala celebration in Darling Harbour on 14 November. 2009 marked 85 years of the Australian Cartoonists Association - and 25 years of handing out Stanley Awards.

stained handkerchiefs and staring out the window that go into the noble artform of cartooning. As guests scribbled furiously during the main course to enter an impromptu caricature competition, Kittson said she’d never seen an industry awards night before where the people being celebrated were also expected to perform their day job. Norman Hetherington, former Bulletin cartoonist and the creator of kids’ television icon Mr Squiggle, was lauded with the Jim Russell Award for his outstanding contribution to cartooning. Accepting the award in front of a standing ovation, Hetherington was quick to pay tribute to his wife, Margaret, who wrotes the scripts for Mr Squiggle’s 40-year stay on TV.

Since beginning his career at The News in 1990, Broelman has contributed to publications ranging from Australian MAD to Australasian Post and the Sunday Mail. He also took out the category award for his particular passion, Editorial/Political cartooning. Also recognised on the night were John Spooner (Caricaturist), Matt Golding (Single Gag cartoonist), Dave Follett (Graphic Artist), Gary Clark (Comic Strip Artist) and 2009’s Illustrator, Anton Emdin. Interestingly, both Clark and Spooner won their categories at the first Stanleys in 1985.

The Stanleys are named after the creator of what’s alleged to be Australia’s funniest cartoon. In 1933, cartoonist Stan Cross drew the “For Gorsake, Stop Laughing, This is Serious!” gag that still graces the Stanleys trophy and Year Book cover. The awards organisers managed to unearth riveting archival footage of a young Mike Carlton improvising the name “Stanleys” at the inaugural awards night.

It was a night of thrills and thankfully no spills... but not without slapstick moments. Tealight candles on the tables proved a combustible combination with guests absentmindedly doodling on the sketchbooks provided. And after he was presented with a hard-hat in honour of his recovery from a nasty fall last year, The Australian cartoonist Bill Leak confessed he’s rather enjoying being able to claim brain damage as an excuse for any offensive cartoons.

Additionally, the ACA announced an inaugural round of inductees to the Australian Cartooning Hall of Fame. The inductees were: Ginger Meggs creator Jim Bancks, the aforementioned Stan Cross, Will Dyson, Bulletin artists Percy Leason and Norman Lindsay and “living legend” Pat Oliphant. Oliphant was present for the celebration, having traveled from the US with his wife for the big night.

MC Jean Kittson, who is married to cartoonist Patrick Cook, knows better than most the punishing regime of snacks,

THE 2009 STAN CROSS AWARDS NOMINEES - Who Was Awarded What (recipients marked with *) ILLUSTRATOR

COMIC STRIP ARTIST

CARICATURIST

CARTOONIST OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by The Sydney Morning Herald

David Allen David Follett* Chris Kelly Simon Kneebone Brett Lethbridge

Matt Golding* Jon Kudelka Reg Lynch Neil Matterson Andrew Weldon

Peter Broelman Rod Emmerson* Alan Moir David Pope David Rowe

for outstanding contribution to Australian cartooning

Norman Hetherington

www.cartoonists.org.au

THE 2009 STANLEYS

AUSTRALIAN CARTOONISTS HALL OF FAME The ACA was proud to announce the first inductees into the Australian Cartoonists Hall Of Fame at the 25th Stanley Awards at Darling Harbour, Sydney on 14 November, 2009. Inductees were nominated by members of the ACA with a special Hall Of Fame committee selecting this inaugural group of cartoonists, both past and present, to be bestowed with this honour. Most of the names may well be familiar to you, but it is possible that that a couple may be just as much unfamilar, so here’s a “pocket guide” to our Hall of Famers. Jimmy Bancks James (Jimmy) Charles Bancks (1889-1952), who created and drew Ginger Meggs from 1921 until 1952, was regarded as Australia’s (and one of the world’s) best comic strip artist with success all over the world. Since the death of Bancks, Ginger Meggs has been drawn by four other artists. Stan Cross Stanley (Stan) Cross was born in Los Angeles USA in 1888, and died in Armidale NSW 1977 at the age of 89. He joined Smith’s Weekly in 1919 as the newspaper’s second artist and went on to become its third art editor. He drew a number of comic strips including You and Me (which later became The Potts under the stewardship of Jim Russell), The Vaudevilles and Dad and Dave. In July 1933, Cross drew what is said to be the funniest joke ever produced in Australia, with some people claiming it to be the all-time world’s best, carrying the caption “For gor’sake stop laughing, this is serious!” He joined The Herald in 1940, creating and drawing Wally and the Major until 1966, when it was assumed by Carl Lyon. He was president of the Black and White Artists’ Club from 1930 until1954. The ACA’s annual Stanley Awards are named in his honour. Will Dyson Dyson was born in Victoria 1880 and went to London in 1909, where he quickly established himself as one of the most famous cartoonists in Europe. He became Australia’s first war artist in WW1 and returned to cartooning after the war. He spent five years in Melbourne in the 1920s before returning to London. He died in 1938 and is recognized in Europe and North America as one of the best cartoonists of the first half of the 20th century.

George Finey George Edmond Finey (1895-1987), was a New Zealandborn cartoonist who worked in Australia from 1919 until the 1950s and was considered one of the best caricaturists and cartoonists to have work in Australia and someone who could have been successful anywhere in the world. He was the Stanley Awards’ Guest of Honour in 1986. Percy Leason Born Kaniva,Victoria in 1889, Percy Leason was apprenticed as a lithographer in Melbourne while studying art at the Melbourne National Gallery. He cartooned for a number of papers including The Bulletin, as well as illustrating a number of books. In 1922, when Norman Lindsay decided to take a few months off, publishers of The Bulletin, Macleod and Prior, were worried it might only be a matter of time before they lost Lindsay altogether. The only person they thought might be able to fill the gap was Leason. In their view he didn’t have the power of Lindsay but he did have an engaging style, an eye for character and a gift for comedy. In 1924 he moved to Melbourne to work on Melbourne Punch and then Table Talk. e moved to the United States in 1939, where he illustrated and spent some years teaching art. He died in New York in 1959. Pat Oliphant Patrick Bruce (Pat) Oliphant (b. July 24, 1934 in Adelaide, South Australia) is the most widely syndicated political cartoonist in the world, described by the New York Times as “the most influential cartoonist now working”. Oliphant’s career, which spans more than fifty years, began in 1952 as a copyboy with The News in Adelaide. He continued in the newspaper business in Australia until he emigrated to the United States in 1964. Once in the U.S., he first worked at The Denver Post. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1967 for his February 1966 cartoon, “They Won’t Get Us To The Conference Table ... Will They?”. Oliphant moved to the now defunct Washington Star for six years, until the paper folded in 1981. Oliphant’s work has appeared in several exhibitions, most notably at the National Portrait Gallery. He has also crafted a series of small sculptures based on his caricatures of various political figures, which have been displayed alongside his drawings in some exhibitions. In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize, Oliphant won the National Cartoonist Society’s Editorial Cartoon Award seven times in 1971, 1973, 1974, 1984, 1989, 1990, and 1991, the Reuben Award twice in 1968 and 1972 and the Thomas Nast Prize.

MEDAL OF HONOUR: Newly-certified “living legend” Pat Oliphant accepts his induction to the the Cartoonists Hall of Fame 10 www.cartoonists.org.au

THE CONFERENCE: A MEDIATOR’S POINT OF VIEW Since 1995, the Australian Cartoonists’ Conference has been an integral part of the Stanleys experience and singularly responsible for turning what was merely a well-dressed convivial one-night drinkathon into a full-on professional weekend. With a weekend featuring the 25th Stanleys, a 2-day gabfest and an exhibition opening thrown in for good measure, long-suffering Conference Mediator Lindsay Foyle assesses 2009’s effort...

There was a time when the only reason for a conference was to give an accountant something to put in the deduction column of a tax return. That might still be true for people who attend dull conferences but it is not true for those who attend the ACA conferences. The first ACA conference was held in 1995 at the Brassey Hotel in Canberra. Steve Panozzo organized it, which was his punishment for coming up with the idea. It was a big success, but compared to what followed over the next 14 years it was a very mild affair. The 2009 conference was neither mild nor dull. Nor was it short. Panozzo spread it over two days (Friday and Saturday) and about 70 ACA members took advantage of the extra day to keep seats warm. Not that it was just an all seat-warming affair. Far from it. While not really part of the conference there was the official opening of the Insiders Cartoon Exhibition to attend a short bus ride away from the conference hall, in the foyer of the ABC Building in Ultimo. Given the complexity of Sydney streets, it was almost as quick to walk. A large crowd gathered, in part attracted by the coffee and cake but also attracted by the 82 cartoons drawn by the 66 contributing artists. This is in no way meant to imply they were not keen to hear words from cartoonist, TV producer and MC for the function, Fiona Katauskas. She said nice things about cartooning and the exhibition before introducing the ABC’s managing director, Mark Scott, who said nice things about cartooning and the exhibition before introducing News Limited’s chief executive and chairman, John Hartigan. He said nice things about cartooning and the exhibition before Fiona thanked him and introduced ACA President Jules Faber. He said nice things about cartooning and the exhibition before introducing Pat Oliphant.

Oliphant had not cartooned in Australia since 1964 but he was still able to say nice things about Australian cartooning and formally open the exhibition with a few nice words. All the nice words would have been embarrassing to the cartoonists if they had not all been true. The highlight of the gathering was the look of relief on the face of Jane Wilson, ABC News’ Manager for Marketing and Promotions when there was no sign of a war of words between Hartigan and Scott over the future of media. There had been more than just a few harsh words in newspapers in the weeks preceding the exhibition. On the day it was smiles all round. Ward O’Neill said, “I liked the involvement of the ABC and hope that other media organisations can offer similar support in the future”. He could get what he wants as both Scott and Hartigan expressed interest in doing something similar with the ACA next year. Soon after all the nice words, everybody’s attention turned to the book signing outside the ABC Shop, conveniently located in the ABC foyer. After Oliphant, Phil Somerville, Russ Radcliffe, and Dan Sprod had placated book buyers, a crocodile line of cartoonists weaved their way back to the Darling Harbour’s Novotel to register for the conference proper and lunch. Just after lunch, conference moderator Lindsay Foyle introduce Faber so he could formally open the discussion and welcome the delegates.

“This is my first Conference and it’s great”

Well, it made sense on the day...

ABOVE AND CENTRE: SMH Editor Peter Fray kicks off the 2009 conference by telling it like it is www.cartoonists.org.au

Pran Kumar Ward O’Neill

“He answered questions directly even when he knew the answer might not be what the questioner wanted to hear”

The first session opened with Peter Fray, Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, who spent an hour explaining his interest in cartooning and cartoonists. He was very positive about cartooning and answered questions directly even when he knew the answer might not be what the questioner wanted to hear. He even spent some time talking about comics and that he was always looking for one or two good Australian comic strips.

opportunity to explain some of the intricacies of working with Alan Ramsey for 22 years.”

“Peter Fray’s talk was interesting, particularly his thoughts on using illustrators on assignments,” George Haddon opined. “It was something I tried to interest The Herald in Melbourne in doing during the 1970s after being inspired by Feliks Topolski’s work. Imagine what an illustrator with a satirical eye could do at a US presidential convention with all the razzmatazz that goes on. Bruce Petty did some great work in that area (come to think of it, he may have done a convention... and coincidentally he is a great fan of Topolski’s).”

On his way back into the conference room following a short coffee break, Simon Kneebone was overheard saying, “this is my first conference and it’s great”.

At the end of the session Fray supplied his email address so any cartoonist who wanted to contact him could do so. A brave man. The second session made it a bit of a Fairfax-fest. Three-time Walkley Award winner Ward O’Neill accepted an invitation from the ACA to profile his career. Early on, he worked at The Australian and The Bulletin but has been at Fairfax - contributing to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian Financial Review - since 1987. It was a rare opportunity to hear from someone with such a distinguished background. O’Neill said, “It was a great pleasure to be able to address a sympathetic audience who really do know our world from the inside. Many thanks to the ACA for the invitation and

12 www.cartoonists.org.au

Pran Kumar was next to talk. He is a very quiet and polite man, but his talk on cartooning in India was full of information. It was maybe a little short, but Pran was obviously not there to big note himself and felt he had said all that needed saying.

Here in Australia, our biggest problem is with editors who do not run enough cartoons. That is not the biggest problem many cartoonists face in other countries. The 2:50pm panel discussion was, “A Window on the World: Cartooning in Asia” with Pran, Rolf Heimann and Jim Bridges. Rolf and Jim talked about a trip they took to China and the state of cartooning there. Rolf had been invited as a judge on the Guiyang Cartoon Competition, and Jim was among the judges for animation category. “We are both working on a documentary on Chinese humour and have already collected hundreds of examples,” said Rolf. “While in Guiyang we pledged cooperation from Australian cartoonists for the establishment of a major International cartooning centre in the city.” Rolf added they are aware of the restrictions faced by Chinese cartoonists and see cooperation as a means of furthering liberalisation in China as well as bringing Australia

The Richmonds conquer Sydney Harbour

“Disarmingly low-key in his delivery, the audience hung on every word and flash bulbs went off the moment he put pen to paper”

into contact with the enormous upsurge of Chinese creative energy. Pran added to the session by talking about cartooning in India, but he did not have to go there - he lives there. His trip was the one he took coming to Sydney.

in the redraw Oliphant substituted the Star of David with a Swastika. It did not seem an intentional modification and did not change the message in the cartoon. While his cartoon may not have been politically correct, Oliphant explained how he thought it was something that should be said and he has always tried to draw cartoons that said what should be said. Politically correct or not.

The New York Times has labelled Pat Oliphant “the most influential cartoonist now working” and he was on a trip to Sydney, too. The cartooning legend was the ACA’s Guest of Honour for the 2009 Stanleys and he was the next to talk at the conference. Alan Moir guided him through a question and answer session and Oliphant told many stories about his long and distinguished career. “It was very interesting to meet Pat Oliphant, a very modest man with no modest talent,” Ward O’Neill said. “I waited four decades to meet him and it was well worth it.”

“Pat Oliphant’s interview by Alan Moir was particularly relevant to a political cartoonist and he re-connected me with what this profession is really all about.,” Sean Leahy said. “In other words, the courageous expression of the truth as the cartoonist sees it through strong visuals formed from a personal set of principles, leavened by great wit and humour. Oliphant is all of that in spades. His explanation of one cartoon which rattled cages was that ‘it needed to be said’.”

Oliphant was obviously very comfortable sharing details about his approach to cartooning. He said it was good talking with cartoonists as they understood what he was talking about and he did not have to explain himself.

At the end of two hours, Moir thanked Oliphant for his efforts and Oliphant thanked Moir for his questions, which he said were ”obviously well researched and intelligent.” He then addressed those in the room again and added, “He really knows his stuff. I could not have done this without his help.”

“It was great, not only to see Pat Oliphant but to have another editorial cartoonist big hitter in Alan Moir interview him,” said Peter Broelman. The seven-time NCS Editorial Cartoon Award winner, two-time Reuben Award winner and Pulitzer Prize winner even took to the whiteboard to redraw a cartoon that had attracted a bit of attention in America, a few months before. Storm troopers using a Star of David as a weapon in a cartoon about Israel will do that most days. However

“The powerful work from this master of the art was matched by his approachability and willingness to share observations,” Leahy commented. “Disarmingly low-key in his delivery, the audience hung on every word and flash bulbs went off the moment he put pen to paper.” A small stuff-up was discovered when the conference bags were about to be put together. While the contents had been gathered, everyone had forgotten the bags. In a flash

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE - Left to right: The execution might be different, but the message is the same. Pat Oliphant and his infamous cartoon www.cartoonists.org.au

The ACA’s Commander-in-Chief surveys his domain

After a couple of years of drawing NZ PM Helen Clarke, you too could look like this: Rod Emmerson in action

“I would say the Tom Richmond session was one of the most interesting and informative I have attended”

of genius that often accompanies moments of desperation, Peter McAdam made a quick dash into the nearby Harbourside complex and asked at 10 shops if they would donate 10 bags to the conference. Mission completed, he returned with the bags and helped stuff them. Cruises on Sydney Harbour are a bit of a cliché for visitors to Sydney, but that did not stop one being placed on the schedule for Friday night. However, the 5:30pm Harbour Cruise from the Convention Wharf did not happen - there was no cruise boat! ACA Secretary Kerry-Ann Brown was immediately on the ‘phone asking “Why?” The official answer was: “there is problem in the engine room of the MV Sydney”. The wait on the wharf wasn’t fun, but the delay did not spoil the twilight cruise around Sydney Harbour once it got underway - albeit an hour late. The finger food and wine did not stop until everyone disembarked at 8.30 pm. The only reason clichés become clichés is because they are so bloody good that everyone has to do them. The 9:00am start on Saturday for the AGM was better attended than many AGMs, but it was a mild affair with few cross words. It ended on the knocker at 10:00am with smiles all round. There are not many AGMs that end that way. At approximately 10:15am the conference restarted and Tom Richmond took over. He spent the next two and a half hours explaining how he approaches his work. In the first half of the talk he explained what goes on at MAD Magazine. Not an easy task with scripts, roughs and late nights all combine in an effort to complete his artwork. He also chatted about the trouble MAD was in with declining circulation and frequency of publication. Not good news. After an hour or so, there was a break to give Tom a chance to rest. The second half of the Richmond talk was devoted to caricature. It was a stunning performance. Tom Richmond’s Saturday tutorial on caricature had even the best in the business spellbound

14 www.cartoonists.org.au

When it was over George Haddon said on his way out, “I would say the Tom Richmond session was one of the most interesting and informative I have attended, particularly the caricature workshop. Like most of us I guess, I’m just interested to see how other people do their thing, and I was particularly interested to see the examples of his work, how he went about it, the deadlines and in particular, how he approached caricature. Those types of ‘process’ discussions, demonstrations and ‘step-by-step’ workshops are very interesting, where and if it’s possible to find people to do them.” If anyone can impress George about drawing they must be bloody good. Richmond posted on his blog, “I did a presentation and a caricature workshop on Saturday, and attended several other panels and presentations as well.Very nicely organized and some great speakers.” He should have added that he was one of the best. It was a bit of a working lunch that followed. An outdoors interactive event in the hot sun by Darling Harbour where some ACA members drew live caricatures. Lunch came from Subway in the form of bread rolls and there were so many only about half were eaten. After all it is a bit hard to eat while holding a bread roll in one hand, drawing with the other and looking for subjects to draw all at the same time. Richmond joined in and wrote on his blog about Tony Rafty who was also there. “The most impressive thing about Tony? After my little caricature workshop we walked out on to Darling Harbor and drew in the hot sun, and this 94-year-old man stood there IN A SUIT AND TIE and drew one after the other.” “The conference was one of the most inspirational for me not only due to the presence of good friends and cartoonists I admire, but also because of the two brilliant international guests,” Sean Leahy said. “Both Pat Oliphant and Tom Richmond I had met before in the US, but to have them here in Australia for us to spend more time with was a rare privilege. Tom’s quick workshop on caricature was a breath of fresh air and very worthwhile. I hope the conference makes these types of hands-on classes a regular occurrence.” The 2:00pm panel discussion was devoted to how cartoonists draw various politicians. It featured Rod Emmerson and the aforementioned Phil Somerville, Sean Leahy and

Peter Broelman. Each discussed how they tackled new faces while giving the whiteboard a thrashing. Emmerson tackled New Zealand PM Helen Clarke; Somerville ankle-tapped US President Barack Obama; Leahy crunched Queensland Premier Anna Bligh while fullback Broelman put a stop to Australian PM Kevin Rudd with a South Park manoeuvre. Russ Radcliffe took centre stage for the 3:00pm session so he could launch the latest addition to his Best Australian Political Cartoons series of annuals. He has produced a new edition for Scribe every year since 2003. The 2009 version is more of the same and this year he has chosen 190 cartoons by 31 cartoonists to showcase their works. It was intended for International award winning cartoonist and animator Michael Jantze to be the final speaker at the conference, but he didn’t make it. Not just to the conference but to Australia. He missed his flight and wrote in an email, “Well, I won’t be landing in Sydney today. The travel agent here at the college made a mistake that prevented me from getting on yesterday’s flight. I’ve spent the last day trying to get a new ticket to land for Saturday morning as well as supporting ETA paperwork, but the effort has proven futile (expensive).” Michael said he was interested in coming over for 2010 as he now had a credit on his ticket. Luckily David Sprod from Adelaide was attending the conference. At short notice, he agreed to give a talk on his uncle, George Sprod, and the book That Odd Mr Sprod. It was written by George’s brother Dan, and published by another brother, Richard. David did a great job, especially as he had only an hour or so to prepare his talk. George was a regular at the Stanleys but is best remembered for his cartoons in Punch. The black-tie 25th Stanley Awards followed and it kicked off at 6.30pm with pre-dinner drinks. Nobody should be in any doubt that if George Sprod had not died in 2003 he would have been there. Sean Leahy summed up the thoughts of many: “I’ll treasure the 2009 Stanleys as one of those especially inspirational ones for many years to come”.

Lindsay Foyle

Totally Addicted to Caricature: Rafty in action in the hot Novemnber sun

Nephew of a Gun: Last-minute hero David Sprod (left) and John Spooner

www.cartoonists.org.au

THE 2009 STANLEYS: IN THEIR OWN WORDS Unusually, but refreshingly, attendees of the 25th Stanleys were quick to voice their observations about the Stanleys, which paint a fairly complete picture of events as they unfolded. So it’s over to Inkspot’s Special Correspondents...

First-time Stanleys attendee Dee Texidor certainly made her presence felt this year, bringing a welcome flash of bohemia along for the ride. She offered Inkspot a perspective of the weekend from her point of view as a “Stanleys virgin”: As my signature still bled into the papers making me a bonafide, fresh-faced member of the ACA, my introduction to this special group was their 2009 weekend bash. Upon reflection, (and hopeful nomination in the “Hall of Shame”) I’d like to thank the following (in order of what memory can retrieve): Judy Nadin (“Joooood!”) - Without her I never would’ve been so ridiculous (hate mail send here). Jules - Calm in the face of the mentally deranged. Regrets? He has a few... 1. Inviting me. 2. Inviting me. KA - Her humour, and convincing me not to allow the big hole of after-party shame swallow me up. Grant Brown - Drawing my very own oinker and lasting the distance till 4:00am. Zeg - Friday night party man. No, mate, we love you. Noz - Flammable shirts. Lindsay Foyle - Talking to me - to both, my networking opportunity at the ABC. Tom Richmond - (Look what they did to me Ma). His graciousness, letting us do and say things to him that should’ve made a grown man cry. The ‘Lovely’ Anna - Judy and I have started her fan club. Paul Harvey - Generously giving me a free book. Gary Clark, Mick Horne, Phil Judd, Anton Emdin (he STILL accepted me as a facebook friend) - such sweetiepies. Phil Somerville - Not suing me after a karate chop to his throat whilst talking the talk and gesticulating. Adam Long, Peter Broelman - Making the effort to look downward risking whiplash to see me. Peter for playing kittycat dressups.

Emily - Laughing along with my debauchery (or at me? Imagine a famous scene re-enactment from When Harry Met Sally). Bill Leak - Recognising a fellow unhinged and embracing me (with no fear I could detect). Jason Chatfield - Having the sense to run away whenever he could as he was the unfortunate stuck next to me at the Awards. Sophie - NOT running away and being so beautiful amongst the rabble. Rolf (Like a Cougar) Heimann - Asking me if I felt a bit silly, then allowing us to photograph him doing just that. David Rowe - Setting our table on fire in a desperate attempt to get us more attention. Pat Oliphant - Oh so humble. Warren Brown - Sounding convincing whilst saying he liked my work. Poiter Rigby - Gettin’ those dancin’ moves orn. Mark McHugh (Dirty Kitty Boy) - no explanation needed. Marie, Mary, Liz, Steve, Bec and anyone else I swayed over for tolerating my drivel. To EVERYONE, I felt so welcome. It’s a credit to the ACA to ooze warm, squidgy feelings so exquisitely. See you next year with bells on!

Dee Texidor

“Congrats again on one the most enjoyable Stanley weekends I’ve ever attended. Thanks for all the hard work” Gary Clark

DEE’S BIG WEEKEND (from left): Late night shenanigans on Friday; After-Party debauchery with Mark McHugh; Sunday bowling blues with Jules 16 www.cartoonists.org.au

THE 2009 STANLEYS Another first-timer, Tom Richmond, waxed lyrical about the weekend on his blog and graciously allowed Inkspot to reproduce some excerpts: I was honoured and privileged to be invited to beautiful Sydney, Australia to be a guest speaker at the Australian Cartoonists Association’s 25th annual Stanley Awards this past weekend. The ACA is the Aussie equivalent of the National Cartoonists Society in the U.S., and in fact is an even older organization having grown from the original Australian Black and White Artist’s Club formed back in 1924. Australia is brimming with fantastic talent in the cartooning field… so much of the work I saw there was absolutely top notch. I was humbled to be asked to be a speaker at their event this year. The Stanleys encompass the better part of a three day weekend, and features several guest speakers, panels and workshops as well as social activities that lead up to the awards dinner. Friday, Nov. 13th Things kicked off with the opening of a terrific cartoon art show featuring members of the ACA which was exhibited at the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) television building. Upon our return to the Novotel at Darling Harbour, the day continued with a series of presentations. Following these presentations was the main event. Guest of Honour Pat Oliphant, the legendary political cartoonist and a transplanted native Aussie living in the United States since 1964. Pat’s presentation was a guided Q & A and he told many stories about his long and distinguished career as well as sharing details about his process and approach to editorial cartooning. That evening the group took a cruise around the harbour aboard a double-decker cruise ship, and enjoyed appetizers (”entrees” in Australian) and cocktails under the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

tion and conduct a mini-workshop on caricature. Only a few people fell asleep, so I did better than usual! Following my presentation we all went into the beautiful Darling Harbour wharf and drew caricatures of each other and passersby while enjoying sandwiches (no Vegemite) and soft drinks.The afternoon program commenced back at the Novotel. That night was the 2009 Stanley Awards banquet. Held in the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour, the banquet room commanded fantastic views of the harbour and featured an entertaining evening of music and fun. Emceed by Aussie television personality Jean Kittson, the awards ceremony was non-stop laughs. Of course, the main reason for the entire event was the honouring of the well-deserving cartoonists in six different categories. The ACA also honored Norman Hetherington with the Jim Russell Award for Outstanding Contribution to Australian Cartooning. Norman had a long-running Aussie TV show called Mr. Squiggle where he drew cartoons via a marionette by the same name for over 40 years to the delight of generations of Australian children. It was a delight to see him so honoured. Finally the big award, the Gold Stanley for “Cartoonist of the Year” was awarded. This is the Aussie equivalent of the Reuben Award. And the 2009 Gold Stanley went to: Peter Broelman! Peter is an outstanding cartoonist, illustrator, caricaturist, editorial cartoonist and all around great guy as well. Wonderful to see him take home this prestigious award… especially considering the immense talents that Australia has to offer. The Lovely Anna and I had a great time. ACA President Jules Faber, Secretary Grant Brown, Treasurer Kerry-Anne Brown, Deputy President Jason Chatfield, Membership Secretary Peter Broelman, the rest of the board and all the members of the ACA treated us like family and made us feel very welcome. A great organization full of great people.

Saturday, Nov. 14th -

Congratulations to all the nominees and recipients.

Following the business meeting, it was time for my presentation. I had been given a lot of time to do both a presenta-

Tom Richmond

TOM’S TRIP (from left): Drawing in the Sydney sunshine; Tom with top Illustrator Anton Emdin; the Richmonds hanging out with Pat Oliphant www.cartoonists.org.au

THE 2009 STANLEYS Feedback on the Stanleys weekend has been coming at the ACA from all angles - thankyou to everyone for taking the time to write. It was indeed a big job, but an incredibly rewarding one and it’s heartening to know that everyone got the most out of it. Here’s to 2010! The 2009 Stanleys Organising Committee (Steve, Lindsay, Jules, Peter, Roger and KA) A big hit: The ACA Band

Congratulations ACA Jules, Lindsay, Peter, Steve, Rolf and all the others who got the Stanleys to happen. A great event, guests terrific, some good media coverage and humour factor right up there. Much appreciated. Regards

Bruce P. Hi Steve, My wife and I attended the Stanleys for the first time this year. It was a splendid occasion with much to celebrate. However I couldn’t help thinking that the sponsors may not have been feeling quite so cheerful. The mainstream news media are dying the slow death of a billion blogs, and I wondered who will employ our talented members when the last edition hits the pavement?

Jock Macneish

I finally got to read the whole menu/ book you guys did, really enjoyed reading about the history, and realise that maybe we ought to go back to the original ‘debauchery’ of 1923/24, carry on the tradition so to speak hehe. I did meet alot of first timers over the weekend, it was such a great turnout, alot of them will come back for more. Us lot can get a tad lonely, and this is a fantastic opportunity to talk about what we do to a load of people that know what the hell we’re talking about. Steve, thanks so much for the effort you put in mate. I reckon it would be a MAJOR task to do, worse than organising a wedding, and even then you know you can’t please everyone, so beam in the shine of success mate cos it was a FANTASTIC weekend!

Dee Texidor

rectified to a large extent on Saturday. Tom Ricmond gave a very professional presentation. The reverse caricature did not work very well. I think that the ACA should have a large, easel-sized placard, used perpetually, to announce to the public who we are and what we are doing, on these occasions. And have lots of easels and lots of opportunities for cartoonists to caricature as many people as possible, like in Wollongong or Coffs. The Stanleys ball and awards were great. The music was a bit loud, but I think I’m just old. I got out to see the Insiders exhibition and was thrilled to see my work up there. By the way, lost property - did anyone find my maroon ABWAC cap that disappeared sometime on that Saturday?

Craig Hilton

It was great to see everyone on Saturday - I had a ball sitting next to Bruce Petty.

Clare Fletcher -

Could have been better: reverse caricatures at Darling Harbour 18 www.cartoonists.org.au

As for the Stanleys, I had a wonderful time, and so did Julia. The harbour cruise was perfect. The set-up for Friday, especially the lack of a decent microphone and screen and raised podium seemed a bit slipshod. It was

Does this help you with tracking down the culprits, Craig?

THE 2009 STANLEYS Hope you’re recovering from the big night! It was really great, and I appreciate all the effort you blokes put in. But I think everyone had a blast and it had a good vibe. Well done.

able, informative and fun weekend. For a small group you did a great job pulling off a very professional event.

Anton Emdin

Thanks for the great w/end. I had a ball. I thought the w/end was brilliantly run.

Steve That was the first Stanleys that I’ve been to so I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was really impressed with just how well it was organised and how well it went off. Everyone was so relaxed and easy going and it was great to finally meet and get to know other club members. Hats off to all involved. Ciao

Tim (Mellish) PS: Not to mention the ACA band, they were fantastic! A note of thanks for organizing the weekend. Overall it was a great time, very relaxed, and a good feel to the awards night. You, alongside a number of others, put a great effort in and I think as a result it was a very enjoy-

Phil Judd

Just wanted to congratulate you on an awesome conference. We had the most insane time down there... it rocked!! Thanks for having us!

Corey Warren -

Al Rose

Ditto on what Corey said. You did an awesome job. Hopefully you’ve had time to relax from it all for at least a little bit, eh?

Sarah Murray

I just want to thank you so much for the amazing weekend & I appreciate the amount of effort that goes into something like this. I had the best time!

Judy Nadin -

Wow Jules, I had no idea how HUGE this event was that you and your team put on. I was impressed to the max. To see the 25 years presented over the night also strongly imparted the solidity of the Stanleys and the members that people it.

Had a great time on the weekend. Congratulations, Jules, to you and your team for the great organising effort at the ACA conference and the Stanleys. It was a warm, funny and happy event and I loved it.

Jozef Szekeres

Julie Ditrich

Gary Clark

Congrats again on one the most enjoyable Stanley weekends I’ve ever attended. Thanks for all the hard work.

LEFT: Cartoonists Conference feedback from Jock Macneish ABOVE: Cartoon from Stephen “ZEG” Gunnell - a NSW Special Constable, he forcibly removed a couple of teenage Stanleys gatecrashers, handing them over the Convention Centre security staff www.cartoonists.org.au

THE 2009 STANLEYS

AUSTRALIAN LEGEND: MOIR ON OLIPHANT He looks like an absent-minded professor with his woolly white hair and wry, bespectacled quizzical look. Or a nuclear physicist, like his famous uncle Sir Mark Oliphant, who worked on the Manhattan Project during WW2. Come to think of it, we’re very fortunate he didn’t follow in his uncle’s footsteps, choosing the much more destructive career. When Pat Oliphant addressed the ACA at a forum during the convention, he delivered a fascinating hour or so of Q&As with an audience that filled the room. Quietly spoken, sometimes too quietly for the long narrow room, with that pleasant, soft, North-Eastern US accent that has lost its last hints of strine, gentlemanly and polite, it was hard to pick him as the one of the most relentlessly acid cartoonists of 20th century America. What about Obama? “I like him, and I hope he does well, but I am waiting for his first major mistake”, he mused. “He shouldn’t have been given the Nobel (Prize), it was too early.” Pat’s a man of few words, but he doesn’t need many. He is rapier-like and precise. “I don’t like changes of administrations because I have all my villains in place, and then they are taken away and replaced with faceless wonders nobody knows.You need villains to get yourself angry,” he admits. Who was his favourite villain? “Dubya, without a doubt. He was the worst President the US has ever had. Everything he attempted was a disaster. He was always trying to impress his father.”

What about Nixon? Pat had a lot of fun with him. “Well, yes, with Watergate. But at least he opened up relations with China. He’ll always be remembered for that.” Oliphant doesn’t use colour in his drawings, even though all of the several hundred papers he syndicates to uses colour. “There’s plenty of colour in black and white. I like to draw the old fashioned way - brush, pen and charcoal.” The newspaper troubles in the US are cutting a swathe through his syndication numbers, which at their height reached around 500. There are still hundreds who take his three cartoons a week, but at 74 he’s winding down a little these days, having moved from Washington DC to Santa Fe, working on his little Daumier-like sculptures in his spare time. “But you’ve got to bring yourself to the boil once a day, it’s good for you”. It’s hard to imagine this gentle man getting fumed up, but the results are there to see. “How did you cope with 9/11?” asked Bruce Petty. “I left it for two days”, said Oliphant, “to let it all sink in. Then I tried to ask why it happened.” What about Iraq, how did he oppose the war where over 4,000 Americans have died without offending the soldiers? “I am very careful not to offend the families of those who have died, but I need to say what I want to say.”

“There’s plenty of colour in black and white. I like to draw the old fashioned way - brush, pen and charcoal”

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THE 2009 STANLEYS “I avoid meeting politicians, because I’m liable to end up liking them” When a cartoonist works for an individual paper you get to know your readership, and it is easy to thrash things out with the editor. Does Oliphant have to work towards a lowest general denominator when sending to hundreds of very different papers? “No, I just put my head down and send them out,” he says. “I don’t think about it. It’s up to them whether or not they actually print it. “I see myself as a journalist who draws. In fact I wanted to be a journalist when I first started on the The News as a copyboy. When I later joined the Adelaide Advertiser I was transferred to the Art Department and went on from there. I heard there was a vacancy on the Denver Post and sent a load of originals. I had the call from them on the Friday and had to start the following Monday.” That was in the mid-1960s, an extraordinary period in US social and political history, marked by a divisive war in Vietnam, racial struggle, assassinations and, later, Watergate. What a world for a green young cartoonist from the Antipodes to step into; issues and villains on-tap. In 1967, he won a Pulitzer. Is there any villain he regrets attacking? “Bob Dole. I wish I hadn’t, he’s actually a very nice man. I avoid meeting politicians, because I’m liable to end up liking them. That’s one reason we moved to Santa Fe, you just don’t know who you’re going to bump into in the street in Washington.” Pat uses a lot of visual metaphors in his work, stark and memorable. “I don’t like the “talking head” style of cartoons that are common these days. They’re boring.”

Like everyone else, he doesn’t know how to make money out of the internet, “but there’ll always be people who want to see politicians getting a serve.” What about Gaza? Didn’t he run into a spot of bother with a cartoon lately? Leaping at the chance, he takes a huge piece of charcoal and heads for the paper-board. He’s morphed into his other self. Passionate, slashing. A couple of broad black sweeps, a few delicate twists, a thumb smudge, this is a lost art. He doesn’t need a Wacom tablet. He’s drawn a headless goosestepping Israeli soldier pushing a huge swastika thresher towards a huddled mother and child labelled ‘Gaza’. “It upset a few”, he says laconically, hands blackened. Does he still feel Australian? Deep down? “He’s well and truly American now”, says Susan, his wife. “People are surprised to learn he was originally from Australia” And anyway, he couldn’t tell me Bradman’s average.

Alan Moir This piece by has been compiled from the open ‘interview’ at the Cartoonists Conference and subsequent conversations with Pat Oliphant. Alan Moir is the editorial cartoonist for the Sydney Morning Herald.

He gets up about 7:00am on a typical day, reads a couple of newspapers, checks the TV news, and tries to have a finished cartoon by lunchtime. He used to courier it to his distribution syndicate, but these days scans it and emails. His agency used to animate his cartoons, “But it was a long, labour-intensive process. A single cartoon said it more simply.”

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Spread One

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Spread Two

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Spread Three

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THE 2009 STANLEYS

BEHIND THE STANLEYS: A JIGSAW WITH ATTITUDE Each year, a small group of ACA members work on the various bits and pieces of the Stanleys jigsaw, and create what they hope will be a fantastic weekend enjoyed by as many members, guests and sponsors as possible. This group is easily identifiable. They are usually found the morning after, sitting in a circle near hotel reception, squinting through bloodshot eyes at a pile of empty bottles and cans (some being attended to by paramedics or being assessed by nursing home staff) and babbling incoherently about tomorrow’s cartoon. What could possibly have affected them so dramatically? Wind the clock back 12 months and you might get an idea. As the dust is still settling on the previous Stanleys weekend, this little group is already eyeing up the next annual event, planning, assessing and debating. And as Father Time gobbles these 12 months up, the stress builds, the workload increases and the time remaining decreases. It seems cartoonists just attract deadline pressure. Without going into the various elements in detail - here’s an idea of the many areas which are addressed in the planning: Sponsorship - event location - potential venues and facilities available - adjacent facilities and attractions - location accessibility - event date - venue prices (and bartering for a better price) - meal and beverage selection - available variety of accommodation - selecting and contracting special guest(s) - coordinating special guests requirements - yearbook (entries coordination - compiling - printing and distribution) - conference content - activities planned for Friday and Sunday - weekend budget - media exposure - communicating info to membership (emails and snail mail) - brochures and weekend schedule (design - printing and posting) - organising signage and banners – a thousand or more phone calls - audio/visual content and creation - the band (structure - coordination and rehearsals) - ticket printing - name badges - registration - coordinating numbers/event - plaque

engraving - awards dinner venue decor - coordination of the night’s presentations and entertainment etc - lost cartoonists - paper/pens for cartoon of the night - briefing the MC - room layout - special meal requirements - table allocation - collecting (and occasional begging) of auction items - framing/mounting auction items - collecting payment from Stanleys participants and auction buyers - putting out spotfires - last minute registrations (grrr) - final media arrangements - VIP considerations - book sales...” and so it goes. In alphabetical order, the 25th Stanleys and Conference was created by Peter Broelman, Grant Brown, KerryAnne Brown, Jason Chatfield, Jules Faber, Roger Fletcher, Lindsay Foyle, Rolf Heimann, Mick Horne, Simon Kneebone, and all ably led by the 2009 Stanleys Chairman, Steve Panozzo. A heartfelt thankyou goes to that small handful of volunteers who jumped in and helped out with all those last-minute jobs over the weekend. The 2009 Stanleys weekend also featured an exhibition that needed to be put together in record time and the curators want to acknowledge the assistance of Dee Texidor in helping out, at short notice, with the catalogue. Putting the cream on the Stanleys cake were our guests Pat Oliphant and Tom Richmond, accompanied by their lovely wives Susan and Anna. And as if that wasn’t enough, the awards evening was whipped into a crescendo of laughter by our incredible MC, Jean Kittson, with Fletcher’s ‘Stanleys Steamers’ entertaining us in top tune at the end of the evening. But the real success was created by all those who participated and enjoyed what is being reported as one of the most successful Stanleys weekends anyone can recall over recent years. Never before have we received so many emails and phone calls of thanks and support. So thank you for supporting your Australian Cartoonists’ Association. Our thanks go out to all our sponsors who made this possible. Your continued support and belief in the ACA and it’s objectives is appreciated very much, and we hope our association will continue for years to come.

Mick Horne Mick Horne is the ACA’s Vice-President (WA), former Treasurer, Ale Taster extraordinaire and Stanleys Weekend maintenance engineer. He also knows how to party. ABOVE: Typical pre-Stanleys management meeting - with guests

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THE 2009 STANLEYS THE JIM RUSSELL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CARTOONING

NORMAN HETHERINGTON There does not seem to have been any doubt that Norman Hetherington was a most appropriate recipient for the 2009 Jim Russell Award. I imagine the reasons for choosing Norman are as many as they are varied. Chief among them would be the profound impact he has had, through his “alter-ego”, Mr. Squiggle, on children in encouraging them to draw over a record-breaking continual television run of 40 years. Norman’s career as a cartoonist began in 1938, working for The Bulletin as a freelancer (signing his name simply as “Heth”), before joining full-time in 1946 alongside Norman Lindsay, Percy Lindsay and Ted Scorfield. He finished up at The Bulletin when Sir Frank Packer took over in the early 1960s. If you walk around the Hetheringtons’ home in Mosman, you’ll notice that it is a veritable museum of Australian cartooning, with original work by Livingston Hopkins, David Low, Phil May, the Lindsay brothers (and his other Bulletin contemporaries) and other, more recent,

cartooning comrades. Sit down and chat with him, and the stories flow like honey - his steel-trap mind recalls dates, times, events as if it was yesterday and is a rich vein of knowledge when it comes to the history of the Australian cartooning profession. Norman made his first puppet in 1949, following the directions in a 1935 edition of Popular Science Monthly. After a series of regular shows for department stores in Sydney, he attended ABC-TV training school. He created a puppet show called Nicky & Noodle for the launch of Australian television in 1956, which continued until 1959. And what followed next was the perfect amalgam of cartoonist and puppeteer. Ask any adult of 55, or any child in their mid- to late-teens, about Mr. Squiggle and the reaction will be the same - a broad smile and nod of recognition. And I’m pretty sure that pencil-nosed puppet was more than just a subtle influence behind many of Australia’s cartoonists’ careers, whether they’re prepared to acknowledge it or not. “I was interested in puppets because they were such a wonderful medium

for imagination and fantasy and, in effect, three-dimensional cartoons,” Norman said in a 2008 ABC Radio interview. “I then became a bit more ambitious and wanted to make a puppet who could draw.” 2009 marked Mr. Squiggle’s 50th birthday. Mr. Squiggle is himself a “jack of all trades” - an Australian television icon, he’s lauded as a pop culture phenomenon (science fiction groups consider Squiggle “Australia’s first astronaut”), a catalyst for imagination and creativity and the product of fertile and inventive genius. “We had a week’s notice, came in without an audition, which was quite unusual, especially in those days at the ABC,” Norman remembers. “There were no committee meetings, no auditions, they just said ‘try him out next week and see how he goes for six weeks’.” Six weeks became 40 years. Norman and Margaret have justly received a fair share of awards for Mr. Squiggle. In 1984, they were presented with a Penguin Award, received another 1989. Norman was awarded an OAM in 1990, and in 2005 was presented with an award from the College of Fine Arts for contribution to the media. “J. Squiggle, Esq.” finally made it onto a postage stamp in time for his 40th birthday in 1999, as part of Australia Post’s salute to childrens’ television. In 2005 the Mosman Festival in Sydney staged a retrospective exhibition, “Who’s Pulling the Strings? The Art and Life of Norman Hetherington”, which featured an incredible array of his puppets, drawings and cartoons. Norman and Margaret were special guests at the World Puppetry Festival, held in Perth in 2008.

ABOVE: Roger Fletcher and Norman cast their eyes over the work oF 1998 Bill Mitchell Award winner, Seth Remaut 26 www.cartoonists.org.au

For our part, the ACA presented Norman with a signed artist’s smock in 1989 and a Life Membership in 2008 but his undoubted contribution

THE 2009 STANLEYS to Australian cartooning, and culture in general, demanded something more substantial. The ACA Committee clearly realised that there would be never a more appropriate time to acknowledge Norman’s contribution in bringing the creative urge to draw into the homes of millions of families. Despite the degree of adulation, and having an enviable career in television, he is shy of accepting applause, preferring instead to acknowledge others, often deflecting praise with a diffident gesture and acknowledging the roles Margaret and daughter Rebecca have played in his career. Mr. Squiggle has always been a partnership deal for Norman as he is quick to remind people. Norman’s generosity of spirit is legendary. He has rarely missed a single ACA function (to my memory) and when he does, it’s only for the most serious of reasons and he is quick with an apologetic phone call to find out how the evening went. His support for the ACA and the cartooning profession has never wavered and in fact remains undiminished. He is always eager to encourage young artists, and many make a point of presenting him with their portfolios in exchange for a little advice from him. Whether it be at an ACA dinner, an exhibition opening or at Supanova, Norman’s presence has always meant a lengthy autograph queue. Even now, at 88 and Squiggle having been off air for 10 years, he’s still a like a benevolent uncle to millions, a dash of Santa Claus and a modicum of pixie rolled into one ethereal entity. So the standing ovation and countless misty eyes at the 25th Stanley Awards was no surprise to me. True to form, he acknowedged everyone else - even ascribing the drawing talent to Squiggle himself.

ABOVE: Norman, Margaret and Rebecca Hetherington at an ABC-TV function in 1990 RIGHT: Mr. Squiggle graciously came out of retirment to open the show at the 2004 Stanley Awards in Bowral. Miss Bill was there to hold his hand that night

Everything really IS upside-down these days.

Steve Panozzo

Norman receives the Jim Russell Award from ACA Patron Vane Lindesay at the 2009 Stanleys in Sydney

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A Red Letter Day for Chinese Cartooning: Some Sneak Peking of New Cartoon Centre

After taking photos of some locals, Chinese police ask Rolf to stand against a wall for “a good shot”

“Build it and they will come” is a business strategy that has often been proved wrong, but we hope it will be successful with the cartoon centre being built in Guiyang, China. “The Chinese never do anything in a small way”, said Professor John Lent at the inauguration ceremony, and the audience laughed in agreement. Lent, of Temple University Pennsylvania, together with Liuyi Wang, is a driving force behind that project which promises to be a major centre for cartooning and animation not only in China but worldwide. Representatives from India, Pakistan, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Belgium, Australia and other countries were present at the first cartoon exhibition held at the premises, even before the centre was ready. At the moment it is still a huge empty factory, with giant machinery still in place, and slogans from Mao’s time still embellishing the walls. It was built 50 years ago and has been derelict for 8 years. Now the authorities have been persuaded to turn it into a cultural centre for the APACA (Asia-Pacific Animation & Comics Association), comprising not only exhibition spaces, but a library, lecture rooms and accommodation units. Australian cartoonists pledged cooperation and already delivered a parcel of books and DVDs for the future library. It is not the first time the Chinese came up with similar plans. On a previous 28 www.cartoonists.org.au

occasion a couple of years ago, with cartoonist Mordillo as special guest, the Chinese, to their obvious surprise, encountered only lukewarm acceptance from their overseas guests. International cartoonists (including the author) held doubts about the Chinese government’s commitment to Freedom of the Press, among other things. It also became clear that “cartoons” sometimes meant something different in China; it focused on Disney-like figures, not on controversial subjects. Political cartooning, which holds highest status in Western countries, is of minor importance in China, where any type of criticism has to undergo some careful assessment. It is not only fear of governmental repercussions that reins in Chinese cartoonists. The Asian need to “save face” is a well-known institution, and consequently it is ill-mannered to cause others to lose face. The aggressive artistic freedom of Scarfe, Steadman and others is seldom admired without reservation in China. The occasion in August 2009 (part festival, part contest, part conference) provided a fitting showcase for the Chinese cartoon and animation industry, and it was impressive indeed. China’s academies are churning out a staggering number of animators and cartoonists each year, and the quality of these artists is undoubted. It has also been shown that Chinese cartoonists are quite able to show passion in their condemnation if they want to; after the Cultural Revolution and the fall of Mao’s widow Jiang Qing, they indulged in a veritable

orgy of hate against the “Gang of Four”, and understandably so. The Cultural Revolution will always remain a black mark on Chinese history. The suffering of many intellectuals, including cartoonists, is hard to believe. Whenever misinterpretation was possible (or even impossible!), one could rely on Red Guards to intervene. Examples: a picture of a ladder against a wall prompted accusations that the artist wanted to show that China was full of thieves! Chinese authorities can still be a little paranoid. In Beijing, police stopped me filming an erhu player on the street, because he may have looked like a beggar. The funniest instance I heard of was the arrest of a tourist who had a picture of Sergeant Bilko on his t-shirt. They thought it was the Dalai Lama. But each time I visited China I noticed change. There is not quite as much spitting, and public toilets are less offensive. Who knows – one day we may no longer be made to feel guilty whenever we point our camera at something which is not high-tech or which is not government-approved beautiful scenery. China has one of the oldest artistic traditions, it has an enormous reservoir of talent, and it is now projecting itself onto the world as no other country. One cannot visit China without being overwhelmed by their energy and hospitality. The city of Guiyang, now little known in the West, promises to be a name that will soon be known by cartoonists all over the world.

Rolf Heimann

Australia is Paul Gilligan’s Island Back in the summer of 2009, Paul Gilligan (the creator of Pooch Café) spent a few months in Melbourne to escape the Toronto winter. For those not familiar with Pooch Cafe, it has been syndicated for 9 years and appears in about 300 newspapers. Paul is also working with Sony Pictures on a movie treatment for the strip. I sent this Q & A to get the lowdown. Q: What made you decide to spend a sabbatical in Melbourne? I hate the cold weather. Can’t stand it. I don’t think I was meant to be born in Canada. There’s a guy somewhere the same age as me in some super-tropical city who

like everybody else in six days. [He most definitely did not.-AH]

Q: Will you continue to work on Pooch Cafe when you are here? How far ahead are you on the strip? In the weeks leading up to my trip I tried to double my output so I can spend as much time boxing kangaroos and tickling koalas as possible, but I will indeed still be working on the strip while here. The place I’m house-sitting only has a tiny air conditioner, and for some reason I find it impossible to hold a drawing implement with a sweaty hand, so I might wind up doing most of my cartooning nocturnally. [This was true and it was never worth calling the guy before midday - AH]

(Honolulu) and found that when necessary pretty much any flat surface will do. I have a small scanner for scanning the strips and a laptop for the computery stuff, which I live in a constant fear of losing; I hide it somewhere crazy every time I go out in case there’s a burglary, and half the time I’ll stumble in after a few drinks I freak myself out because I’ve hid it too well and can’t find it. [He’s going to hate me for writing this, but the laptop bit the dust when he dropped it after a late night drinking session-AH] Q: Do you have a dog? What is your favourite breed? Are there any breeds you think are abominations of nature? I wouldn’t dare call any breeds abominations of nature, because some of the owners of those abominations of nature are my strip’s biggest fans. Oops, I just called them abominations of nature. Well, I don’t really mean that, but there are certain frail and overly-coiffed dogs who are clearly aware that something is wrong with the situation, that they were once proud animals that hunted wildebeests and howled at the moon and now they have to ride in a purse and they smell like chewing gum. I feel bad when they look into my eyes and I can’t do anything for them. Paul and I got to be good drinking buddies when he was here and I’m hoping that the Kiwi girlfriend he acquired along the way means he’ll be back on this side of the planet real soon.

Paul Gilligan deftly timed his Australian visit to coincide with Goeff Hook’s 80th birthday party, when he was probed by Inkspot’s investigative correspondent, Alex Hallatt

hates the heat and wishes he could skate and ski. Our souls were reversed at birth. My criteria for picking a place to avoid the Canadian winter was 1: it had to be warm and 2: English had to be the primary language. I don’t do well learning other languages, and I like to talk, so that limits the places I can go. Plus I wanted to be the one with the sexy accent for a change; all the Irish guys have it made in Toronto. Are Canadian accents sexy in Australia? Of course I’m such a Zelig I’ll probably sound

Alex Hallatt

Q: What do you use to draw your strip (ink/paper etc) and what constitutes your mobile office? I draw on cheap Strathmore with technical pencil and brush pens, so all I need are those items, ruler, French curve, kneaded eraser, and my artist badge from cub scouts to remind myself that I’m a pro (I drew an owl to earn it). I have a nice huge drafting table set-up at home, but I did this winter sabbatical thing once before www.cartoonists.org.au

Ernest Effort a Mammoth Hit for Judy Judy Nadin’s first foray into childrens’ book illustration has landed her on the NSW Premier’s 2010 Reading Challenge List. The author of The Adventures of Ernest Little Tug, Scott Allen, found Judy through the ACA website in early 2009. Once Standard Publishing House picked up the book, her illustrations were finished by early October and by the beginning of November the first “Ernest” book in the series, Jesse the Elephant, rolled off the presses. The “Ernest Little Tug” stories are based on various historical events on Sydney Harbour over the past 100 years. “Many of these stories would long be forgotten if never brought to life by these books,” said Judy. Known mostly for her caricature work, the books have meant a different approach to illustration, drawing influences from Disney and often incorporating the features of people she knows into the characters. Whilst all the characters started life on paper, the finished work was realised on computer, using Photoshop and Illustrator. Jesse the Elephant is the story of an elephant who was being relocated from the old Moore Park Zoo to Taronga Park Zoo in 1916. She was walked through the streets of Sydney and then transported by punt ferry across the harbour. The book also contains a brief account of the true story with archival photographs of the event.

The book is currently available through sphereshop.com.au as well as some of the independent children’s book shops around Sydney. Dymocks, Angus & Robertson and Borders all have it listed on their websites, albeit listing it as “unavailable online”.

Dymocks Children’s Charities have requested permission to promote the storylines through their extensive national network of sponsors. 2010 stands to be very exciting for Ernest with the release of the second book in the series, The Invasion, as well as a colouring & puzzle book about Ernest, Jesse & the crew.

Online Presence a Must for Cartoonists Are You Online? In a tough economic climate, additional income stream are a bonus. An online presence also provides: - Immediacy - An additional opportunity to sell your products without commissions to a direct, focussed market (your audience!) - An opportunity to directly interact with your supporters. Many people avoid setting up a website as they believe it’s “all too hard”. However, setting up a website is much easier and cheaper to do today than it was 5 years ago: 1. Purchase a domain name (the internet address or location of your site). Domain names can be as cheap as $10 per year and can be purchased from a number of internet sites; 2. Purchase hosting (space on the internet where your webpage files are located). Hosting can be also relatively cheap 30 www.cartoonists.org.au

with some products as little as $10 per month (and many hosting providers give you a domain name for free). 3. A system for building your site. Products such as Wordpress (www.wordpress.org), Joomla (www.joomla.org) and Drupal (www.drupal.org) are free and you can have a website “live” within an hour. You should, however ensure your site is easy to find, can easily grow with your needs, easy to use (by you and your fans) and sociable (is it easy to share your work with others?) With some forward planning, your website will return your investment and lift your profile significantly.

Jason Frazer www.twistedmusings.com.au

So, How Well Do You Know Cartoonists?

The impending arrival of the 25th Stanley Awards prompted organisers to put together a booklet to commemorate the occasion, produced in a style reflective of the programmes produced for the Artists’ Balls in the 1930s and 1940s. Whilst scouring the ACA’s archives for inspiration, Steve Panozzo and Lindsay Foyle unearthed these little observational gems, written by (respectively) Dan Russell in 1937 and Kenneth Slessor in 1946. Whether they accurately they reflect contemporary behavioural characteristics of cartoonists is open to debate - we’ll leave that judgement up to you! From the 1937 Artists’ Ball Programme:

From the 1946 Artists’ Atomic Ball Programme:

So at last we’re having another Artists’ Ball. I knew it! What with revolutions, wars, earthquakes, coronations and by-elections, it had to come. The Artists’ Ball belongs to Times like these. I know, because I KNOW ARTISTS.

It may well be thought that I ought to know something about artists, seeing that for the last 26 years I have been listening to artists, looking at them, lending them money, curing them of hiccoughs and watching them from the undergrowth as they come down to the creeks to drink at night.

I used to be an Artist myself; once. My metier was still life. But it’s too hard. The plate won’t lie down on the table, so you have to draw a knife under it. Then the egg becomes troublesome. You know - smelly. I gave it up and took on cartooning.

The fact is that I know practically nothing about artists. I am not even sure whether they are human beings. Or minerals or vegetables. I knew an artist once who took his furniture to Manly in a rowing-boat. It included a hat-rack, a kitchen-dresser, a mahogany commode and an enormous bird-cage.

In three easy lessons I learnt all the tricks - putting the blokes’ hands in their pockets so you don’t have to draw them, and their feet in long grass for the same reason. This theory of elimination can be carried too far, however. For my last Opus, entitled “Mental State of The Artist”, the Editor paid me the value of the paper only.

I know another artist who used to bribe a taxi-driver to take his aged parrot for a spin through Centennial Park. I know an artist who once dived into Farm Cove and landed at the Mosman wharf under his own power, and then turned round and bit the hand which was feeding him a stomach-pump.

My interest in Art was not suppressed. I began to read about the Masters - Old and New. You’ve Giotto hand it to those fellers - they had what it takes. Being of a phlegmatic nature myself, the Flemish School first took my eye. There was de Hooch (who probably painted still life), Rembrandt (who got his name from Charles Laughton’s film), and others who Eycked out a precarious existence - they were always in Dutch. Titian was the bloke who painted full-bosomed nudes. Vincent Van Gogh was a Modern Master. He called himself Van Gogh so you could only pronounce his name if you had a cigarette cough. King Alfred had nothing on Vincent and his ears. He spent most of his time going around cutting them off. But even this has its limits, as he soon found out. No perserverance. He gave up after the first two. Fortunately the habit didn’t catch on, or France would have been littered with Artists’ Ears. Modern Artists are too hungry to cut - they bite. And not being contortionists, they have to try it on someone else. This is known as “biting someone’s ear”, and is widely practised in Bohemian circles. You may be born an Artist, but you can’t be born an Old Master. Which is a pity. There are 70,000 art students in Paris. They are known as Paris-ites. Approximately 69,999 are suffering from ‘Art Failure. It’s just occurred to me. . . .If I don’t go to Paris. . . . Aw, but what’s the use? I’m getting nothing for writing this, anyhow. - DAN RUSSELL.

Other useful bits of knowledge about artists are as follows: - They are fond of food. - They lie to women like hell, and then get them to come round and get their portraits painted. - They wipe their nibs and brushes on anything handy, preferably on a dog with long, silky hair. - They are very fertile, and have large families. - Their idea of breakfast is a bottle of stout and a pair of scissors to cut their toenails with. - They wear funny clothes, such as corduroy pants, sandals, coats with reinforced leather elbows, or full evening dress with white ties. - They drink gin and peppermint, sometimes at 6.30 a.m. - They let hair grow down their backs of their necks. - They also let it grow down the fronts of their faces. - They kan’t spel for nutts. - If they wear shorts, they stick pipes in the tops of their socks. - They have powerful voices, and often insist on singing. - They think the human face has one eye, no mouth, an elliptical nose, three ears, and is coloured green. If you still want to know whether artists are human beings,send me £1 in a plain sealed envelope. - KEN SLESSOR For the purposes of identification: The artist who rowed his furniture to Manly was Joe Jonsson; the one with the parrot was Lance Driffield, who could not bear to think of the bird cooped up in his little Kings Cross flat: and the one who dived into Farm Cove was George Finey - LF www.cartoonists.org.au

Reviews That Odd Mr Sprod

Best Australian Political Cartoons 2009

by Dan Sprod OAM Published by Richard Sprod ISBN 9780646518701 $44

edited by Russ Radcliffe Scribe Publications ISBN 9781921640070 $29.95

Every year since 2003, Russ Radcliffe has compiled, into a book, his selection of the best political cartoons he can collect from Australian cartoonists. In the 2009 edition, Radcliffe writes that “political cartoonists are quick to find the chink in which to insert their satirical wedge” and this year he has chosen 190 cartoons by 31 cartoonists to demonstrate their wedge-insertion techniques. There is never a better year than the one cartoonists are working in for shoving wedges; and 2009 saw wedges shoved into George W. Bush, Sol Trujillo, Peter Costello, Brendan Nelson and the budget surplus - all of them on the way out. Wedges did not go missing with Barack Obama, the World Financial Crisis, swine

‘flu, bushfires, floods, stimulus spending, “Utegate” with fake emails and Malcolm Turnbull all copping a few while getting ready for next year’s insertions. It is a good sample of Australian cartooning and worth collecting, but it is not definitive. Another 190 could have been inserted and still more would be left awaiting insertion.

Lindsay Foyle

There is a cartoon on page 101 of That Odd Mr Sprod, which is the perfect cartoon to have in a book about George Sprod. It is a man sitting on a park bench drinking from a bottle. There is a hat on the ground with a few coins in it and a sign saying, “Insatiable thirst to support”. Sprod was a great cartoonist, a lovely writer, a nice man and he was a world champion drinker. The book is illustrated with almost 150 Sprod cartoons and is beautifully written by his brother Dan. It starts off, “How to present one man’s life in all its facets? And how to do justice to one person’s many achievements? Certainly the task is easier when the subject is an artist of merit who left a considerable body of work behind him, much of which illustrates not only his quick sense of humour, but also his casual, carefree attitude to life. That George Napier Sprod was an international cartoonist of considerable talent makes this task so much easier.” Dan traces George’s life in Adelaide (1919-38), Sydney (1938-41), Singapore (1941-45), Sydney (1945-49), London (1949-69) and his return to Sydney (1969-2003) in words and cartoons. There are funny bits, sad bits, romantic bits and bits about George’s capacity to put the odd one or two drinks away.

ABOVE: In one of the Best Australian Political Cartoons of 2009, Kevin Rudd’s linguistic awkwardness cops an earful courtesy of Mark Knight (on page 127, no less!)

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“Sprod’s talents recorded the life around him,” Dan reflects in the book, “largely spent in major cities.” George is quoted as saying “A cartoonist only needs a bit of paper and a pen and away he goes”. George was often thought of as quiet, and a bit of a dreamer. But the truth was he was always thinking about his next cartoon and how he could use what was happening around him. No matter what

graphical Las Antipodas, Clint (Q-Ray) Cure’s Unrequited Love, Daniel Reed’s Twistie of Fate and long-time Tango-ite Jo Waite’s The Kindness of Strangers (containing some of the most beautifully realised visions of Melbourne suburbia I’ve ever seen) spring to mind. Great credit is due to Bernard Caleo, along with Erica Wagner and Elise Jones, for this care in selection.

was happening George could always find something funny and his cartoons mostly reflect the time and the place he was living. Sprod produced many cartoons for Punch while he was living in London and the editor, Malcolm Muggeridge is quoted as describing George as “short, solid and enigmatic” and he reflected that at the weekly editorial conferences he “sits mostly silent and wearing a slightly quizzical half-smile which is very characteristic of him”. How true, but the half-smile was probably not aimed at those he was with at the time but at the cartoon he was evolving in his head. The book also notes that during his life George wrote five books. Chips off a Shoulder (1956), Bamboo Round my Shoulder (1981), Sprod’s views of Sydney (1981), Life on a Square-Wheeled Bike (1983) and When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (1989). Most were a mixture of cartoons along with words about his life. That Odd Mr Sprod is the first book about George Sprod. Given George’s life there is a very good chance it will be the only one. But his life would make a wonderful light-hearted comedy if only someone could get George to write the script. To buy a copy, contact the publisher, Richard Sprod, by email - sprod@adam.com.au, or write to Astrolabe Booksellers, P.O. Box 475, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, 7006

Lindsay Foyle

The Tango Collection Edited by Bernard Caleo Pubished by Allen & Unwin ISBN 9781742371436 $35.00

The time seems right for this substantial anthology of Australian romance comics. A number of local comic creators have had graphic novels published in recent years and many of them – including Mandy Ord, Nicki Greenberg, Bruce Mutard and J. Marc Schmidt – have shorter pieces in this thick volume. Well representing the rich diversity of Australian comics, The Tango Collection has amassed an astounding array of pieces across all styles, ranging in tone from hilarious to profound to surreal, and in look from the naïve to the masterly, all representing singular visions and voices. This is exactly what a good comics anthology should be - this book is able to present such a fine collection by having ten years of great material to select from. The “Backword” explains in comic form Bernard Caleo’s original vision: he began the regular Tango comics anthology in 1997 as a forum for comic makers to have a go, with romance and all its meanings as the broad theme. The first three issues were large format, whereas the later ones took on a smaller, more book-like aspect, along with more specific themes. It’s pleasing to find that this current collection contains so many of my favourite pieces – too many to name, but Greenberg’s zombies and her evidently bio-

Artwise, the emphasis is on strong blackand-white art, with these eclectic pieces having an immediacy and eloquence lacking in most mainstream comics. As Dylan Horrocks says in his intuitive introduction (regarding why we do this), these are “small, secret stories that will slowly creep into your mind and haunt your dreams”.

The striking red cover well reflects this approach – the combination of many minds contained as one – and I can’t think of a better Australian anthology for anyone to have in their collection (also, there are a number of ACA members in this volume as well, including me!). That this has come from a mainstream publisher and will be widely available is a very good sign for Australian comics. The latest issue of the regular anthology Tango9: Love & War was released in December. For more information, have a look at www.cardigancomics.com

Ian C. Thomas www.cartoonists.org.au

Vale Graham Le Page Graham Le Page (1945 - 2009)

Born in London in 1945, Graham Le Page started out working as a fireman for the London Fire Brigade. Inspired as a youngster by the work of the legendary Carl Giles, he pursued cartooning in his spare time, and developed a very keen eye for detail. When Graham was 17, he worked as a messenger in London for an advertising agency. One day he was asked to take a peice of artwork from the west of London to Fleet Street. When he looked under the wrapping he saw it was a Giles cartoon. He thought about stealing it (later, he said he wished he had), but it sparked his inspiration for cartooning from then on. He often talked about how much he loved George Haddon’s work, too. Renowned for his highly detailed and technical illustrations , particularly aircraft and vintage cars, Graham was affectionately known amongst his peers as “The Stipple King”. His works would always been meticulously hand-stippled, with mindboggling patience and stunning results. For a time, he worked in animation and taught animation for the Film Institute in the UK, before moving to Perth and working for several years as editorial cartoonist for the Sunday Times in the mid-1980s.

For all his outstanding level of talent, he spent his time in his studio in the Perth hills. Between pistol shooting and Guinness sampling, Graham worked for the WA patents office illustrating proposed inventions in great detail. With his wicked wit and unmistakeably British sense of humour, he produced some amazing freelance work, including maps, designs and some of the best humourous black and white art to come out of WA. A stalwart of the West Australian chapter of the Australian Cartoonists’ Association, Graham was awarded the “Riggers Award” in 2008 for his outstanding contribution to WA cartooning. Graham’s funeral was attended by all of his WA cartooning friends, all of whom took turns drawing a cartoon on his white coffin, already adorned with a tag stating “Bugger off, I’m thinking!” above an inscription on the side that read “Warning: Funny Bugger Inside”. Graham’s selfless assistance in WA cartooning projects like the Michael Collins Caricature Award and countless ACA exhibitions, will be as much-missed as his generous smile and quick hilarious wit.

Greg Smith & Jason Chatfield

34 www.cartoonists.org.au

Vale Mac Vines Mac Vines (1942 - 2009)

Mac wasn’t well known outside Queensland, but during the Joh Bjelke-Petersen era his cartoons in Brisbane’s Telegraph were compulsory reading. Francis Vivian Macintyre “Mac” Vines was born on Scotland’s Mull of Kintyre where his father serviced navy submarines. His family moved to Singleton in the Hunter Valley in 1949 and Mac attended school there until 1964. After a short spell as a clerk, he heard of an opportunity to be trained as a school teacher in Papua New Guinea and jumped at it. That began an amazing and adventurous 11 years teaching at the remote Morobe province, where some schools could only be accessed by light aircraft. He helped build the schools before teaching could begin, once taking a Year 6 class and their parents on a long trek to the coast to pick up roofing iron and timber, dragging it back to their village. During a school break he returned to Singleton where he met his future wife, Helen. She was apprehensive about living in PNG and thought she would check it out before agreeing to marry him. She fell in love with the place and they later married in a local village church which had been hastily repaired for the occasion. Mac had always dabbled in cartooning and illustration, and when the PNG education authorities heard of his skills they commissioned him to illustrate mathematics text books. He then started doing a weekly cartoon for the Post Courier newspaper, sending it by the occasional aircraft visit to the village. They moved back to Australia with their two young children upon PNG’s independence, ending up in Brisbane where Mac finished his teaching studies. This was the mid-1970s, and Joh’s heyday.

Mac had liked this cartooning lurk and approached the Telegraph with a portfolio, and he was immediately hired. He soon moved into daily cartooning in an Alice in Wonderland-like Queensland political landscape. The now defunct Telegraph was a feisty little paper in those days, shaming its then more fusty sister the CourierMail. Mac fitted in well. He had a light comical style of drawing, but a devastating ability to caricature, and very direct, no compromise comments, resulting in deceptively acid gags. The sort of cartoons that make you think, “Did I just read what I thought I read?”. He loved the work, and he was in his element until the Telegraph closed in 1988. He then moved to Brisbane’s Sunday Mail where he worked illustrating and cartooning until the first of his heart attacks in the early 90s. Mac retired with his family to the beautiful area of Dayboro north-west of Brisbane, and spent many pleasant years painting and gardening. I knew him well in the Joh years when I was on the CourierMail in the early 80’s. We put out a book or two together, didn’t make much money from them, but had a wealth of laughter working on them. He loved his family and he loved to laugh. He will be sorely missed by those who knew him.

Alan Moir ED: Mac’s TPNG Outstation colleague, Paul Oates, recalls Mac’s “energetic Highland fling and his sense of the ridiculous that constantly had you in stitches”. Mac (who was Head Teacher in the 1970s) was famous for his “Phantom jet takeoff” impression. This involved a full speed run down the hallway of an AR20 house with the front door open, then launching over the verandah. The landings differed depending on the terrain and amount of rain but were “always remedied with a nice red”.

Time Capsule... 1972 The venue was the Sydney Journalists’ Club, and the occasion was a testimonial “roast” in honour of Stan Cross on Tuesday, 10 October, 1972. Hosted by the then Black and White Artists’ Club of Sydney, entry was by “donation” (a princely $3.50). Pictured are, left to right: Les Dixon, Stan Cross, Jim Russell, Syd Miller and an ebullient Tony Rafty (who seems to be in the midst of celebrating his own imminent birthday on 12 October) Photo appears in Stop Laughing: This is Serious! by Vane Lindesay - in all good bookshops, folks! www.cartoonists.org.au

Your View On... Your View On...

Jules Faber

Jason Chatfield

David Follett

Lindsay Foyle

Syephen “Zeg” Gunnell

Barry Richards

Stimulus Package

Many thanks to everyone who contributed cartoons. The next issue’s topic is...

Emissions Trading Scheme 36 www.cartoonists.org.au

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