Cartoons for The New European

Here's a selection of cartoons published in The New European newspaper. All, as you might imagine, are on Brexit and related issues, such as the distrust of mainstream media and the potential rise of a new centrist political party.

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Referendum cartoon

Click to enlarge. Just because a cartoon is for a magazine about waste and recycling, doesn't mean it can't be about the EU referendum! From the May issue of Skip Hire Magazine.

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That was the year: 2014 in topical cartoons

If you can take another "review of the year", it's time for my now traditional look back at the past 12 months of topical cartoons.

This was a year that saw quite a few household names in court ...

One person continued to surprise us ...

Technology dominated the headlines, as ever ...

... which meant new buzz phrases ...

... and more gadgets.

In 2014 we commemorated the centenary of the First World War ...

... which at times was maybe a bit much.

This was the year of the Scottish referendum, and the many promises that went with it ...

And like it or not, Nigel Farage and Ukip was the other big political story of 2014.

There was the Rochester by-election ...

... a depressing lack of a sense of humour in another by-election ...

... and a TV showdown.

Light relief was found at the cinema ...

... and with the return of some old friends.

What were the big trends of 2014? Well, we seemed to reach "Peak Beard" ...

... and there were a lot of selfies ...

... not to mention other narcissistic trends.

But as usual we ended the year basking in the warm glow of advertising sentimentality ...

Have a happy 2015, one and all!

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Scottish independence referendum cartoon

"That Mr Cameron reckons ah can hae a cushion for mah bucket if ah dinnae vote Aye."

A referendum of cartoon editors voted "No", either because they didn't get the reference or because everyone is doing Scottish independence cartoons. 

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Private Eye cartoon: Take the test

Breaking the run of Christmas cartoons, here's one from this week's Private Eye, focusing on the London Mayor's ill-advised speech about people with low IQs and his subsequent poor performance at answering IQ test questions.

In a somewhat different style, here's Boris Johnson vs the leader of Medway Council in a cartoon drawn to illustrate a local newspaper article about opposition to the Mayor's planned Estuary Airport.

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Political cartoon: The swivel eyes have it

The Kentish Gazette asked Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader, if the rumours were true that he is to run in Canterbury at the next election. His response: "There is always so much flying around about what I might or not be doing. My advice is don’t get too excited about it.”

The latter part struck me as a particularly appropriate UKIP election slogan ...

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Life imitating cartoons. Part 4

Here is another in my occasional "Life imitating cartoons" series. This was in a newspaper last week ...

Compare with this newspaper cartoon from the European elections of 2009 ...

"Something tells me they're expecting a low voter turnout."

More cartoony "predictions" here:
Life imitating cartoons. Part 1
Life imitating cartoons. Part 2
Life imitating cartoons. Part 3

Cloudspotters cartoon: A little background

"Ha ha, that cloud looks just like Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, 1929-1931."

This is one of two cartoons I've got in the new issue of Prospect magazine, and has to be among the more off-the-wall gags that I've had published.

I had the set-up rattling around in my head for a while i.e. someone saying a cloud looks like something, or someone, impossibly obscure, with another person looking on in bemusement. But I couldn't think of a suitable subject.

Then, and I'm not sure how this happened, I hit on the idea of pre-war cabinet ministers. As you do. A spot of Googling later and I found Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, 1929-1931. The name somehow just seemed to fit the bill. So, thanks Fred (he was a Labour man, he wouldn't mind that.)


Frederick Pethick-Lawrence

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Elections cartoon: Don't forget to vote

"Something tells me they're expecting a low voter turnout."

Here's a local paper cartoon on today's Euro and council elections. Like many people who are more than a bit disillusioned with politics, I'll be going along to vote out of a sense of duty to the process itself, rather than dedication to any particular candidate or party.

This is nothing to do with the recent MPs' expenses scandal, by the way, I was disillusioned way before that! I do know I won't be transferring my vote to the British National Party, and I find it bizarre that anyone would vote in such a way to "punish" the main parties over expenses. Maybe I should spoil my ballot paper by drawing a cartoon on it. It might at least cheer up one of the people who have the thankless task of counting all the votes.

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Cartoon world

Has anyone else noticed that many major world leaders and events seem to be getting the comic book/cartoon treatment these days?

Nelson Mandela
The 9/11 Report
The Pope
And now, er, French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy

Coming soon: Andy Capp runs for leader of the Labour party.