America's perception management of Europe

Cartoon of Barack Obama by Morten Morland

Glenn Greenwald wrote in October 2012:

"It is almost certainly the case that an Obama-led attack on Iran would generate far more public support than a Romney-led attack, because most Democrats will almost certainly cheer for the former while pretending to be horrified by the latter, will while Republicans would support both (that's the dynamic that made the very same "counter-terrorism" policies that were so divisive in the Bush years become wildly popular once Obama embraced them)."

Morten Morland (@mortenmorland) - The cartoon process with Michael Gove

Morten Morland walks us through how he began drawing Michael Gove. I have noticed this. That there are people who are deceptive. You look at them and think, Oh they're easy to draw. Then you draw them and it won't happen. Yea that's the deceptive type. Any way here's what Morten said:

"The sketch above is of Michael Gove, who I’ve always found quite difficult to draw despite his wonderfully peculiar looks. It’s a bit like with Ken Clarke. There’s too much to pick up on! In Gove’s case it doesn’t help that his voice is even funnier than his appearance, which somehow leaves you trying to draw sound. 

And if that wasn’t enough, he’s deviously followed Jack Straw’s lead and ditched his trademark glasses, revealing eyes that are only half the size of those he used to present. 

Fortunately though he’s got lips that can pout for England, and when Gove becomes just a tad more famous, those alone should be able to carry a caricature."

A broader observation:

"The best caricaturists have always been those who can capture that one line or feature that tell the whole story, so to speak. I wouldn’t count myself among them, as I tend to elaborate and then elaborate some more. It’s a confidence issue more than anything else, and I hope I’m getting better at it. This applies to cartooning in general as well. How you compose your image – and how you edit it. 

The multi-award winning cartoonist Mike Tombs, originally from Coventry in England, has been one of Norway’s most successful, controversial and misunderstood cartoonists for three decades. Outside Norway his work has appeared in Punch, New Statesman and the Observer among others…"

In full here. 

Morten Morland (@mortenmorland) and the "Cartoon-Test"

Back in 2007, Morten Morland wrote about the LibDem leadership election. He predicted Nick Glegg's election would lead the party to oblivion. On what premise? Because Clegg is so exceptionally ordinary to draw and therefore exceptionally unremarkable to the electorate. "Mr. Some Bloke embodified" as Morten put it. He said:

"It’s simple, really. If a person is easy to draw, he’ll do well [in politics]. Because the likelihood is he’ll have other interesting characteristics too, which will make him appealing to journalists, thus raising the party’s profile in the media. And people watching are more likely to remember him, which is a bonus!

Morten then put Nick Clegg through what he called the "cartoon-test":

"A quick cartoon-test shows that Nick Clegg, probably the favourite in the party at the moment, will lead the party into eternal oblivion, if elected. 

He is Mr. Some Bloke embodified – despite the fact that he can speak several languages. 

I did a couple of quick sketches, and worringly for him, the best caricature came after I in frustration drew a lifeless mask. 

People will see Nick Clegg on TV and wonder whether he’s that guy from marketing whose name they can’t recall – or someone they’ve met at All Bar One.

Morten then put Chris Huhne through the "cartoon-test":

"Chris Huhne on the other hand, is better. Not great, but better. He’s got a prominent crazy eye – a feature that he famously shares with both Maggie and Tony. His mouth is similar to that of a hamster…or a mouse, and remember, those ears will keep growing. 

Between Clegg and Huhne, there really is no contest.

Art is theft, Ctd

Above is a Michael Ramirez cartoon, dated 17th Dec. 2003. Below is one by Morten Morland, from what looks like 2004. The second is not a copy or a theft, but an example of how artists can borrow and replicate; or, as could be the case, coincidentally come up with strikingly similar ideas. 

Write like you speak

Cartoon of Simon Hoggart by Morten Morland (@mortenmorland)

During a 2010 interview with the late Christopher Hitchens at The Arch hotel in London, George Eaton said that Hitchens credited Simon Hoggart, the Guardian's parliamentary sketch-writer, with improving his prose (Kingsley Amis, casting a critical eye over his son's friends, called him "the one who can talk but can't write"). Hitchens said:

"I think it was at dinner at his house, some time in the late Seventies, I'd written a piece in the New Statesman and Hoggart said, 'Good piece, I agree with you, you've made a strong case this week. But I thought it was a bit dull.' And I bridled, 'What do you mean, dull? I was making a strong argument for the cause of the labour movement. Dullness doesn't come into it.' He replied: 'No, the thing is it's not as amusing to read you as it is to have a conversation with you. Why don't you try and write more as you talk?' That insight stayed with me."

Of that, George Eaton said:

"For that, and much else, we are indebted to Hoggart."

Art is theft, Ctd

The above cartoon by Michael Ramirez is from 2012. The below by Morten Morland is from 2003.

My Art is Theft series featuring Ronald Searle, Quentin Blake and Morten Morland here, with Ian Knox and Brook here, with Morten Morland talking about theft here, and a piece on the links between Morten Morland and Michael Ramirez here. On the theft of Peter Brookes' cartoon, read here. Austen Kleon post here. Jack Vettriano here. Andre Carrilho on the challenge of caricature here.

The post on the BBC Radio 4 Sins of Literature broadcast here. A piece with Christopher Hitchens and Maria Popova on Joyce here. Another piece on Maria Popova here. Post with contributions from Eamonn Mallie here. The Northern Irish poet Ciaran Carson here. With Alexia Tsotsis here. More of my stuff on Maria Popova here, here, here and here. With Picasso and Austin Kleon here.

Christopher Hitchens explains here how parts of the US Declaration of Indepence were built on and even plagiarised from the writings of John Locke. More comments from Hitchens here.

Art is theft, Ctd

Tut tut. Someone didn't read last week's @telegraph pic.twitter.com/GguZQDNE5R
— Christian Adams (@Adamstoon1) December 29, 2013

My Art is Theft series featuring Ronald Searle, Quentin Blake and Morten Morland here, with Ian Knox and Brook here, with Morten Morland talking about theft here, and a piece on the links between Morten Morland and Michael Ramirez here. On the theft of Peter Brookes' cartoon, read here.

Art is theft, Ctd Ronald Searle and Morten Morland

Ronald Searle above. Morten Morland remixes below:

And below is Quentin Blake:

Art is theft, Ctd Morten Morland

Morten Morland wrote here:

"Influence, plagiarism, copying etc, is a difficult subject in any creative profession. It’s been said that plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery, but I have a feeling it was a plagiarist who first said it. In court. On his knees. It’s bollocks of course. In its purest form it’s the sincerest form of laziness… 

In a profession like cartooning though, it can often be difficult to distinguish between intentional plagiarism and (unfortunate) coincidence, and between influence and identity theft. I reckon most cartoonist at some point must have drawn a cartoon and realised afterwards that the idea was not a result of their own brilliance, but an unintentional ‘rip-off’ of an idea they’d seen in the past. As most cartoonists themselves are eager follower of cartoons, it is not entirely surprising that this can happen.

Art is theft, Ctd

Michael Ramirez in 2006 above and here. Morten Morland repeated and remixed in 2010 and 2012 below: