Ian Knox on the Royal Visit

A nice cartoon from Ian Knox, one that got away. 

The cartoonist as the true journalist

John pilger thinks so:

"The most effective defender of the paper is not one of these. He has shaggy dark hair and a beard - or he did when I last saw him. For more than 20 years I have turned to his work as you would reach for coffee in the morning. He is outrageous, anarchic, brilliant, sometimes inexplicable and a bit mad (not really). For those who doubt the truth is subversive and often absurd, I point them towards two pages in the Guardian, where he resides. 

Only Steve Bell exposes consistently, fearlessly, the bullshit of "public life". Indeed, his characters are often drowning in or water-skiing on the stuff. "Right, that's it," says the last governor of the Bank of England, Sir Mervyn King, to Gordon Brown, then prime minister, and chancellor Alistair Darling, "heads down, tea break over!" They are up to their chins in a tank of turds. 

Steve Bell is a cartoonist and a true journalist with few rivals. He is Hogarth and Swift with a touch of Peter Sellers and a sprinkling of Orwell. He is more of an English original than one of his prime targets, Margaret Thatcher, the former petit-bourgeois totem. Often using the wickedly all-seeing penguin star of his strip, "If..." he rumbled both Thatcher and her protege, Blair, early in their criminal ascendancy."

In full here. The New Statesman also covered this with, 'John Pilger on Steve Bell and the cartoonist as true journalist.'

Herb Block - The coiner of "McCarthyism"

In this video interview (at 8m25) Herb Block explains how he cointed the famous terms, "McCarthyism".

"Yea [I invented McCarthyism], apparently so. That's the first use made of that word that I know of. I remember how it originated, because they wanted to put something on that top barrel, and you couldn't call it McCarthy himself, and you wouldn't say 'McCarthy techniques" or so on. I thought well we could maybe use just one word, "McCarthyism". And it caught on."

Video in full here.

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. 

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. 

Ian Knox at work

The above is Ian Knox working ahead of the last ever episode of Hearts and Minds. Here he is producing a piece for the If You Ask Me segment written and narrated by Malachi O'Doherty. Watch here and see screen grabs of the end result.

Other posts on Ian Knox. Slideshow of Ian Knox riding his Penny Farthing here. Ian Knox riding his Penny Farthing during the Giro 2014 here. Ian Knox and friends on their Penny Farthings for the Hume/Dunlop anniversary cycle here. Ian Knox speaking with the Detail here. Chatting with Michael Smiley here. My blog post on Ian Knox's cartoons of loyalists and republicans, here. Ian Knox and I drawing together in the Black Box, Belfast in 2013 here. Ian Knox and I drawing at McHugh's, Belfast here. My coverage of Ian Knox's December 2013 exhibition, 'Lifelines and Deadlines' here. A selection of photos of Ian Knox at work here. My article here on why an Ian Knox prize to encourage satire and political cartooning like the Herb Block foundation in America which rewards and encourages future talent. A notice about my joint exhibition with Ian Knox on Slugger O'Toole is here. Ian Knox talking about flags, the Union and loyalists here.

Ian Knox - "Ride with the Giants" #HumeDunlop125

On Sunday May 18 cycle fans came to the Botanic Gardens in Belfast to see the 4 men and their Penny Farthings, Ian Knox, Pete, Sam & Dave (pictured below) to "Ride with the Giants" for the #humedunlop125 anniversary. The Irish News reported on May 3 2014:

"In south Belfast yesterday, Ian Knox unveiled an artwork he has designed, left, to mark 125 years since Irish cyclist Willie Hume won a race with the world's first pneumatic tyre. Scottish vet John Boyd Dunlop made the invention while living in Belfast in 1888 after a doctor had recommended cycling for his ill son. He wanted to find a way to minimise the jarring of the city's cobbled streets and so tacked linen to the wheels of a tri-cycle, which in turn held an inflated tube in place against the wheel. The artwork by Mr Knox, himself a keen cyclist and penny farthing enthusiast, hangs on the side of Hatfield House on the Ormeau Road, where the race passed on May 18 1889. Kieran Cassidy, owner of the bar, said:

"With this fantastic event coming here we wanted to remind people of Northern Ireland's contribution to cycling through a comic and fun piece of art. "We hope that the artwork will not only welcome cyclists but also remind... visitors to the city that the first pneumatic tyre was invented in Belfast."

 

See a full selection of photos from the Sunday cycle below.

Other posts on Ian Knox. Slideshow of Ian Knox riding his Penny Farthing here. Ian Knox riding his Penny Farthing during the Giro 2014 here. Ian Knox speaking with the Detail here. Chatting with Michael Smiley here. My blog post on Ian Knox's cartoons of loyalists and republicans, here. Ian Knox and I drawing together in the Black Box, Belfast in 2013 here. Ian Knox and I drawing at McHugh's, Belfast here. My coverage of Ian Knox's December 2013 exhibition, 'Lifelines and Deadlines' here. A selection of photos of Ian Knox at work here. My article here on why an Ian Knox prize to encourage satire and political cartooning like the Herb Block foundation in America which rewards and encourages future talent.

Ian Knox and his Penny Farthing, Ctd

A selection of pictures of Ian Knox on his Penny Farthing. Enjoy. Previous posts of Ian Knox on his Penny Farthing here and here.

Other posts on Ian Knox. Ian Knox speaking with the Detail here. Chatting with Michael Smiley here. My blog post on Ian Knox's cartoons of loyalists and republicans, here. Ian Knox and I drawing together in the Black Box, Belfast in 2013 here. Ian Knox and I drawing at McHugh's, Belfast here. My coverage of Ian Knox's December 2013 exhibition, 'Lifelines and Deadlines' here. A selection of photos of Ian Knox at workhere. Slideshow of Ian Knox riding his Penny Farthing here. My article here on why an Ian Knox prize to encourage satire and political cartooning like the Herb Block foundation in America which rewards and encourages future talent.

Ian Knox talks cycling with Michael Smiley

Michael Smiley featured on an eponymously named series on the BBC, 'Michael Smiley - Something to Ride Home About.' On that series Michael Smiley embarks on a cycle tour of Northern Ireland. In the first episode he meets the Northern Ireland political cartoonist and Penny Farthing rider, Ian Knox.

Below are a full selection of images from the episode that first aired on April 21 2014, including an Ian Knox cartoon of Michael Smiley. Slideshow of Ian Knox riding his Penny Farthing here.

Earlier posts on Ian Knox. Ian Knox speaking with the Detail here. My blog post on Ian Knox's cartoons of loyalists and republicans, here. Ian Knox and I drawing together in the Black Box, Belfast in 2013 here. Ian Knox and I drawing at McHugh's, Belfast here. My coverage of Ian Knox's December 2013 exhibition, 'Lifelines and Deadlines' here. A selection of photos of Ian Knox at work here. Slideshow of Ian Knox riding his Penny Farthing here. My article here on why an Ian Knox prize to encourage satire and political cartooning like the Herb Block foundation in America which rewards and encourages future talent.

Ian Knox on the Arts Show

Episode 26 of the Arts Show looked into the world of Ian Knox. Of remark, Ian Ian Knox contrasted unionism with nationalism. He said that unionist politicians are easier to lampoon. In fact, they are more interested in his work. He explained:

"Nearly all the feedback I get regularly is from politicians is from unionists. They are the ones who want the originals. Not the nationalists. And here’s a kind of discipline about nationalists which means that the cartoons aren’t quite as funny. The whole world of unionism is much wilder and wackier."

My previous posts on Ian Knox. Ian Knox speaking with the Detail here. My blog post on Ian Knox's cartoons of loyalists and republicans, here. Ian Knox and I drawing together in the Black Box, Belfast in 2013 here. Ian Knox and I drawing at McHugh's, Belfast here. My coverage of Ian Knox's December 2013 exhibition, 'Lifelines and Deadlines' here. A selection of photos of Ian Knox at work here. My article here on why an Ian Knox prize to encourage satire and political cartooning like the Herb Block foundation in America which rewards and encourages future talent.

Below are a selection of images from the Arts Show:

Ian Knox cartoons and political correctness as censorship, Ctd

[DISCLAIMER: When I speak of loyalists I do not speak of all loyalists. I speak of a small violent minority]*

[DISCLAIMER: I am an equal opportunities adversary and I hold violent republicans in equal contempt to violent loyalists]*

It's well documented that Ian Knox draws loyalists and loyalist paramilitaries as knuckle-dragging empty-heads. It nothing new. He's been doing it for decades. By doing this he adheres to two codes. 

Firstly, he is adhering to the unwritten convention of the political cartoonist. It is their job to be cutting and incisive and even to offend. 

Secondly, he is adhering to speaking plain English. To calling a stone-throwing thug a stone-throwing-thug. And the beauty of political cartoons is that they're super-distilled plain English. As John Gilroy, creator of the Guinness posters, said:

"The man in the street has no time for contemplation. My posters are therefore, a kind of aesthetic meal-in-a-minute."

Live Drawing with Ian Knox at #TweetUpNI

On Thursday 14 March 2014 I spent an evening drawing and cartooning at the Slugger O'Toole event, 'Belfast's Big Tweet Up'. Above is a cartoon of Ian Knox and I. See below for a full selection of pictures of Ian and I cartooning each other.

Cartoon off at #tweetupNI between @brianjohnspencr and Ian Knox from @irish_news pic.twitter.com/pfAHSAleJF
— Eye on the Hill (@chambrepa) March 13, 2014

.@brianjohnspencr doing some live sketching while we watch @bbctheview! #tweetupni pic.twitter.com/a781gqKwOA
— Alan in Belfast (@alaninbelfast) March 13, 2014

My previous post on Ian Knox:

Ian Knox speaking with the Detail here. Ian Knox and I drawing together in the Black Box, Belfast in 2013 here. My coverage of Ian Knox's December 2013 exhibition,'Lifelines and Deadlines' here. A selection of photos of Ian Knox at work here. My article here on why an Ian Knox prize to encourage satire and political cartooning like the Herb Block foundation in America which rewards and encourages future talent.

Ian Knox speaks with The Detail

Barry McCaffrey (@Barry_TheDetail) with Ian Knox, in full here.

Barry McCaffrey (@Barry_TheDetail) interviewed the famous political cartoonist Ian Knox on behalf of the Detail here. I took a selection of screen shots from the interview which includes Ian at work and some of his cartoons.

Pictures of Ian and I drawing together here. My coverage of Ian Knox's December 2013 exhibition, 'Lifelines and Deadlines' here. A previous blog post with a selection of photos of Ian Knox here. My article here on why we need to do more to promote and widen the reach of the work of Ian Knox and why we need an Ian Knox prize to encourage satire and political cartooning; like the Herb Block foundation which is funded with $50 million to be bequeathed to:

"encourage the art of editorial cartooning and to support charitable and educational programs that help promote and support the causes he championed."

We need this in Northern Ireland and Ireland. Click below to see a selection of photos of Ian during his interview with The Detail:

Live Drawing - @TheWickerManBT1

I have an exhibition running at the Wicker Man (@TheWickerManBT1) tourist and souvenir shop on High Street, Belfast city centre running for the whole month of February 2014. On Thursday 13 February I did an evening of Live Drawing, a pilot event ahead of a bigger more sustained programme of Live Drawing that will run at the Wicker Man. Click below to see a full selection of images from the night.

Previous night of live drawing in the first of four evenings at the Ramore Wine Bar in Portrush (@RamorePortrush) here. Night of Live Drawing in Portrush in the Mermaid Restaurant here. With the Arts Council NI at their 2013 conference here, at the Pump House, Titanic Belfast with the Friday Night Mashup here, at the QUB Peace Journalism seminarhere, St Joseph's PS Christmas craft fair 2013 here, at the Thriftway Travel christmas party 2013 here, at the Civic Conversation 2013here. At a Christmas party (2013) here. At the DUP Conference 2013 here, and drawing the DUP politicians here. Doodling 6 guys in a pub here. At Culture Night Belfast 2013 here. At the GEMS NI Conference here. At Funtastics indoor play park here.                                                                                                                                           Live drawing in the Black Box with famous political cartoonist Ian Knox here. See my life drawings from the Loft Belfast at 99 North Street here, here and here. My thoughts on life drawing here. One of my favourite cartoonists Andre Carrilho talks about the challenge of caricature here.

Martin Rowson (@MartinRowson) - I'm a cartoonist, it's my job to be offensive

@juliusmandrake @peterkofod @alaindebotton @medialens I'm a freelance cartoonist. It's my job & vocation to be offensive & silly. No room...
— Martin Rowson (@MartinRowson) January 17, 2013

My last post in the series is on The Huffington Post here.

Thomas Nast - No Sect Can Rule this School

Carlos Velazquez wrote a commentary on the cartoon done by Thomas Nast, the father of the American editorial cartoonist tradition, which accompanied an article from a 1875 edition of Harper’s Weekly.  On page 385 of that publication is an articleed titled 'The Public Schools and its Foes.' Directly above the article was another political cartoon by Nast. The Thomas Nast cartoon, 'No Church need apply' depicts a Catholic bishop passing out Vatican decrees to young school children. These children are placed in a doorway of the school, besides which appeared a sign which read, 'No Sect can rule this school,' This was the theme of the companion article. Carlos explained the cartoon and the companion article here:

"The companion article written by Eugene Lawrence highlighted the greatest enemy of the common schools as being the Roman Catholic Church and its leader Pope Pius IX as well as other religious/political institutions that did not promote American common schools. The article favored the condition of the common schools and emphasized what we consider today to be the separation of church and state: 

“Their people have become conscious that the common school is the source of ease, comfort, wealth; that it doubles the value of their lands, build towns, factories, railroads; and hence all over the south there is a plain advance toward a new condition of society.” (p.386)

Furthermore, Lawrence cited the common schools as places for “repression of violence” and “cultivation of knowledge” and expresses the notion that the enemies of the common school, which included, “a foreign pope, democratic politicians and a foreign sect” as being responsible for “the decreed destruction of the common school…” (p.386)

Loyalist violence weakens the argument for Northern Ireland remaining in the Union

John Major previously spoke of loyalism's "phantom fear" here.  Hugo MacNeill has since written a piece by the title, 'Young People Have a New Vision for Northern Ireland', in The Irish Times here:

"Loyalist violence around parades and flags has created little solidarity from the rest of the UK. Perhaps no matter for now. However, with (a) possible Scottish independence, and (b) Britain’s place in Europe being debated, potentially significant changes to the UK could follow. These could have huge and potentially negative implications for Northern Ireland. Violent attacks on security forces do little for Ulster unionism in the wider UK."

Ian Knox - Lifelines and Deadlines

Above is Ian Knox at the opening of his exhibition, 'Lifelines and Deadlines'. You can read my preview on Slugger O'Toole here. Also see my blog post with pictures of Ian at work here. Pictures of Ian and I drawing together here. Another blog post on Ian Knox's cartoons on loyalism here. The Irish news reported on the exhibition here and said:

Irish News cartoonist Ian Knox was last night praised for his "gift of finding the perfect illustration" as an exhibition showcasing decades of his life's work was launched in Belfast. His "original way of seeing things" has seen him produce works of art spanning several decades and last night his drawings went on show in a rare solo exhibition. From newspaper cartoons to material featured on TV, as well as book and magazine illustrations, a wide variety of his original work is on display for the first time. 

The 'Lifelines and Deadlines' exhibition opened at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast last night and was attended by a host of artists, journalists and politicians. The month-long exhibition showcases the 70-year-old's award-winning work, spanning several decades.

The artist's journey, Ctd Deane's wall painting #2

Check out how I went from brief to final product in the images above and below.

Live Drawing - St Joseph's Craft Fair

Less sweaty, stinky, lumbering politicians. More nice, polite little children. On Sunday 8 December I was doing live drawing at Saint Joseph's Primary School in Crumlin. As you can see from the picture above it was like being trasported back to my primary 4 class of 1994/1995 - Lots of kids enjoying the euphoria of a good cartoon!

I lost count of how many cartoons I actually produced. Tried to take a picture of every piece but missed a few. Click below to see a sample and selection of pieces from the day. Enjoy.