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Death of a satirist

The death of John Bird at age 86 is very sad news for lovers of satire in the United Kingdom and the world and perhaps particularly for satirists, ‘resting’ like myself, or those still functioning day-to-day.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/28/john-bird-actor-and-comedian-dies-aged-86

Obituaries will do a better job than I can of explaining what and how Bird did what he did, notably in partnership with his long time partner John Fortune and latterly alongside impressionist Rory Bremer.

Do enjoy them.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/dec/28/john-bird-obituary

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/john-bird-obituary-9dv223tqj

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64108691

John Bird and John Fortune – The Long Johns

Suffice to sign off by citing this particularly accurate two-handed piece about Euroscepticism in the UK. Many of us habe been living the consequences of this in my years.

The Long Johns – John Bird and John Fortune talk about Europe.

It is a fate of accurate satire that the jokes, ridicule, joy and recogntion so often go on to come to pass. The warnings can tend to be overlooked.

Pub Olympian

From the deep vaults

  • PUB-OLYMPIAN-gym- © Matthew-Buck-at-HACK-Cartoons
  • PUB OLYMPIAN coach - © Matthew Buck at HACK Cartoons
  • PUB OLYMPIAN bars - © Matthew Buck at HACK Cartoons
  • PUB OLYMPIAN slalom - ©Matthew Buck at HACK Cartoons
  • PUB OLYMPIAN syncronised slimming - © Matthew Buck at HACK Cartoons

The Story of Brexit


© Drawnalism Ltd

It’s been the story of our lives since the decision to hold a referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union.

Covering: The Lies of the Land

Donald Trump AND Nigel Farage in the news again? It’s just like old times.
Book_cover_The_Lies_Of_The_Land_By_Matthew_Buck_at_HACK_cartoons

Slideshow

Cartoon: Brexit means Brexit after the snap election

Very Well Alone - Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons

Prime minister Theresa May’s sudden decision to call a ‘snap’ General Election has produced a result that demonstrated just how profoundly split the UNited Kingdom is after the 2016 EU referendum.

 

Cartoon: This means war, with abroad

The General Election campaign of 2017 has started, officially.

The Prime Minister has also made a rather inflammatory speech with some large claims.

Theresa May speech on 3rd May 2017

Theresa May speech in Downing Street on 3rd May 2017

Cartoon: Very well, alone

Cartoon - Very Well Alone by David Low

Cartoon – Very Well, Alone by David Low

One image that merits the overused and abused term, iconic, is in the news again because of Brexit.

Extracted from Gideon Rachmann in the FT - 2nd May 2017 - at_Matthew_Buck_at_Hack_Cartoons

Extracted from Gideon Rachman column in the FT – 2nd May 2017

The acute analysis about ‘Very well, alone‘ offered by Mr Rachman in his column should be supplemented by knowledge of the next cartoon – All alone in the world – displayed by Fougasse aka Kenneth Bird.

Cartoon_Fougasse on World War Two via Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons

Cartoon – Fougasse (Kenneth Bird) on World War Two at Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons

Aside from being funny, Bird’s drawing was a more accurate depiction of the reality of late Imperial Britain’s efforts in the last world war – which ended almost seventy years ago.

I argue that in the murky realm of national mythologies these two cartoons occupy positions akin to yin and yang. the epitomy of complementary or conflicting opposites – emotion and reason – pride and pragmatism.

We have long seemed as a nation to have chosen World War Two as our national lodestar and these two pieces of imagery sum up the nation’s conversation with itself as well as anything else I know of.

My own modest efforts at reinterpretation of Low’s classic are below and are firmly #Brexit related – watching the Conservative Party become UKIP has been a most unedifying watch.

Cartoon_Flirting_with_fascism in Britain_©_Matthew_Buck_Hack_cartoons1

Flirting with Fascism – Matthew Buck at Hack Cartoons

And its consequences following the EU Referendum of June 2016 are becoming ever clearer.

Surrealism rules K-O

Surrealism rules K-O - Réne Magritte at Matt Buck Hack Cartoons

La cri de coeur – by Rene Magritte


The general election of 2017 has started.

Cartoon: General Elections are unpredictable things

WEB-Cartoon-Theresa-May-in-the-Winners-Enclosure-2017-04-21-©-Matthew-Buck-Hack-Cartoons

Making: ‘Elections are (usually) unpredictable things’ (#Brexit consequences)

This site and all content upon it is © Matthew Buck at Hack Cartoons and Multimedia unless otherwise stated.