Here's a review I wrote in the Spectator about by a fellow cartoonist, Hamiltonian, and beer drinking partner, Roy Carless. I recommend his book. You can by it through Amazon.ca.

The Carless Cartoon Collection
By Roy Carless and Kerry J. Schooley
Seraphim Editions, $24.95

If there was ever a time in Canadian history when there existed a golden age of editorial cartooning, it was during the era that spanned the 45-year career of the great Duncan Macpherson.

Born out of this period between 1948 and 1993 was a whole generation of cartoonists who were so captivated by the style and philosophy of the late Toronto Star wise one that even today you'll see his influence in 21st century editorial cartoons.

One particular Hamiltonian cartoonist who followed alongside Macpherson as both a student and friend is Roy Carless.

Carless shows an edginess that pushes the envelope with the naughtiness of a kid at the back of a classroom.

Having drawn for mostly labour and trade publications, Carless has enjoyed greater freedom to skewer politicians and express ideas than many of his mainstream contemporaries. So while many editorial cartoons from the '60s and '80s ranged from the whimsical to the cornball, Carless was sticking it to those who were sticking it to the everyman.

Macpherson often employed the everyman character in his cartoons, and so did Roy Carless. Yet Carless actually lived the life of an everyman.

He has spent a life on the assembly lines of Westinghouse and Camco and has been active in countless trade union organizations. He has faced family tragedies and suffered severe health problems.

Well into his 80s, Carless continues to passionately produce cartoons. And his stories and cartoons through four decades are wonderfully told and illustrated in The Carless Cartoon Collection.

I came across a discussion on a messageboard where Green Party supporters were weighing in their thoughts on above cartoon featuring their leader Elizabeth May:

Again I find myself the only cartoonist who felt it necessary to draw on something that has been completely ignored by everyone else: the Premier's trade mission to India. The 17 day trip began last week and includes a 100-member Ontario government delegation with hopes of cashing in on the country's lucrative film industry and becoming a self-styled "Bollywood North," as Dalton McGuinty himself described it. To me it smells an awful lot like the old Chretien days, when the old Prime Minister would gladhand his way through countries like China and India with high hopes of bringing foreign investment to Canada. It's debateable how effective these junkets are. For now let Dalton be the star of his own cheesy show.

Here's some photos from the trip thus far. I'd love to see some cartoonist out there draw something on this rather comical journey by Ontario's Premier.

By the Numbers

I was curious to find out how frequently Dalton McGuinty appears in cartoons so I did a little tabulation of cartoons I've drawn of him over the past 12 months. Through a simple defined search of my syndicate I discovered I drew 16 cartoons of him in 2006. Sue Dewar of the Ottawa Sun actually beat me by drawing 20. This led me to wonder which politician was drawn the most last year among all the artists represented through Artizans. Here's the ranking:

1. Stephen Harper -- 422
2. Ralph Klein -- 89
3. Paul Martin -- 87
4. Dalton McGuinty -- 48
5. Jack Layton -- 45
6. Michael Ignatieff -- 42
7. Rodney MacDonald -- 35
8. Peter MacKay -- 34
9. Stephane Dion -- 34
10. David Emerson -- 32
11. Belinda Stronach --28
12. Rona Ambrose -- 27
13. Bob Rae -- 23
14. Gordon Campbell -- 23
15. Gilles Duceppe -- 20
16. Jim Flaherty -- 17
17. Jean Chretien -- 15
18. Scott Brison -- 14
19. Bill Graham -- 9
20. Frank McKenna -- 9
21. Joe Volpe -- 9
22. Ken Dryden -- 7
23. Ed Stelmach
24. Hedy Fry -- 6
25. Gerard Kennedy -- 4
26. Jean Charest -- 4
27. Vic Toews -- 4
28. John Baird -- 2
29. Gary Doer -- 1
30. Lorne Calvert, Martha Hall Findlay, Danny Williams -- 0

Everyday I spend a little time perusing reader feedback, answering questions, and explaining the meanings of my cartoons.  I often need to remind the people who complain about my work that I'm in the opinion business, not news relaying, and that it's expected I rattle the nerves of readers on a frequent basis. Last weekend's cartoon was designed to just that, and it got a few bites, just as this side of North America was concluding a balmy stretch of unseasonably warm January weather. Here's one which I'd like to share:

Hi there,

I don't usually write anyone about anything except your cartoon upset me so much this morning that I can't finish reading the paper. From what you wrote it seems that you don't believe in humanity's role in global warming. This isn't a natural cycle of the Earth. I think you should educate yourself before you do allude to a "let's do nothing to stop global warming" approach. Good places to start are "The Weathermakers" by Tim Flannery, David Suzuki's website, and Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" (even if you don't like Al Gore he has some hard scientific data that I'd love to see someone refute).

So far any scientist that has studied core samples from Antarica state that the Earth has never warmed this quickly before.

You have a lot of power as someone who is seen daily in the news. I wish you'd be more responsible.
 
Sincerely,
E.B.

Dear E,

Sorry my editorial cartoon upset you but sometimes that's what an editorial cartoon is supposed to do. At the very least I hope it reminded you that the source of all the recent bizarre weather is not to be blamed solely on increased levels of carbon dioxide and other emissions in the atmosphere. I simply threw out something in cartoon form which challenged all the hype conspired by warm weather, a cabinet shuffle, polls, and recent studies which have put the environment as the flavour of the month. I wasn't hearing much in the news about El Nino, which science has proven is naturally occuring.

I don't know where you get any notion of a "let's do nothing to stop global warming" from me, or in my cartoon. I'm concerned as anyone else about the environment but I don't think it's unreasonable to push back and question some of the junk science you'll find with the presentations from the people you mentioned.

I appreciate your email.

Best Regards,

Graeme MacKay

Sorry, but what do you mean junk science? What's wrong with how they obtained their results?

Dear E,

Sincerely,

Graeme MacKay 
 

I received word today that this cartoon won a Ranan Lurie Citation for Excellence Award from the United Nation's Correspondence Association. Quite a mouthful, but a great honour to be lumped among some of the world's best editorial cartoonists. I never win anything... so this is very nice.

* * * * * *

Spectator cartoonist wins prestigious international award

The Hamilton Spectator (Jan 3, 2007)

Spectator editorial cartoonist Graeme MacKay has been honoured for political satire by the United Nations Correspondents Association.

MacKay, whose works have pricked Spectator readers' consciences and often tickled their funny bones for 10 years, has been chosen one of the association's 2006 winners of the prestigious Ranan Lurie Political Cartooning Award.

MacKay, the only Canadian in the international winners' circle, was awarded a citation of excellence for his entry. First place went to Alfredo Sabat of La Nacion in Argentina. Cartoonists from the U.S., France, Australia, Brazil, Greece and China were honoured.

"It's great to be in the company of these guys," MacKay said.

"We're really lucky to have Graeme here with us," said Spectator Opinions Editor Kevin Cavanagh.

"When it comes to opinion, writers might have a whole column to make their points but it is entirely different for a visual satirist," said Cavanagh.

"He has to push a lot of emotional buttons in one panel."