Cartoonists, illustrators and other creatives across the land, regularly encounter art directors, editors, buyers and suchlike who simply don’t expect to pay.
Their impudence is often utterly unbelievable and would’ve been deemed completely unacceptable in any other situation, yet it doesn’t stop them from offending every single time they commission new work.
The situation is not made any easier by the recession, which is being used as an excuse to slash already low fees.

Don’t let them get away with it!

Now watch this film and nod knowingly:

…by Dave Brown in the Indy today.
Very effective!

©mørland/the times

One of those days today when I came up with a dozen ways of making this cartoon better only minutes after filing it. Not uncommon of course, but it’s more annoying than usual…
But there you go. Can’t linger.
Happens.
Eh…

©mørland/the times

This seemed like the more suitable way of commenting on Michael Jackson’s passing, compared to dark humour of the idea below. The joke made me chuckle in the midst of all the frenzied reporting this morning, but that probably makes me a bad person, and I’d rather not admit to being a bad person to more than the handful of people reading this blog!

When the world gathers for one of these collective discharges of utterly disproportionate grief and frivolous adoration, it’s sometimes better to go along respectfully.
Better for your email inbox anyway!
I did not particularly want to do a “RIP cartoon”, with him moonwalking up to heaven or joining Elvis and James Brown in some divine orchestra (I bet you there will be a few of those!). Still, it was natural to take a somberish look on events, rather than lightly mock the manner of his departure.
Considering the media coverage today, satire undoubtedly has a place, but probably directed at everyone but Michael Jackson.

Robin Gibb probably summed up things the best today, with this quote to the BBC:

This tragedy should teach us a lesson to value and praise those gifts while we still have them in the world. If even a small portion of the praise that is bestowed on Michael Jackson now in death was given to him last year in life, he might well still be with us. That is the sad truth.

©mørland

To soon?

©mørland/the times

©mørland/the times

©mørland

A cartoon for more nerdy readers this, I admit. For those who tune in to BBC Parliament regularly, and are familiar with, and probably a little weary of, John Bercow’s tendency to say the simplest things as….elaborately………….and….slowly…………as possible.

©mørland

Excellent quote here, from a Leader in The Times:

Listening to the new Speaker address the House before the first ballot it was impossible to remain unimpressed. He speaks fluently and he speaks the language of reform. There is, however, always a danger with Mr Bercow that no one will be more impressed with one of his orations than he himself.

Good to see on their front page today, how much the Indy appreciates their eminent, and supremely hard working cartoonist Dave Brown.

Inside Dave writes about his Rouges’ Gallery work, which he recently has compiled into a book.
I couldn’t make it to the launch, and therefore haven’t seen this particular collection, but if the one from two years ago is anything to go by, this too surely is a must-have.
As with the previous book, there’s an exhibition showing the original art work, at the Political Cartoon Gallery in Store Street, London.