Steve Bell In Todays Guardian

[mikey4444]

Steve Bell has never been overly popular on AB before, rather puzzlingly, but I thought I would post his cartoon from today's Guardian anyway. His Farage had me in stitches earlier this morning ::::

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cartoon/2014/feb/12/steve-bell-flooding-cameron-miliband

[jno]

he's a superb caricaturist, possibly the best ever at least in Britian. But he isn't funny. Editorial cartoons tend to be very serious, referencing films (like this one) or books or other more famous cartoons. The same goes for his "comic" strip If: well drawn but over-reliant on swearing.

Also, he's against everything and everyone. Being an all-purpose anti may be lucrative but it's tiring for an audience. (Same goes for the editorial cartoonists on most papers.)

Compare Matt's cartoons in the Telegraph: small, non-political (but still topical) and they always make me giggle.

[Zacs-Master]

Jno, don't caricature cartoons rely on taking the P out of someone which means you have to be 'anti' them?

[ToraToraTora]

I don't get it, but then again I don't speak "anti British, lefty weird beard" so perhaps you'll be kind enough to explain. Oh hang on...... it's funny because farage didn't moan because we called in some experts from Holland. The thing is I don't remember him or indeed any politician ever saying that experts are not allowed, silly me. To answer the initial question though, if the joke needs explaining it's pretty poor to start with.

[Gromit]

Crap. Unfunny. Not satirical. Pretty pointless commentary.

What happens when you go straight from reading Rupert Annuals to 'The Socialist Worker'.

[LazyGun]

I have to say, of all the cartoonists and satirists at work out there, I find Bell the most opaque, and least funny. Don't know if it is generational, or simply that I am not seeing the humour :)

[ToraToraTora]

I'm amazed he gets employed, I could do a better job than that!

[jno]

Zacs - not all cartoonists are caricaturists, even the political ones. A lot of them criticise ideas rather than people. Other caricaturists just draw people without getting involved in politics or topicality at all. But because Bell's a caricaturist, and political, and editorial, and topical... he's really got nowhere to go except nihilism, anti-whichever party is in power but anti the opposition too. (And he doesn't like other countries' governments either.) Personalising everything isn't necessaily useful, but he has to, because he's a caricaturist.

Did he ever do a cartoon, for instance, celebrating Britain's Olympic success?

All I could find was this - personalising and politicising it again:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cartoon/2012/sep/10/steve-bell-conservative-olympic-legacy

He doesn't seem to be able to just enjoy life. I admire his drawing, but if he could just stop moaning...

[jno]

TTT, if you can draw better caricatures than Bell, you are one in a million - in fact one in a hundred million - and you'll find work tomorrow. Go for it.

[youngmafbog]

No, not one for me I'm afraid. I just dont get it, perhaps because, like TTT, I dont do wierdy beardy either. But if it amuses some then it's got to be ok.

[Gromit]

I remember seeing Steve Bell and Bill Tidy at a theatre and they did a question and answer session. An exchange went like this

Audience member: How long will the 'If' cartoon strip last?
Bell: As long as Mrs Thatcher is Prime Minister.
Tidy: i wouldn't want to rely on Thatcher for a job.

[ToraToraTora]

No I can't draw to save my life but I reckon even I could do a better joke.

Nice dig at MrsT gromit, your creativity knows no bounds.

[sp1814]

What as the name of that cartoonist who used to do the opening titles of Yes Minister?

Gerald Scarfe.

Thought he was pretty good.

[sp1814]

mikey4444

Have to say...not really getting Bell's cartoon. Or rather, I get it, but my corset is not being tested by my sides splitting...

[Gromit]

Tora,

That was a real event and not my joke.

[hellywelly4]

Afraid I don't understand it at all. Is it any reference to High Noon, the film?

[jno]

Scarfe worked for the Sunday Times for years - may still do so, in fact. Another inventive caricaturist but also a tendency to depict everything as if it was the apocalypse; he seems to get just as angry about little things as about big things, so I find him tiring too. You'd think being married to Jane Asher would give him reason to mellow out a bit.

[sandyRoe]

Isn't Bell the man who drew an ashen Major with his underpants on the outside?

[sandyRoe]

Perhaps she spends too much time baking?

[mikey4444]

hellywelly4...yes, of course it is !

Doesn't anybody think that Farage looks even the slightest bit funny ?

[Orderlimit]

Miliband looks out of his depth.