Rationalist cartoon: A little bit of toast

"I know our brains see patterns where there are none, but you must admit that looks like Richard Dawkins."

Here's a cartoon from the new issue of Prospect magazine. Is there a point being made here? Probably not. It's just a silly joke. I am not a religious person and agree that images of deities on toast etc are nonsense. But if it looked like the face of someone you know, it would still be a bit weird, wouldn't it?

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Not Yet Sold: Sherlock Holmes cartoon

"I remember when you used to look for answers using your astute powers of deduction."

As there's a new Sherlock Holmes on our TV screens here in the UK, and he's a contemporary, all-texting, all-Googling kind of guy, I thought I'd dig out this cartoon from last year, for my occasional series on rejected cartoons.

I now realise that instead of being a one-off, joke cartoon, the idea of a Googling Holmes was really best suited to a three-part BBC TV mini-series. Missed a trick, there. I do hope that as it has a contemporary setting they will at some point work in the tried-and-tested line of dialogue "No shit, Sherlock?"

Click the link for more Not Yet Sold cartoons.

Medieval cartoon: Not exactly topical

"When did we permit the Jester to start doing impressions?"

Here's a cartoon from the current issue of Private Eye which shows that they don't just use topical cartoons. More medieval humour, that's what we need.

Exaggeration is the key to this joke, and I went to great trouble to make sure that the mimicking Jester is an exact copy of the King, right down to the throne and the way he's sitting.

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Seagulls cartoon: (I hate seagulls)

There, I've said it. I don't understand why birds such as ravens and crows are depicted in films as the personification of evil when clearly it should be seagulls.

Holding this view is a little unfortunate though, as I live in a seaside town. (Although, it should be pointed out that I did not hold this view before I moved to the seaside town.)

Part of the problem is that I work in a converted attic so I am mere feet away from the noisy blighters. Having a nest on the roof doesn't help. The chicks' cries are almost as annoying and twice as persistent.

Anyway, when a local paper asked for a cartoon to go with a story about seagulls terrorising residents, attacking them as they leave their homes and so on, I could relate.

Here's more moaning about seagulls, but with a rather nice photo.

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Fortune teller cartoon: Size matters

"You are going on a short journey ..."

This is the original version of a cartoon which appears in this week's Private Eye. The magazine was concerned that the shopping list on the man's hand might not be readable when printed, so I drew a "close-up", single-column version.

It's important to bear in mind print size, particularly when the drawing contains a key detail, as this one does. In most magazines these days cartoons are usually printed quite small. The new drawing works fine but I still prefer the original, and as it looks OK online I've used that one here. Plus, of course, on the internet there's always click to enlarge.

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Social cartoons: The way we live now

"This is one of the pitfalls of shopping online ..."

When I tell people I draw cartoons they usually think primarily in terms of "topical", asking if I watch the news all the time to keep up with what's going on.

Of course, topical cartoons are part of what I do, but mostly they're not "this week's news" topical, they're more about reflecting the way we live now. And often it's the little things in life that I make jokes about.

This cartoon, from the current issue of The Spectator, is a case in point. Many people who do online shopping will recognise the scenario, even if it is a slight exaggeration.

Here are some more examples of this type of cartoon. They don't shout as loudly as newsy or political cartoons because they're not about the "big" issues, but they play a part in comment on society, I think. And, importantly, they usually have a longer shelf-life.

"I like to wear loud ties at work to project my true personality."

The fountain of youth

See more cartoons at my portfolio website