Above: Robert Borden, William Lyon Mackenzie King, John A. Macdonald
Above: Canada’s Prime Ministers, Pierre Trudeau, The Trudeaus: father & son
Above: Brian Mulroney, Macdonald and Laurier, Stephen Harper
Above: Presidents – Republicans, Democratic, and Mixed
(Graeme is currently enjoying a Summertime respite from his usual duties drawing editorial cartoons. In the meantime, please enjoy this illustration highlight on offer for purchase through Redbubble. Graeme’s daily satire returns on September 1, 2020.)
House of Tudor socks
You may be familiar with my depictions of each King and Queen through English and British history. Whether it’s simply the bizarre pomp, weird clothes, or the complex social impact they had on civilizations for centuries, they represent an intriguing chronology of human history and culture.
The ermine, the crowns, the jewels, sceptres, orbs, funny hats and regalia – how can anyone not appreciate all that wonderful, ostentatious bling. It’s as fantastic to draw as it is to gaze upon. There’s a reason why the crown jewels at the Tower of London can only be viewed from a conveyor belt moving humans along because of the non-stop line of people who want to look at them.
ER mug
While monarchy as a form of government can be applied to many parts of the world through history, and still does today in various forms, it is the constitutional structure in Canada that is of particular interest to me for obvious reasons being a Canadian. The British monarch applies to this country as the rock solid foundation of power and authority abiding by limits prescribed within an established legal framework. It affirms order in times of peace, with good government, to paraphrase the expression that goes as a pretty good slogan among the realm states of the mother country. They have for a thousand years acted on desires to expand their influence and have fended off external challenges by those seeking to expand their own powers. They have had to contend with many rebellions from within and have adapted accordingly, surrendering human control along the way and all the flaws that come with human nature, to codifying a structure of order, justice, rights, and freedoms.
British Monarchs through the ages pandemic mask
But it’s the human faces of the institution that has stirred countless passions among humanity over the centuries from cultish followings of loyalty and devotion, to utter contempt and hatred. It is the longest soap opera of the English speaking world, with big bold leading figures coming and going through the ages providing volumes of dramatic storylines. From the battles: the victories and the losses; the struggles with the church; the politics; the culture, the literature, the art, the architecture, the music and theatre, there is much we owe a debt of gratitude to the royal figures who led Great Britain as these blossomed.
British Monarchy Merch
“To mask, or not to mask. I know the answer.”
While William Shakespeare isn’t exactly British royalty he sure saw the soap opera nature about them. Writing plays about Richard II, Richard III, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, and even the biggest Henry of them all, Henry VIII. Incidentally, he also wrote about Roman Emperors, and there’s a design I offer of Julius Caesar.
England’s King Henrys
Speaking of Henry, how about just King Henry socks. All the Henrys on one sock – ask yourself, has there ever been such a thing? Is there anywhere else on the planet one can find such a product? Ideal for the British history buff, or for the Henrys in your life, these socks cover Henry I (1100-1135), Henry II (1154-1189), Henry III (1216-1272), Henry IV (1399-1413), Henry V (1413-1422), Henry VI (1422-1453), Henry VII (1495-1509), and Henry VIII (1509-1547.)
Thomas Cranmer coasters, you ask? Why not?
Thomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, the boy-king Edward VI and, briefly, bloody Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, bringing about the Church of England. Dude wore colourful robes and funny hats. Unfortunate for him was his belief in the supremacy of Kings and Queens, which didn’t go over well with Queen Mary, a rebel Catholic child of Henry VIII. Under her reign he was dragged to a public square and burned alive.
Louis XIV t-shirt
Designs on offer are not just restricted to the English monarchy. There is a caricature of Louis XIV, King of France, otherwise known as the Sun King (1643-1715.) It was his long 72 year reign as an absolute monarch clinging to the notion of Divine Right of Kings, his failure to reform state institutions which arguably contributed to social dissent leading years after to the French Revolution. Which Frenchman gained more than any other Frenchman because of the French Revolution? Napoleon Bonaparte, of course, but like all other heroes against the establishment, Oliver Cromwell immediately comes to mind, both eventually fell into the trap as pretenders to the crowd, and both have designs of themselves in the MacKaycartoons Boutique.
Czar Vladimir Putin spiral notebook
Speaking of crown pretenders, they may not be a monarchs, but there are two heads of state who might easily be viewed as such considering things they’ve said or done or enacted. Vladimir Putin, has been ruler of Russia since the days of Bill Clinton. Putin has overseen numerous changes of his country’s Constitution which may effectively find him ruling like a czar over Russia for many years to come. In case you’re not into him being depicted in all that regalia, there is a standard design of a suited full-bodied Vladimir Putin.
King Donald Trup sticker
Donald Trump is all about golden flourishes on his over the top real estate holdings, so much so that he disparaged the digs handed to him when he won the U.S. Presidency. Accused of trying to rule like a king, he declares his admiration for autocrats and oppressive regimes Of our times that wouldn’t be out of the ordinary from 12th century England.
(Graeme is currently enjoying a Summertime respite from his usual duties drawing editorial cartoons. In the meantime, please enjoy this illustration highlight of things on offer for purchase through his Redbubble online shop. Graeme’s daily satire returns on September 1, 2020.)
June 12, 2020
Statues are getting pulled down on past leaders because the bronze cast honour bestowed upon them are based on long ago glorification among long dead elites, whose decisions and actions are offensive to modern day sensibilities. Those dead elites aren’t around anymore to keep their idols polished, nor the narratives about them sanitized. One might argue our ancestors and their leaders had thoughts and outlooks antithetical to our own, and it’s important to know the good AND the bad about them.
Sir John A. button
Canada’s Prime Minister gets acclaim and respect for his role in the formation of the nation, yet Sir John A. Macdonald‘s government also enacted a racist head tax to prevent Chinese people from entering after the completion of the CPR, as in the much celebrated “iron road runnin’ from the sea to the sea“. This after 17,000 labourers from China were brought in to accomplish Macdonald’s dream of a cross country railway.
Jeffersonian Clock
A great Founding Father, the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, gets acclaim for being the principal architect of the Declaration of Independence and penned the statement “all men are created equal”. This, despite owning 600 African slaves over his lifetime as a wealthy landowner.
King John Magnet
The Magna Carta is a royal charter of rights sealed with the stamp of approval by England’s King John in 1215. To this day it’s a celebrated omnibus act that brought about many reforms including guaranteed access to swift justice and the trial by jury system. King John himself was a man of dubious character, with many mistresses, illegitimate children, and not a lot of morals. His accepting of the Great Charter was essentially a gesture to quell rebellion from barons who were sick and tired of his reckless behaviour, incompetence, and disastrous military conquests.
Interpretations of historical figures change with every generation with broader cross sections of cultures increasingly deliberating on legacies from the past. Taking down statues does not erase history but it does destroy the blind glorification aspect of figures from our past. Taking down statues in public squares removes insult to injury aspect of glorification that has shown to continue to this day.
The dictator magnet
Political power is something I’ve always held a great interest in observing. Whether it’s hereditary, oligarchy, or democracy, to view how the cream rises to the top is a very fascinating thing indeed.
I grew up in Canada, and when I was young and well aware that we had a Prime Minister and a Queen representing the highest offices in the nation, it was what I saw south of the border that I realized the power and influence of Presidents went global in significance. From the chronologies of humble beginnings, the pursuits of power, the victories, the challenges, the familiar trappings of office, the mystiques, and the legacies defining a period of time on this planet’s history, it made me wonder what it took to become President of the United States.
The Presidential placemat available on 70+ products
I embarked on learning about the Presidents, courtesy of my family’s World Book Encyclopedia, which had wonderful profiles of every one of them complete with full page portraits. It was my introduction to the familiar placemat style of chart showing each U.S. President, which I recall spanned from George Washington to James E. Carter. Every night before dinner I’d flip through pages, and commit all their names to memory.
Alas, not being American made me unqualified to ever hold that position. So, I looked closer to home and studied Canada’s Prime Ministers. That naturally led to an interest in history, and politics, which paved the way to university life in the nation’s capital, and finally, editorial cartooning.
Placemat Prime Ministers on a pillow & available on 70+ products
In 2014, I embarked on an experiment to cater to a niche audience interested in Canadian Prime Ministers. Fortunately, I live in a young country with half the number of leaders compared to the United States. My drawings have seen some nice sales, with my most popular drawing being the rather obscure and short lived in-between Prime Minister, Sir Charles Tupper. Perhaps people are enamoured by his impressive sideburn chops!
Full figured Presidents
My caricatures of Presidents have seen a bigger number of sales since posting them back in 2015. Based on sales, the earlier Presidents enjoy greater popularity than the newer ones. George Washington, John Quincy Adams and Theodore Roosevelt are among the most popular. The President whose caricature has garnered the most sales is Lyndon Johnson. Out the blue I’ll see an order made for a child’s sized t-shirt with a full bodied caricature of, say, Chester A. Arthur, and wonder what the story is behind that sort of purchase (a man, by the way, who arguably possessed the most handsome mutton chops of all Presidents.)
My latest series is the Kings and Queens of England. Another fascination I have for the history that the monarchy is steeped in, which I’ll have more to say in the next entry.
My caricatures on products are designed to stir a bit of fun, interest, and reflection on the pursuit of history knowledge. Whether they’re on t-shirts, or socks, cups or coasters, they’re a little reminder of the interesting characters who’ve shaped history. If you love history, or know someone who does, these are great ways to express that passion.
Just remember, unlike a statue, you can toss a t-shirt in the laundry basket, rather than roll it into a nearby harbour.
August 8, 2020
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday August 8, 2020
Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent to satisfy Gov. Gen. Julie Payette’s need for privacy at Rideau Hall, but she still hasn’t moved into her official residence almost three years into her five-year mandate.
December 5, 2019
CBC News has learned new details about costs the public is incurring to meet Payette’s requirements before she agrees to move in.
They include almost $140,000, spent studying and designing a private staircase that was never built, and more than $117,500 on a gate and series of doors to keep people away from Payette’s office, according to the National Capital Commission (NCC), which manages the official vice-regal residence.
Those costs go well beyond the usual transition expenses, which normally involve some fresh paint and new furniture, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the project. Those sources asked for confidentiality because they are not authorized to publicly discuss Rideau Hall’s requests.
They paint a portrait of a Governor General who is uncomfortable with being in the constant presence of staff, RCMP security and, to some extent, the public.
July 14, 2017
Governors general have to accept a degree of privacy loss when they take on the vice-regal role.
Much of the verdant grounds of Rideau Hall are open to the public, who wander freely around what is seen in the national capital as a public park. Family picnics and pick-up football games abound on any particular summer day.
But Payette “wanted to come and go without anyone seeing her,” said one source with knowledge of the project.
According to multiple sources, Payette doesn’t like maintenance workers in her line of sight. Even RCMP paid to protect Payette are no longer allowed to stand directly outside her office door and must hide in a room down the hallway, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Only some select staff currently have access to the restricted area by her office. (CBC)
November 1, 2018
Meanwhile, The Privy Council Office (PCO) has launched what it says will be a “thorough, independent and impartial” workplace probe into claims of harassment and verbal abuse in the office of Gov. Gen. Julie Payette.
The investigation follows a CBC News report that quoted unnamed sources saying Payette has created a toxic environment at Rideau Hall by verbally harassing employees to the point where some have been reduced to tears or have left the office altogether.
A dozen sources with direct knowledge of the office during Payette’s mandate told CBC News the Governor General has yelled at, belittled and publicly humiliated employees. They accuse her of throwing tantrums in the office and, on one occasion, tossing an employee’s work aside and calling it “shit.”
Sources also accused Payette’s secretary and longtime friend, Assunta Di Lorenzo, of harassing employees — calling some “lazy” and “incompetent.” (CBC)
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday August 7, 2020
Facebook deleted the post – a clip from an interview Mr Trump gave to Fox News – saying it contained “harmful Covid misinformation”.
November 16, 2019
Twitter followed by saying it had frozen a Trump campaign account until a tweet of the same clip was removed.
US public health advice makes clear children have no immunity to Covid-19.
A Facebook spokesperson said on Wednesday evening: “This video includes false claims that a group of people is immune from COVID-19 which is a violation of our policies around harmful COVID misinformation.”
It was the first time the social giant had taken action to remove content posted by the president based on its coronavirus-misinformation policy, but not the first time it has penalised Mr Trump over content on his page.
Speaking by telephone to morning show Fox and Friends on Wednesday, Mr Trump argued it was time for all schools nationwide to reopen.
He said: “If you look at children, children are almost – and I would almost say definitely – almost immune from this disease. (BBC)
After 1,267 days, President Trump had made 20,055 false or misleading claims according to the Washington Post on a website devoted to chronicling his misinformation. Some of the most repeated claims include the following:
January 24, 2017
“We built the greatest economy in history, not only for our country, but for the world. We were number one, by far.”
“And we’re also — on the southern border, as you know, the wall is going up. It’s going up very rapidly. We’re at 182 miles.”
“My job was made harder by phony witch hunts, by ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ nonsense.”
“The Ukraine thing was a hoax. It was a pure hoax.”
“China was ripping off this country, $530 billion a year, think of it, 530 billion a year ripping us up for years.” (Washington Post)