Cartooning

Happy 20th Anniversary!

Friday July 7 2017

In the early Summer 1997, I was a GO bus commuter living in Toronto and starting out my new job in the city where I was born.

My 1st cartoon published in a mainstream paper was of then Fed. Foreign Minister Lloyd.  Toronto Star, 1995

Hamilton and its daily newspaper was drawing me back, and it all began with a big giant bonfire and a black smoke plume that drifted off in the skies for as far as the eye could see. The festive atmosphere inspired the above cartoon and the resulting angry reader feedback quickly thrust me into the new gig that would bring much much more hate mail. Knowing the lasting effects of the Plastimet fire, and increasing numbers of firefighters dying prematurely in the following years, I don’t think I would’ve been as frivolous in my depiction.  Yet it illustrates a popular sentiment at the time, and something that a photo or story can’t do on its own. It also presents how attitudes and opinions change over time, and in the time I’ve been a cartoonist, there has been plenty of that as I look back at my own work and wince and scratch my head.

1997 Introduction

I had been getting my illustrations printed in the Spec for a couple of years, but it was a brash young editor by the name of Kirk LaPointe who put out the call for a staff editorial cartoonist – a position the Spectator had abandoned when the great cartoonist Blaine had taken to retirement 5 years before. I don’t know what competition I was up against, but I recall doubting I was ever going to be the one who’d get chosen, and was probably the reason I showed up at the interview with Mr. LaPointe wearing shorts.

To the point of being hired at the Spectator my only experience working for another company had been in retail, mostly to grocery stores, wrapping up meat for customers, and destined to become a life long butcher. I joke that the pursuit of becoming a butcher happened in a metaphorical sense by becoming a satirist, carving up public figures on a daily basis.

Yet, even 20 years ago, the thought of a newspaper hiring an editorial cartoonist seemed pretty crazy. There were many many of them around in 1997, compared to now, and almost all had decades of tenure at their respective newspapers when I and a few others of my age came on the scene. Over the past 2 decades many of the greats, like Sue Dewar, Roy Peterson, Norm Muffit, Bob Krieger, Cam Cardow, Anthony Jenkins, Dale Cummings, Mike Graston, and Thomas (TAB) Boldt, to name a few colleagues just in Canada, have either retired, moved on to other jobs, or died.

The joke in 2008 was that all of Canada’s working editorial cartoonists could fit in a pickup truck. In 2017, we could probably fit in a Volkswagen Beetle.

A lot of changes have happened in 20 years. A lot. When I was escorted to my work area in 1997, I was given a table to sit at in a back corner of the editorial page cave. I could use Blaine’s old drafting table, but at the time he had been saying over the previous 5 years since retirement that he was going to drop by sometime to take it home (I think it hung around for another 5 years.) It probably took another month after being hired before I got a phone, and probably 2 more years until I got my first computer to use in the office. In the time between, and you can see the change in my style as evidence, technology in the form of Photoshop, has completely changed the look of my drawings. The Internet and social media has changed the way I deliver my editorial cartoons. This website mackaycartoons.net, has been archiving my cartoons since the year 2000.

And, oh yeah, in 20 years I moved back to Hamilton, got married, bought a house, became a father to 3 girls, built lasting friendships, got syndicated, became a President (Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists), hosted a convention (of the ACEC), got Wikipediaed, a “shop” owner, and published a book. Who knows what the next 20 years hold but I owe much of my present day success to the one and only The Hamilton Spectator.

 

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On July 7th 1997 I became editorial cartoonist at the Hamilton Spectator. In that time, more than 4500 cartoons have been created in the past 20 years. Above is a slide show of 20 cartoons one for each year.

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Homeless Rag Helps Itself

RagSo the local Toronto homeless peoples rag – Toronto Street Connection Magazine – (sorry, no website exists) used one of my cartoons in their most recent issue. They didn’t get permission from me, even though I’d oblige to give it to them for free if someone had the courtesy to email. 
 
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday January 21, 2016 Justin Trudeau distances himself from Harper at World Economic Forum in Davos Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used his moment on the main stage of the World Economic Forum today in Davos, Switzerland to present Canada as uniquely suited for the transforming global economy. "If you are looking for a country that has the diversity, the resilience, the positivity and the confidence that will not just manage this change but take advantage of it, there has never been a better time to look to Canada." Trudeau spoke to a few hundred attendees inside the main hall at the WEF, attended annually by world leaders and the business elite. The prime minister and several of his cabinet ministers are there for four days of presentations and meetings. This year's summit is focused on the idea of the "fourth industrial revolution," the idea that rapid technological innovation will drive a new era of change in the global economy. "Today, we are gathered here to contemplate whether we are in the early stages of a fourth industrial revolution. What a breathtaking possibility that is," Trudeau said. "Steam power changed the world utterly. So did electricity and more recently, computers. And now we may be on the cusp of change equal in magnitude and of a far swifter pace." In explaining why and how Canada could lead be at the forefront of this change, Trudeau attempted to differentiate himself from Stephen Harper, who addressed Davos as prime minister in 2012. "My predecessor wanted you to know Canada for its resources," he said. "I want you to know Canadians for our resourcefulness." The public stage of the WEF's annual meeting in Switzerland is an obvious showcase for Trudeau and his ministers to be seen before the global elite. But the private meeting rooms of Davos will also be the stage for the unseen wooing of a wealthy audience, with the hope of attracting potential investors to Canada. B

January 21, 2016

But to block out my moniker, not to mention butcher the caption, well, it leaves me a bit steamed.

While I would love to contact someone who edits this 9335 circulation magazine and ask why they feel compelled to steal unsuspecting people’s work and remove all credit to the artist, a simple email address cannot be found, nor any physical address, except for mention of Glen’s old spot at Shopper’s near Yonge and St. Clair. I guess this is a homeless homeless paper.
 
Anyway, their motto ought to be “Helping Toronto’s Poor & Homeless Earn Some Extra Money by ripping off content providers”. Think about that when you hand over a toonie for this worthless rag – Toronto Street Connection Magazine.
Congratulations Toronto Street Connection Magazine, you may now boast being recipient of the latest Social Media Donkey Award.

Friday July 1, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay - Friday July 1, 2016 illustration, Canada, day, dominion, beaver, first nations, totem, Wilfrid, Laurier, Sir John, Macdonald, mountains, rockies, patiotism, Canadian

Illustration by Graeme MacKay – Friday July 1, 2016

Away from the desk for a while, Returning Wednesday, July 13.

It’s a good time to be Canadian.

Available at the MacKayCartoons Boutique

Available at the MacKayCartoons Boutique

Why? Because it’s Summer; School’s out, stores are closed, the legislatures have adjourned, the b-teams are running the media outlets, and rest, leisure, and frivolity are in high gear. This is my favourite time of the year: Long days, blue skies, warm days, movie nights, cold beer, bbq’d meat, trips to places you’ve never been, escapes to familiar destinations just for nostalgia sake, gathering with family and friends.