Redbubble

MacKay’s Monarchy Merch

 

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.)

The 6 Wives Mouse Pad

The Six Wives of Henry VIII made this British monarch one of the most intriguing historical characters of all time. During Henry VIII’s reign the Renaissance was beginning to unfold, the Protestant Reformation was gearing up, and one man’s chaotic love life and quest for a male heir was turning events upside down and causing turmoil that would endure for years after his death in 1547.  These women are well documented and chronicled for all the drama of romance, betrayal, and tragedy against the backdrop of a tyrannical royal setting. For the student of British history this design is a fun reminder of a time with a favoured set of chapters from the royal textbook.

 

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 Cranmer 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. 

Sock it to ’em

Dazzling Socks of Canadian Prime Ministers

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

Canadian Rebels and Fighters

Above: Emily Stowe, Nellie McClung, Louis Riel

Above: Rene Levesque, William Lyon MacKenzie, Young Doug Ford

Many many more Prime Minister & Rebel socks at Redbubble

Presidential Socks

Above: Presidents – Republicans, Democratic, and Mixed

Above: Abraham Lincoln, Founding Fathers, Theodore Roosevelt

Many Many more socks of Presidents of the United States at Redbubble

Monarchy Socks

Above: British Kings and Queens of all eras

Elizabeth II, George IV, House of Windsor

Many many more Monarchy socks at Redbubble

…And many more socks of personalities from the past

 

 

Facing Face Masks

(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.)

Redbubble introduced face masks as a new product available for artists to design and sell a month of two after the WHO declared a COVID-19 pandemic. At first I held off adding them to my shop, skeptical knowing they aren’t medical grade PPE and wondering if they only provide false senses of security. The evolving opinions oscillating among varying degrees of effectiveness delayed my enthusiasm until the push back began against a solidifying scientific consensus that they actually do work in controlling the spread of the virus. A mouth covering whether medical grade, homemade, or in the form of a novelty mask as in the case of what’s on offer at Redbubble, the bottom line is that any mask that covers the nose and mouth will be of benefit. 

April 14, 2020

I’m firmly in the trust science camp when it comes to my own existence living through a pandemic. Experts have been for years predicting the scale of what’s happening right now in the world and there have been plenty of recent scares to prepare us for these times from SARS, H1N1, swine flu, and Ebola to name a few.

The biggest one of all in modern history was the Great Pandemic of 1918, with an uncanny number of similarities to the Pandemic of 2020 as I pointed out in this post of newspaper clippings from a hundred years ago. Then as now, were the skeptics, the contrarians, the religious zealots, the anti-science kooks, and the lunatic political fringe, all rallying against public health & safety measures, calling them a conspiracy, a hoax, a plot against rights & freedoms, an over-reaction leading to the destruction of the economy. 

To me the pandemic skeptics delight in showing themselves as skeptics by acting like stubborn refuseniks shunning face masks in public. One sees them all the time when out and about, with their masks hanging below their ears and chins in shows of defiance of mandatory rules.

Meanwhile, people are dying because of this infection.

If any authority is going to realize those deaths more than any other authority it’s going to be government. It’s government (most of them, anyway) that’s telling us to keep a distance from one another, and government is telling us we need to wear masks, because they are being guided by scientists. There’s always an inclination to mistrust government in many other areas, but advice on how to protect oneself during a pandemic isn’t one of them.

My answer is masks are going to be here for a while, so as we’re using them to protect us and others, why not get on the growing bandwagon to express ourselves?  I am happy to help, and here’s a few to consider:

JFK mask
Shakespeare
Washington mask
Oscar Wilde
Pope of Mope
Nixon mask
Darwin
HRH

Please have a look to see the many more masks of this particular style on offer through the MacKaycartoons store with quotes and without. If you think you have a particular statement that might go well with one of the personalities I’ve drawn do let me know and I’ll post it up.

Did you hear about the famous person who shared a photo of themselves wearing one of my mask designs? Oh, well let me tell you…

Redbubble Swag: Of Kings and Queens, Emperors, Czars and Wannabes

(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.