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| ACEC |
| LEGENDARY STAR founder and publisher Joseph E. Atkinson wasn't
a big fan of editorial cartoonists. They were far more trouble
than they were worth, he believed.
One of the first Star cartoonists to ruffle the publisher's feathers was C.W. Wesler. Hired in 1900, this young firebrand had all the right stuff for a big future in the business: Superb draftsmanship and tough, thought-provoking content. He lasted three weeks. Samuel Hunter, who would go on to be one of the early greats, was quickly lured from the competition. He left after 18 months, but Atkinson adored Hunter's gentle humour to such an extent that his cartoons appeared in The Star for the next 35 years. "There is no venom in his work," Atkinson would say with an approving smile. The publisher didn't like cartoonists to make waves, nor apparently did he like them to show up for work regularly. Often months would go by without an editorial cartoon in The Star. Fergus Kyle was hired, again briefly, and was himself replaced several months later with the good-natured Charles Jeffreys, another Atkinson favourite, who lasted for years. Those were the glory days of Canadian editorial cartooning. A pushy Uncle Sam made regular appearances, as did his British counterpart, an equally pushy John Bull, both usually trying to tagteam Canada into submission. In one cartoon Uncle Sam is eating "Canadian Pie" at the John Bull Lunch Counter. Another running theme in The Star's cartoons back then was the bloated capitalist in top hat and tails (with the words "Rich Corporations" written on his vest for extra clarity) exploiting labour in various ways. "The Working Man" is never smiling in those cartoons. Unlike today, every cartoonist in the early days of The Star knew how to draw. Standards for originality seemed much higher as well. U.S. President William McKinley's death on Sept. 6, 1901, inspired Kyle to draw a weeping Statue of Liberty on the front page. The image, striking and emotional as it was, lost its poignancy when, almost exactly 100 years later, one North American cartoonist after another used it in the aftermath of 9/11. Cartoons in The Star (or anywhere else for that matter) didn't have any real bite until Duncan "Dunc" Macpherson was hired in 1958. For the first time, the editorial cartoon in Canada took on a sense of importance and independence that changed the art forever. In his second year at The Star, Macpherson destroyed a prime minister. His now-famous depiction of John Diefenbaker as Marie Antoinette instantly changed the public's perception of the PM from statesman to fool. Dief never recovered. For more than 20 years Macpherson reigned as the greatest cartoonist ever produced in Canada, continually pushing the envelope for his craft. In his personal life, he was the very model of outrageousness and over-indulgence that every young cartoonist (and journalist) sought to emulate. Dunc's career honours include a record six National Newspaper Awards, being made a Member of the Order of Canada, and an honourary lifetime membership in the Toronto Press Club (after having been banned for life four times). The Star editorial cartoon lost its way somewhat toward the end of the Macpherson era. For the next two decades, the cartoon department was a revolving door of semi-fulltimers, freelancers, and other visitors. Readers could count on up to five cartoonists sometimes appearing in a single week. Vic Roschkov, Sid Barron, Dusan Petricic, a young Patrick Corrigan were among those who showed up on The Star's editorial page between the late '70s and into the '90s. An exception was John Larter, who remained a staple for 10 years. Larter was a talented but much less aggressive cartoonist than Macpherson (Atkinson would have approved). His stunningly beautiful caricatures in the '80s seldom strayed into controversy. The only time he put aside his celebrated warmth was when he drew fiercely pro-life cartoons (he was a staunch Christian). The Star refused to publish them on the editorial page, but did, however, compromise by running them on the opinion pages. Terry (Aislin) Mosher's brief two-year stint was highlighted by a cartoon of Barbara MacDougall which horrified the then-Tory minister. If one looked closely enough at the drawing, one might arguably make out little tiny swastikas hanging from her ears. Mosher, true to form of any good cartoonist, maintains his innocence. Theo Moudakis is an editorial cartoonist at The Star. He shares space with Patrick Corrigan |
| Pen pals of mirth and malice Toronto Star cartoonists have lampooned and lambasted the pompous and the prickly By Theo Moudakis The Toronto Star -- 1999 |
| Source: The Toronto Star |
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| DISA-RAE: Bob Rae as seen by Terry Mosher, a.k.a. Aislin. |
| POOR NDP: Ed Broadbent is portrayed as Cinderella unable to go to the election ball in this cartoon by John Larter. |
| MERRY DANCE: Pierre Trudeau was a favourite subject of legendary cartoonist Duncan Macpherson. |
| EATING CAKE: Duncan Macpherson's famous portrayal of John Diefenbaker destroyed the-then prime minister's career.. |
| 1900: A Boer Ear cartoon by Samuel Hunter from 1900 shows John Bull displaying a fistful of allies to Boer leader Paul Kruger. |