Guardian dumps Steve Bell after 40 years

[Retinend]

Wow! Who knew you could make so much money drawing cartoons? Doesn't seem like the hardest job in the world if you like to draw. There's so much shite that passes for political commentary in cartoons that you wouldn't even need to do much more than depict someone in an unflattering way.

I grew up reading "Nature Notes" in The Times. Always some torturous pun that would be incomprehensible today that somehow tied into an animal theme, complete with puns in mock-latin.

Maybe these guys are just overworked. It does seem like a lot of work, even if an enjoyable job.

[Twonty Gostelow]

Only if there's one lady downstairs.

Negative, master. The job title is 'lady's maid' regardless. (I use K9's voice when I'm doubling down on pedantry.)

I'm nicking "Lady Downstairs" for the name of my specialist grooming salon though.

[ajsmith2]

I think with cartooning there's a huge variance in the amount of inputted work to outputted product ratio depending on the cartoonists arrtistic style which to me makes any one size fits all payment standards unfair. Matt and Steve Bell sit at just about the two extremes of this spectrum, and yet they appear to have received comparably sized incomes for their troubles. Matt jots down a few sketchy cock and balls every day and sticks a vanilla caption under it, ('They told me this would be better under Brexit' covers most recent scenarios), ;2 minutes tops I'd imagine on a difficult day, job done;  off to the 19th hole. Meanshile Steve Bell labours Sisyphus - like over a new Sistine Chapel from every dawn till every dusk to illustrate obscure points that connect with no one.

[Twonty Gostelow]

I don't know why any of them bother, there's never going to be a funnier cartoon than this

[Blumf]

What's he pointing at?

[Gurke and Hare]

Six hundred and fifty thousand pounds per year.

[Ferris]

Worth every penny.

[Thursday]

I don't know why any of them bother, there's never going to be a funnier cartoon than this

Where's this from?

[Twonty Gostelow]

Where's this from?

I honestly can't remember. Internet years ago, and it amused me enough to save it.

[petril]

I don't know why any of them bother, there's never going to be a funnier cartoon than this

that background though. there's just something about the image of a pub during the daytime, isn't there?

[marquis_de_sad]

I don't know why any of them bother, there's never going to be a funnier cartoon than this

Gary Snail on Head?

[Ambient Sheep]

Giant Snail on Head.

[Retinend]

The best thing about it is how the joke requires the phrase "Giant Snail on Head" which is funny. "Giant snail on my head" wouldn't have been as funny. I also like the amateurish charm of the drawing - you can tell a lot of work went into it yet the composition doesn't quite come off right.

Is this an old man's joke? Do people still use "GSOH" now you don't have a character limit?

[dissolute ocelot]

^ They could have made the snail's antennae look like penises. You'll never make it in the big leagues till you do that.

[idunnosomename]

Six hundred and fifty thousand pounds per year.

face masks ironically hide the cocknballs

[Fambo Number Mive]

Given face masks aren't currently required at open  air events and the general public cant fine people for wearing face masks, the cartoon doesn't really work. Still, I'm sure Telegeaph readers enjoyed it.

Not sure the woman speaking  is wearing her face mask correctly.

In the snail picture, is the pub otherwise empty because of the giant snail? People finish their pint and.leave as the trails of snail gunk drip down the mans head onto the floor

[idunnosomename]

You know who's worse than Matt? Pugh.

He used to be in the times now the mail. Generally is cartoons were elderly man with a massive rectangle with a news story written on it saying something ironically mundane to his wife.

There dont seem to be many representative cartoons left on the internet because he is so beige

[jobotic]

Does that appallingly racist one still do cartoons for the Mail? Was a good thread on him when I was on Mailwatch years ago.

[thenoise]

Why on earth are they paying cartoonists so much? Do many people subscribe to a newspaper specifically for the cartoons? Because they can get all their news on their phones and their neo liberal consensus opinions don't look so different from facebook?

[Blumf]

You know who's worse than Matt? Pugh.

The guy's not even in his 60's yet!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Pugh

[the]

Pugh

As tedious and 'cuh, eh?' as ^those Pugh jokes are, they at least work as self-contained jokes. Whereas the two Matt examples above crumble away, as it's clear he's taken the desired 'satirical' point and badly stapled it to unrelated situations that don't make sense.

^{Nb. I'm basing this purely on the examples in this thread}

[idunnosomename]

They're hacky in their own ways. Pugh just has one incredibly dull joke while Matt just draws any old shit. I mean i hate the snow white one so much. You know he just thinks "back to work oh seven dwarfs hi ho scribble done"

That these go on the FRONT PAGE OF A DAILY NATIONAL NEWSPAPER is incredible really

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

That's a big old pregnancy test result yer woman's got in that first Pugh cartoon.

[The Culture Bunker]

Does that appallingly racist one still do cartoons for the Mail? Was a good thread on him when I was on Mailwatch years ago.

I've not thought about Mail Watch for ages. It used to be a pretty interesting place, but it went right into the deep end on the anti-Corbyn stance to the degree it felt like you got piled on for saying anything even vaguely positive about the man.

[poodlefaker]

face masks ironically hide the cocknballs

he's smuggled two tits in though, the daft pervert.

[jobotic]

I've not thought about Mail Watch for ages. It used to be a pretty interesting place, but it went right into the deep end on the anti-Corbyn stance to the degree it felt like you got piled on for saying anything even vaguely positive about the man.

I left years ago, mainly because I found this place. Used to be some decent sorts on there, as well as people I thought at the time were but who it would now seem have become extreme centrist Starmtroopers.

[Ambient Sheep]

I have to say, when subjected to Matt everyday when I was caring for my dear old mum, I actually found him hilarious on occasion, and sometimes quite subversive too, taking a line diametrically opposite to the Telegraph's stance -- first you make them laugh, then you make them think.

Yes, also some dross, which I guess is inevitable when faced with daily output, but generally speaking he would provoke at least a wry grin, and occasionally a guffaw.

This was years ago, mind.

[Smeraldina Rima]

Putting politics to one side, I love all the ones that use a single name: Giles, Siné, Cabu, Matt, Ze'ek, Pugh. It's a great tradition and if they do that, they win me over.

[Smeraldina Rima]

Actually I'm sorry about that, I know we can't put politics to one side.

[Virgo76]

Yes. Matt definitely used to be good. Not read him recently.