Saturday 31 October 2015

Halloween.



I realized today that I am almost totally ignorant of the meaning or origin of Halloween.

Hence this cartoon.

Friday 30 October 2015

Thursday 29 October 2015

Stopper?



So... our former PM is now lambasting European leaders about their folly in not closing borders against the avalanche of displaced refugees from the Middle East and North Africa. Like, his experience with  control of asylum seekers trying to enter Australia and the largely bogus schemes he launched to incarcerate those unhappy souls makes him some kind of world authority on how to deal with the european crisis. It's just laughable.

Then again, his much publicized pep-talk was apparently aimed at an audience of mostly Thatcherite Tories... so I guess he was preaching to fellow travellers much of his own ilk?

Speaking of travel. Wouldn't it be marvelously ironic if Mr. Rabbitt tried to re-enter Australia by boat?  

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Triple-Header


An alignment of varying circumstances have succeeded in diverting my attention away from cartooning, this blog and other social media for almost all of the past 3 days. 

So, here's today's cartoon inspired by the recent 'me' Bank TV advertising blitz. It's followed by an October 27th., 'this day in 2011' comment on a former Victorian premier's effort to avert police industrial action. Finally, a recent scribble meant to tweak scanning of pencil roughs so they look as if they are pen-drawn (thus obviating the need for 'inking' final art pieces which will be processed thru' a computer anyway).

See, you haven't really missed anything!? 

The pictures



















































Sunday 25 October 2015

Sunday Strips



Today's post will be the third last airing of strips in this series. Indeed, those remaining have already appeared here in an isolated presentation last April,

However, since they represent the last of the strips originally prepared and published back in 1995...I'm going to run them again to maintain the sequential integrity of the work.

Saturday 24 October 2015

Bushed Bush flies?



The one good thing about the slow and inconsistent climb out of winter in the south-east of Australia this year has been the marked absence of bush flies in their usual plague proportions hell-bent to spoil otherwise pleasant walks by the likes of me.

However, with today's return to near clear sky and enjoyable all-round warmth ... THE LITTLE PERISHERS ARE BACK!

Thursday 22 October 2015

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Cuban Joe?



Why in the name of goodness does this bloke deserve any kind of cushy government sponsored job as a legacy after the complete balls-up he created in the role of Federal Treasurer?

Tuesday 20 October 2015

This day in 2011...






During October, FaceBook (where these blogs are also posted) has been re-publishing cartoons from 'this day 12 months ago' as a demonstration that they 
remember and care about the content I provide? Whatever, it has prompted me to look into blog records which actually form a bridge from now back to the first half of 2011 when my original attempt at 'blogging' was hosted by an over 50s site located in Queensland.


When current affairs and/or the gag bank are 'sans' inspiration ... it might be fun to look back at what was occupying one's  mind and creative juices during the past four years?



To kick it off, here's what was happening on 20/10/2011...




Right Royal Tram-ride?


By rim on 20 October 2011 - 12:36pm

I notice that included in the E2R itinerary for HER imminent visit to Melbourne is ... what else(?) ... a ride on a tram!
Now, I am a long-since confirmed republican who doesn't concede anything really worth-while resides in the 'well past its use-by date' institution of monarchy. However, that doesn't mean I am oblivious to the potential dangers inherant in thoughtlessly inviting foreign potentate visitors to risk life and limb on our local favourite form of public transport. And, that applies particularly to elderly ladies, no matter what their constitutional proclivities might be.
You see, operators of the local tram network are experiencing a boom in passenger journeys travelled at the moment, due mainly to the double whammy effect of extreme peak congestion on out of date freeway accesses and, obscene parking fees applied within the Melbourne CBD ... 'driving' commuters to abandon cars as a useful mode of transport to and from work. The down-side of packed trams and lack of on-board conductors (which were abandoned during the early 1990s) is an accompanying massive increase in the sport of fare-dodging! Sooo ... the operators have employed gangs of 'inspectors' who roam the network identifying fare evaders ... and, in recently reported incidents, sometimes allegedly applying a great deal more than lawful 'muscle' in apprehending and/or immobilising errant users of the system. In one case, an apparently quite elderly and frail lady was allegedly gang-tackled by uniformed 'thugs' and pinioned whilst they attempted to clarify the lady's travelling bona-fides. If true, let's hope the miscreants (and their bosses) are introduced to some form of corrective hard-labour, in due course.
Meanwhile, as her 'majesty' is kind of renowned for not having much experience in paying 'fees for service' ... one hopes she has at least been properly briefed on the very likely possibility of some 'misunderstanding' being engendered by her scheduled ride on a local 'rattler'. Or, maybe local government nabobs are planning her excursion to be on one of the 'free' heritage cars circling the city for the benefit of ordinary 'tourists'?  Fare evasion on those is an accepted 'given' ... so no excuse for harassment by the 'heavy' brigade! I certainly hope so.

            

Monday 19 October 2015

Polls apart?



The revamped Federal Government remains in 'honeymoon' mode according to latest polls. The job at hand now is to match accomplishments to voter expectations.

Sunday 18 October 2015

Sunday Strips



The stone-age computeers running out of puff as they head for the finish line...

Friday 16 October 2015

Who gives a continental?...



One more TravelWeek ed. 'toon' (c.1993) using a 'new style' pen n ink drawing method to float my entry into full colour repro.

Apparently the heavily tourist-based economy of Hawaii was under threat due to the island group being progressively by-passed on trans-pacific airline routes due to a combo of longer-range aircraft and availability of higher revenue yeilding routes. US carriers United and Northwest had recently withdrawn services leaving only Continental (having just emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy) to service Honolulu regularly.

Thursday 15 October 2015

Bali or Bust!?



Here's one of the early 'new style' cartoons run in TravelWeek c.1993.

Wednesday 14 October 2015

Scraps collage c.1993



During 1993 I was given the opportunity to resume the role of op/ed cartoonist with TravelWeek... now transformed from a newspaper to glossy stock full-colour magazine.

Almost totally unacquainted with colour publication, I decided to do a complete make-over of my cartooning style and method of drawing with a return to use of 'dip' pens, india ink and coloured inks as washes over black n white line-work. I even changed my 'toon signature to 'RiM' with a largish freehand circular 'squiggle' forming the dot over the 'i'.

The 'new' style existed for about 12 months before I started to become more sedate in keeping with the tone of the magazine. But... I really loved the freedom of pen n ink while it lasted.

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Rafty 'roughs'



These sketchy fore-runners to finished art usually end their days in the waste basket. I was on the cusp of doing just that to these scribbles when I thought... 'hold on, these things often reflect changes in ideas as well as the actual drawing style and lay-out.'

Of course, these are related to the 'Vale Tony Rafty' piece I posted a couple of days ago.

I've been aware of Tony's stature in the cartooning (especially caricature) field for more than half a century... but, had never enjoyed the opportunity to meet him or, indeed, see many photographic images of the bloke. Sooo from an image point of view... my only immediate recourse was T.R's FB page after the sad news of his passing became known. Not a lot there for aged eyes to absorb but 'next to nothing' in the research department is a regular bane of all caricaturist's... as I'm sure Tony himself would've attested often during his long sojourn in the game. Next, the context of the tribute. I quickly lit on the fact that the man's long, long journey toward his own 'century' had fallen tragically short  by only 2 days! Hence the 'mountain climb theme in both sketches. The first 'HB' scribble quickly failed muster because the great man had spent the latter part of his life in a wheel-chair. The '6B' effort sorta met my criteria insofar as recognizable features and staging were concerned... but, in the 'finished' piece I believe I once again stumbled at the last hurdle by being a tad too smart in obviating back-ground drawing with a simple speech balloon... whilst also falling into the trap of 'titivation' (over-drawing) of the subject so that any liveliness present in the 'roughs' is largely lost altogether.

HO-hum! We never learn.

Sunday 11 October 2015

Sunday Strips



More Stone Age challenges...

Vale Tony Rafty



Expired within a coupla days of his 100th birthday! Sadly, I never had the pleasure of meeting this giant of the cartooning fraternity. By all accounts he was a 'blast from the past'

Saturday 10 October 2015

Thursday 8 October 2015

Steve Jobs Tribute 2011



Yesterday I posted an old blog from 7.10.2011 simply as a 'filler' when time constraint made it evident there was no chance of a fresh new post for the same date in 2015. Coincidentally, whilst trolling for the above substitute cartoon and text... I noticed that 7.10.2011 must've been the date of Steve Jobs' passing because the very next blog entry contained my tribute to his life achievements.

I wont be making a habit of this, but here is my post for 8.10.11 again if only to demonstrate that my admiration for the man remains un-dimished.


By rim on 8 October 2011 - 12:15pm

I reckon he was a true genius of our time ... and, sadly, true 'genius' often doesn't equate with longevity (eg. Mozart etal.)

Very glad he was around. I wouldn't have been as keen on computers as a cartooning tool had he not turned Apple and the entire industry on it's ears.

Wednesday 7 October 2015

A 'filler' to top all 'fillers'?



Because of time compression I opted to dredge-up a blog-piece from this day in 2011 (the year I started a daily cartoon blog which preceded this one). Indeed, I was also able to find the accompanying text to support the 'toon. Beware... I was a lot more verbose in those days!

Smilin' through.
By rim on 7 October 2011 - 11:13am

Just after the 7am news on ABCFM today, I heard that this is international 'SMILE day'. No problem except ... there isn't a hellova lot going on in the world that would normally elicit a smile, smirk or warm facial reaction of any kind. I mean ... the shadow of imminent financial disaster due to profligacy on the part of our European and/or American brethren? Children being run-over by trains and/or buses in various Australian states during the past week? More expensive 'task forces' being invented to delay urgent remedial action on tax reform and/or job losses in the manufacturing industry? Very amusing, I don't think!

And, now a 14 year-old boy has been nabbed by Indonesian police for allegedly buying/being in possession of an illicit drug at a Bali beach resort. The well-known Canberra 'Hockey-nut' is quoted this morning as asking fellow-Australians not to be too dismissive of that boy's plight ... but, rather, to think back to what they might've been doing at 14 years of age.

OK Joe. Bearing in mind the dictum 'not guilty until proven so', at this stage of my 14th year I had completed my secondary education at Yallourn Tech. and was in the 10th month of my first job as a Photographer's assistant. Having not long survived the struggles/austerity of the great depression and WW2, neither I nor my family were in a position to even contemplate overseas holidays within the then foreseeable future. I was not addicted to, nor interested in any type of illicit drug procurement ... but, I think I had a reasonably intelligent respect for the laws governing the civilised society in which I dwelt. Sure, this kid is apparently terribly remorseful, depressed and, apparently off his food. I can understand that. He is alleged to have been caught 'red-handed' as it were and faces a nasty immediate future if convicted under extant harsh Indonesian laws dealing with drug possession, trafficing etc.

But, I can't help wondering how the 14 year old would be feeling today if he hadn't been caught in the alleged act?!

Sorry, I'm not smiling.

TPP?



With no access to detail... who knows if the the newly signed trading agreement will be a gigantic rock foundation or a massive mill-stone for Australia's future prosperity?

BTW... This was started yesterday, but gale force winds in these parts managed to disconnect me from the internet around noon and restoration did not occur until sometime during the wee hours of today.

Monday 5 October 2015

Kept thumbnail roughs for gag 'toons/illos c.1980s



Most items in this collage were done with dip pen and coloured ink washes (the latter a whim because the finished work was bound for B&W repro only)... with the Singair jumbo an exception probably outlined with a pental R50 rollerball(?) Bit of a transport theme going with this lot.

Friday 2 October 2015

Grand Final Public Holiday



What ever the excuse,,, it turned out to be a ball-burster of a day for a holiday!

HELP!?



Who do the Russians want to help in Syria... the Air-strike coalition... Assad... ordinary Syrians... or themselves?






Thursday 1 October 2015

Surf's Up!



What happened to Joe's budget emergency of 2013? He musta been smokin' different stuff to the current bean counter?