In the Cabinet?

Titanic-like developments in the cabinet whilst the Captain is otherwise engaged?

Resolutions c,2011

Too hot for creative cartooning today, so here's what I had in mind on this day in 2011... supported by the original blog text. A week earlier, our old hacienda had been battered by a freak xmas day storm which included a TORNADO and cricket-ball sized hail.

Today's news contains many of the same elements.

Resolutions.

By rim on 30 December 2011 - 10:44am

In the midst of our storm-influenced gloom at the moment, I was wondering what 'old nick' has in store for all of us next year ... or next week ... or, maybe, even tomorrow?

Best we don't know, I guess.

The BLUE Planet?

With all the tribulations currently plaguing our Earth, wishing fellow inhabitants a 'happy new year' may be the most futile statement you will make during 2015,

Sunday Strips

A spot of fantasy in this episode... but none of the industry jargon kind.

Why 'Boxing Day'?

Here's another of the 'toons held-over because of a 2012 web-site outage during the xmas-new year season.

Oh! the merriness of it all.

This little piece was done for a past blog of mine just before xmas 2012. It was never published because  the gods of the internet chose to take an early holiday that year... and this kind of salutation tends to shed its meaning somewhat if paraded outside of its specialty season.

For the full experience, just imagine you're 3 years younger.

Xmas must be coming?

An oldie... but the celebration doesn't change much as the years unfold.

Kim Beazley

Imminent changing occupancy of the Washington ambassadorial deck-chair has coincided with the surfacing of a 2007 caricature of Kim Beazley about the time his parliamentary career reached its conclusion. At the time he was reckoned in some circles to be 'the best Prime Minister we never had.'

Apparently, I was traversing my 'cross-hatching period' when this B & W scribble was done. I've added colour to this rendition simply to ease the boredom of empty space.  

Sunday Strips

More of Small Potatoes. A small note about abbreviations/jargon in the travel industry c, 2004.

GDS... Global Distribution Systems variously titled Sabre, Amadeus and Abacus et.alia.

Donald Trump for President?

Donald Duck might be a more congenial and intelligent candidate?

Xmas prompts 2

On the same theme of garbled carol lyrics...

Xmas prompts

Any port in a storm for 'toon ideas when you are hot, tired and washed out...

Wormy thing?

The federal budget is revealed as a can of worms?

Sunday Strips

Small Potatoes 'One way' ... from 2004.

No contest?

Years ago I read an article about how the allure of US basketball and perhaps other professional sports (like Big Bash) was beginning to act as a conduit channeling the interest of West Indian youth away from their traditional sport of first class cricket.

Looks like the dire predictions embodied in that report have come true judging by the very green players representing W.I. in the current test series against Australia.

Aborted take-off

This cartoon remained un-finished yesterday because I was all but laid low by a monster bout of Hay-fever like symptoms,,, runny nose, sore throat and head-ache through-out most of the day.. Likely the revenge of the tree I severely trimmed and later spent a fair amount of time chopping up for compost earlier in the week (?)

I had intended to finish it today.  However, upon  opening the Age as a mid-morning coffee excuse, I noticed that Ron Tandberg's page 8 take on Bishop the elder's decision to remain in parliament because of the threat of terrorism was almost identical to mine. Onya Ron!

Recently, there was a discussion among up and coming cartoonists about the fear of being dubbed a plagiarist if an innocently published 'toon closely resembled the idea of a fellow artist. Well... not necessarily. I'm only putting this on my blog to demonstrate to the younger fraternity that similarly oriented minds DO (in isolation) sometimes think very much alike.

Nickel plated?

Is Clive broke,,, or just 'going for broke' to protect his solvency?

Fall-Guy?

Well, no... but almost!

For some time past I have been 'circling' the task of removing tree branches which have overgrown our roof to create havoc with guttering at this time of year. The tree is a mass of small flowers which, during spring and early summer, deposit heaps of very fine petals or pollen which easily penetrate fine mesh gutter-guard to cause blockages during heavy rain-fall. Worse, if not removed quickly, the material accelerates rusting of the actual guttering.

At 80, I'm not as agile on the roof as I used to be. Not fearful, but ultra-cautious. This morning was warm but overcast with no breeze whatsoever. I determined this to be perfect for the task... so gingerly ascended the ladder along with trimming gear and a crab-like scuttle from point of roof entry to the scene of the over-growth. As usually happens... nothing untoward occurred during the actual operation. Except frequent calls of 'are you OK?' from my wife through the kitchen window immediately below my work-space. None of those entreaties broke my concentration until the last one which came shrill and unexpectedly as I was reversing off the roof with one leg tentatively trying to feel for a foot-hold on the penultimate rung of the shaky old ladder made by my Dad c.1930s(?) Startled, I was immediately seeking non-existent hand-holds in excess of the two I already had a firm grip on... whilst the ladder drunkenly sought to substitute stability for an onset of the wobbles.

All ended well. However, on any future expeditions to the hacienda heights my good lady is instructed to assist my safe return to earth by holding her tongue and the bloody ladder at the same time!  

Sunday Strips

From the trenches, Small Potatoes c.2004 marches on...

Saturday Double-dip (2)

Here's the focus on this day in 2013...

Murdoch                    

By rim on 5 December 2013 - 4:12pm

The megalomaniac Rupert chose to become a U.S. citizen so he could better prosper in his insatiable drive for power.

OK! Stay in the 'States and annoy the hell out of your friends of choice Roop. Leave this country, its people and valued institutions (eg, the ABC) alone.

I assure you, you'll not be missed for one nano-second!

Saturday Double-dip.

The long awaited summer has finally reached us south of the border (temporarily anyway?) with 4 days in a row expected to reach 30C or higher. Downside of the heat is that it adds to the normal languid state of this elderly cartoonist who, having mowed the lawns earlier this morning, now cannot even bother checking breaking news reports to see if there is anything screaming to be lampooned.

Sooo... why not raid the archives to chronicle what was occupying my attention on this day in (firstly) 2012?  The original blog text is included to illuminate the thrust of the subject, BTW,,, this was from the 'postage-stamp' sized cartoon repro sizes era, so I've bumped it up to 20 x 20 cms and changed the speech balloon colour in the interests of clarity.

Israel in the news again ...

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By rim on 5 December 2012 - 2:20pm

... both of them, that is.

On the one hand, you have Israel the country 'white-anting' international efforts aimed at facilitating an atmosphere conducive to building a lasting peace between Israelis and their Palestinian neighbours. As a step in that direction, the UN no sooner elects Palestine to non-member status, than the Israeli government announces their intent to establish more settlements on the west bank in the sure knowledge that such a move is akin to a sharp jab in the Palestinian eye with a burnt stick.

At the same time, Israel Folau the multi-code footballing identity suddenly announces that he will abandon salary settlement talks with Parramatta Rugby League club, instead, deciding to switch codes yet again by joining NSW's Waratahs Rugby Union side.

Cartoonists sometimes attempt to combine separate items of contemporary news in one drawing, often presenting viewers with a tenuous hope of 'connecting the dots' as it were. However, the co-incident word associations and end-games encompassed by yesterday's similtaneous ISRAEL reports almost beggar belief. Talk about 'planets lining-up' ...  

Blind-man's Brough

What a tangled web we weave...

Climate change 'change'?

The PM announces a $1 billion gift to help pacific island nations combat climate change. WOW! That's a wonderful gesture for a nation whose leadership is continuously portraying the national exchequer as virtually empty.

I suppose Malcolm DID mean he intends to pony-up the gift in Australian Dollars?

Shock Treatment?

News today that electricity charges are increasing at an alarming rate throughout Australia... and the hardest hit consumers are here in Victoria,

So much for the con that privatization of electricity production and distribution would lead to reduced prices for consumers. We are being ruled by complete wankers at all levels of administrative government. Worse, the electorate keeps falling for the bullshit promises peddled by these layabouts!