Anthony Ellison
Encyclopedia
Anthony Ellison is a New Zealand
cartoonist and animator. He has been the political cartoonist for the Sunday Star Times since 1988 and was at one stage the youngest political cartoonist in New Zealand
. Frustrated by the limitations of the medium, Ellison abandoned political cartooning and began a bizarre weekly cartoon 'Meantime
' for the New Zealand Listener
.' Meantime
' survived two changes of editor before being dropped by the current editor who favoured a more conservative approach to the magazine.
More recently he is the creator of the controversial animated character 'Media Dog' for the media satire show Eating Media Lunch
and also created the 1920s pastiche Happy Hori for the comedy show The Unauthorised History of New Zealand. According to an interview with Chris Slane
, Ellison doesn’t use story boards for his animations, "just writes a script, takes it into the recording studio and sees what happens".
In 2005, Ellison made his first foray into live action comedy with the one-off television pilot 'Barry'. New Zealand Listener
TV critic Diana Witchel describes Ellison's television work as representing "some of the most disturbing material on television this side of Destiny TV" and goes on to say that 'Barry' "as comment on the pretensions of the intelligentsia, the gullibility of the media and the stunning incomprehensibility of late-night innovative comedy, it’s a triumph."
In addition to editorial cartoons he has also published adult minicomics, including 'Popeye has a Fuck' (1977),'Tard' (1998), and 'Ray Gun Girls' (1999) which Pavement
has described as "An unsettling mixture of Japanese school-girl eroticism, fifties ray-guns and haunting landscapes".
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
cartoonist and animator. He has been the political cartoonist for the Sunday Star Times since 1988 and was at one stage the youngest political cartoonist in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Frustrated by the limitations of the medium, Ellison abandoned political cartooning and began a bizarre weekly cartoon 'Meantime
Meantime
Meantime is the second album and major-label debut by Helmet, released in 1992 on Interscope Records. Meantime has continued to sell consistently well in the years since its release, and in 1994 was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.Helmet released one single from...
' for the New Zealand Listener
New Zealand Listener
The New Zealand Listener is a New Zealand magazine. First published in 1939 and edited by Oliver Duff and the Monte Holcroft it originally had a monopoly on the publication of of upcoming television and radio programmes. In the 1980s it lost its monopoly on the publication of upcoming television...
.' Meantime
Meantime
Meantime is the second album and major-label debut by Helmet, released in 1992 on Interscope Records. Meantime has continued to sell consistently well in the years since its release, and in 1994 was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.Helmet released one single from...
' survived two changes of editor before being dropped by the current editor who favoured a more conservative approach to the magazine.
More recently he is the creator of the controversial animated character 'Media Dog' for the media satire show Eating Media Lunch
Eating Media Lunch
Eating Media Lunch was a satirical New Zealand news show hosted by Jeremy Wells. It aired on TV 2 and online on from 2003 to 2008. The show was frequently controversial during its run.- Notable episodes :...
and also created the 1920s pastiche Happy Hori for the comedy show The Unauthorised History of New Zealand. According to an interview with Chris Slane
Chris Slane
Chris Slane is a New Zealand cartoonist.He has had cartoons published in Metro, New Zealand Herald and AA Directions magazine...
, Ellison doesn’t use story boards for his animations, "just writes a script, takes it into the recording studio and sees what happens".
In 2005, Ellison made his first foray into live action comedy with the one-off television pilot 'Barry'. New Zealand Listener
New Zealand Listener
The New Zealand Listener is a New Zealand magazine. First published in 1939 and edited by Oliver Duff and the Monte Holcroft it originally had a monopoly on the publication of of upcoming television and radio programmes. In the 1980s it lost its monopoly on the publication of upcoming television...
TV critic Diana Witchel describes Ellison's television work as representing "some of the most disturbing material on television this side of Destiny TV" and goes on to say that 'Barry' "as comment on the pretensions of the intelligentsia, the gullibility of the media and the stunning incomprehensibility of late-night innovative comedy, it’s a triumph."
In addition to editorial cartoons he has also published adult minicomics, including 'Popeye has a Fuck' (1977),'Tard' (1998), and 'Ray Gun Girls' (1999) which Pavement
Pavement (magazine)
Pavement was a New Zealand youth culture magazine published bimonthly, and then quarterly, by Bernard McDonald and Glenn Hunt from 1993 to 2006....
has described as "An unsettling mixture of Japanese school-girl eroticism, fifties ray-guns and haunting landscapes".