Les Gibbard
Encyclopedia
Les Gibbard was a New Zealand
born British
political cartoonist, journalist
, illustrator
and animator
. As a political cartoonist at The Guardian
newspaper for 25 years, Gibbard became the longest-serving artist of his type in the publication’s history. In addition to his contributions to the Guardian, Gibbard’s work also featured in the Daily Mirror, the Daily Sketch
, The Daily Telegraph
, The Sunday Mirror, The London Evening Standard, Time Out and Melody Maker
.
, New Zealand
; he grew up in New Zealand and learnt his trade under the tutelage of Gordon Minhinnick
(himself influenced by David Low), a former political cartoonist with the New Zealand Herald. After working for a number of New Zealand and Australian publications during the 1960s, Gibbard moved to London and was initially employed by The Daily Telegraph
before joining The Guardian
in 1969, replacing Bill Papas
. At the time he joined, Gibbard was the youngest cartoonist in the paper’s history at 23.
with a re-working of a Philip Zec
cartoon "The price of petrol" which previously caused uproar during World War II
. Responding to the sinking of the Belgrano, on 6 May 1982 the newspaper ran Gibbard's version of the cartoon, re-captioned with the line: "The price of sovereignty has increased - official".
Gibbard later stated: "I was unaware of the furore caused by it until I returned home later the following day to barrage of phone calls asking me how I proposed responding to being called a traitor." The cartoon was raised in the House of Commons and was cited as evidence, by the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
that the British media did not support military action, and rival newspaper The Sun
also accused Gibbard and The Guardian of treason
: "What is it but treason for The Guardian to print a cartoon, showing a British seaman clinging to a raft... isn't that exactly calculated to weaken Britain's resolve at a time when lives have been lost, whatever the justice of her cause?" The criticism in turn led to The Sun’ s leader-writer being ejected from the National Union of Journalists
for “unfraternal behaviour”.
. He also provided illustrations for the popular New Zealand social commentary book, The Half Gallon Quarter Acre Pavlova Paradise
. Gibbard drew political cartoons for Channel 4
's A Week in Politics and for BBC
’s Newsnight
and he produced weekly cartoons for political comment show On the Record between 1988 and 1995. He has also contributed to a number of international animated features including The Super Globetrotters
, Under Milk Wood
and Ivor the Invisible
.
He died on 10 October 2010 of a pulmonary embolism
following a routine operation for knee replacement
.
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...
born British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
political cartoonist, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
and animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
. As a political cartoonist at The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper for 25 years, Gibbard became the longest-serving artist of his type in the publication’s history. In addition to his contributions to the Guardian, Gibbard’s work also featured in the Daily Mirror, the Daily Sketch
Daily Sketch
The Daily Sketch was a British national tabloid newspaper, founded in Manchester in 1909 by Sir Edward Hulton.It was bought in 1920 by Lord Rothermere's Daily Mirror Newspapers but in 1925 Rothermere offloaded it to William and Gomer Berry The Daily Sketch was a British national tabloid newspaper,...
, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, The Sunday Mirror, The London Evening Standard, Time Out and Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
.
Early life
Gibbard was born in KaiapoiKaiapoi
Kaiapoi is a town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand, located close to the mouth of the Waimakariri River, and approximately 17 kilometres north of Christchurch....
, 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...
; he grew up in New Zealand and learnt his trade under the tutelage of Gordon Minhinnick
Gordon Minhinnick
Sir Gordon Edward George Minhinnick KBE was a New Zealand cartoonist.He was born at Torpoint, Cornwall, United Kingdom, educated at Kelly College, Devon, and left for New Zealand in 1921 where he studied architecture for four years...
(himself influenced by David Low), a former political cartoonist with the New Zealand Herald. After working for a number of New Zealand and Australian publications during the 1960s, Gibbard moved to London and was initially employed by The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
before joining The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 1969, replacing Bill Papas
William Papas
William "Bill" Papas was a political cartoonist and caricaturist, book illustrator and watercolourist. In the 1960s and 1970s he worked for The Guardian, The Sunday Times and Punch...
. At the time he joined, Gibbard was the youngest cartoonist in the paper’s history at 23.
The Guardian (1969-1994)
While working at The Guardian, Gibbard produced a number of striking cartoons and courted controversy during the Falklands WarFalklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
with a re-working of a Philip Zec
Philip Zec
Philip Zec was a British political cartoonist and editor. Moving from the advertising industry to drawing political cartoons due to his abhorrence of the rise of fascism, Zec complemented the Daily Mirror editorial line with a series of venomous cartoons...
cartoon "The price of petrol" which previously caused uproar during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Responding to the sinking of the Belgrano, on 6 May 1982 the newspaper ran Gibbard's version of the cartoon, re-captioned with the line: "The price of sovereignty has increased - official".
Gibbard later stated: "I was unaware of the furore caused by it until I returned home later the following day to barrage of phone calls asking me how I proposed responding to being called a traitor." The cartoon was raised in the House of Commons and was cited as evidence, by the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
that the British media did not support military action, and rival newspaper The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
also accused Gibbard and The Guardian of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
: "What is it but treason for The Guardian to print a cartoon, showing a British seaman clinging to a raft... isn't that exactly calculated to weaken Britain's resolve at a time when lives have been lost, whatever the justice of her cause?" The criticism in turn led to The Sun
National Union of Journalists
The National Union of Journalists is a trade union for journalists in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1907 and has 38,000 members. It is a member of the International Federation of Journalists .-Structure:...
for “unfraternal behaviour”.
Later life and death
Gibbard worked as an animator and produced his own animated political cartoon series Newshound for Granada televisionGranada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
. He also provided illustrations for the popular New Zealand social commentary book, The Half Gallon Quarter Acre Pavlova Paradise
The Half Gallon Quarter Acre Pavlova Paradise
The Half Gallon Quarter Acre Pavlova Paradise was a popular book by Austin Mitchell, published by Whitcombe and Tombs , with illustrations by Les Gibbard. It provided a witty, satirical description of life in 1960s New Zealand, and Kiwi culture.Described as "a celebrated vision of New Zealand as...
. Gibbard drew political cartoons for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's A Week in Politics and for BBC
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
’s Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
and he produced weekly cartoons for political comment show On the Record between 1988 and 1995. He has also contributed to a number of international animated features including The Super Globetrotters
The Super Globetrotters
The Super Globetrotters is an American Saturday morning cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for NBC. It premiered on September 22, 1979 and ran for 13 episodes.It was a spin-off series from Hanna-Barbera's Harlem Globetrotters....
, Under Milk Wood
Under Milk Wood (film)
Under Milk Wood is a 1972 British film directed by Andrew Sinclair and based on the radio play Under Milk Wood by the Welsh writer Dylan Thomas. It starred Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Peter O'Toole. Like the book it portrays the inhabitants of a small Welsh village Llareggub....
and Ivor the Invisible
Ivor the Invisible
Ivor the Invisible is an animated film made for British television's Channel Four in 2001. It was written by the popular British author/illustrator, Raymond Briggs...
.
He died on 10 October 2010 of a pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream . Usually this is due to embolism of a thrombus from the deep veins in the legs, a process termed venous thromboembolism...
following a routine operation for knee replacement
Knee replacement
Knee replacement, or knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure to replace the weight-bearing surfaces of the knee joint to relieve the pain and disability of osteoarthritis. It may be performed for other knee diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis...
.
External links
- Les Gibbard at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Biography British Cartoon Archive, University of Kent