Michael Atchison
Encyclopedia
Michael Plant Atchison O.A.M. (4 August 1933 – 16 February 2009) was an Australian cartoonist who worked for the South Australia
n Advertiser for over 40 years.
He was born in Sandringham, Victoria
and moved to South Australia with his family in 1939. He was educated at Glenelg Primary, then King's College, a boy's school which later became the co-ed Pembroke
. He attended Adelaide Teachers' College and embarked on a teaching career. He married fellow Teachers' College student Olga and together left for England in 1960, where he worked as a freelance artist, contributing to magazines including Punch
as well as working as art director for a London advertising agency. They moved to Sydney
in 1967.
He began work at The Advertiser in 1967 as the eventual replacement for Pat Oliphant
who had left for a career with the Denver Post in 1964. And like Oliphant, he was to illustrate the frequent prose and poetic contributions of his great friend Max Fatchen
.
, Bruce Petty
and André François
.
He was inducted into the South Australian Media Hall of Fame in 2004.
Michael was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2007.
He received the Jim Russell Award from the Australian Cartoonists' Association in 2007.
An original cartoon (featuring the "dog of no name") may be seen in an alleyway off the main street in the Adelaide Hills
town of Aldgate
. It forms part of a mural contributed by half-a-dozen cartoonists during the 2007 S.A.L.A. (South Australian Living Artists
) festival.
may be seen at National Archives of Australia
A comment on 21st Century aboriginal life may be seen here National Museum of Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n Advertiser for over 40 years.
He was born in Sandringham, Victoria
Sandringham, Victoria
Sandringham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Sandringham had a population of 8693.-History:...
and moved to South Australia with his family in 1939. He was educated at Glenelg Primary, then King's College, a boy's school which later became the co-ed Pembroke
Pembroke School, Adelaide
Pembroke School is an independent, co-educational, non-denominational, day and boarding school, located at Kensington Park, a suburb 6 kilometres east of the CBD of Adelaide, South Australia....
. He attended Adelaide Teachers' College and embarked on a teaching career. He married fellow Teachers' College student Olga and together left for England in 1960, where he worked as a freelance artist, contributing to magazines including Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
as well as working as art director for a London advertising agency. They moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1967.
He began work at The Advertiser in 1967 as the eventual replacement for Pat Oliphant
Pat Oliphant
Patrick Bruce "Pat" Oliphant is the most widely syndicated political cartoonist in the world, described by the New York Times as "the most influential cartoonist now working"...
who had left for a career with the Denver Post in 1964. And like Oliphant, he was to illustrate the frequent prose and poetic contributions of his great friend Max Fatchen
Max Fatchen
Max Fatchen is an Australian journalist and children's writer.Max Fatchen spent his boyhood on an Adelaide Plains farm at Angle Vale. He learned to drive a team of Clydesdale horses and did part of his High School studies at home, driving his horse and buggy in once a week to Gawler High School to...
.
Style and influences
Fellow cartoonist John Stoneham observed that Atchison "always worked completely freehand, never following pencil lines, but drawing ink straight on to paper, an art form which is long forgotten". He acknowledged the influence of cartoonists Ronald SearleRonald Searle
Ronald William Fordham Searle, CBE, RDI, is a British artist and cartoonist, best known as the creator of St Trinian's School. He is also the co-author of the Molesworth series....
, Bruce Petty
Bruce Petty
Bruce Petty is one of Australia’s best known political satirists and cartoonists. He is a regular contributor to Melbourne's The Age newspaper...
and André François
André François
André François , born André Farkas, was a Hungarian-born French cartoonist.He was born to a Hungarian Jewish family in Temesvár, Austria-Hungary , He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest . He moved to Paris in 1934 and entered to the atelier of the famous poster artist Adolphe Cassandre...
.
Word for Word
From 1989 The Advertiser carried on its daily comics page Atchison's "Word for Word" panel which explored origins and meanings of English words and phrases. Its last appearance was on 7 May 2009. A series of "Word for Word" collections has been published.Signature
Many cartoonists have a trademark which may be found in their works; Atchison's, born in 1974, was a scruffy little dog which occasionally behaved disgracefully. His personal trademark was a pair of red braces.Last years
Atchison lived with cancer from 1994, but despite pain and irksome operations never lost his affable good humour. He was forced by the pain to retire in 2008. He was survived by his wife of over 50 years, two daughters and three grandchildren.Recognition
He was awarded the traditional artist's smock by his colleagues in 1998.He was inducted into the South Australian Media Hall of Fame in 2004.
Michael was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2007.
He received the Jim Russell Award from the Australian Cartoonists' Association in 2007.
An original cartoon (featuring the "dog of no name") may be seen in an alleyway off the main street in the Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills
The Adelaide Hills are part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is unofficially centred on the largest town in the area, Mount Barker, which has a population of around 29,000 and is also one of Australia's fastest growing towns.- History :The...
town of Aldgate
Aldgate, South Australia
Aldgate is a South Australian town located 21 kilometres south-east of Adelaide, in the Adelaide Hills.The town of Aldgate was supposedly named in 1882 after the local hotel the Aldgate Pump, which was named by Richard D. Hawkins, who had additionally opened the nearby Crafers Inn...
. It forms part of a mural contributed by half-a-dozen cartoonists during the 2007 S.A.L.A. (South Australian Living Artists
South Australian Living Artists Festival
The South Australian Living Artists Festival is an annual free visual arts festival in the city of Adelaide.The SALA festival includes open art studios, moving-image based art, and public art events across South Australia....
) festival.
Artwork links
A cartoon of Prime Minister Gough WhitlamGough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
may be seen at National Archives of Australia
A comment on 21st Century aboriginal life may be seen here National Museum of Australia
Publications
- Songs for My Dog and Other Wry Rhymes Max Fatchen and Michael Atchison 2004 ISBN 9781862544789
- Wry Rhymes for Troublesome Times Max Fatchen and Michael Atchison Kestrel 1985 ISBN 9780722658079
- Songs for My Dog and Other People Max Fatchen and Michael Atchison 1980 ISBN 9780722656457
- Word Perfect Dudley Burton and Michael Atchison 1987 ISBN 9780867780345
- Words, Words, Words Tom Burton, Michael Atchison Radio Adelaide 5UV ISBN 0863962637
- Words in Your Ear Tom Burton and Michael Atchison Wakefield Press 1999 ISBN 1862544751
- Wallaby; An Aussie, a Broad Tom Burton, Michael Atchison, Rod MacLean Wakefield Press Pty, Ltd. ISBN 1862546533
- Mr. Dohnt's Notice Garden Michael Page and Michael Atchison HarperCollins Australia, 1988 ISBN 9780732248048
- Lakeliners 2007: Short Stories and Poems from Milang Stuart Jones, Christine Stratton, Doreen Simpson, Greta Mansveld, Michael Atchison Milang Progress Association, Inc. ISBN 0646478826
- Long Words Bother Me Stuart Jones, Christine Stratton, Doreen Simpson, Greta Mansveld, Michael Atchison Sutton Pub. Ltd. ISBN 0750939737
- What's Your Problem, Vol II Barbara Ross, Michael Atchison Advertiser Newspapers, Ltd. ISBN 0959257276
- Word for Word: A Cartoon History of Word Origins Book 1 Dog-eared Pub. ISBN 095855790X
- Word for Word: A Cartoon History of Word Origins Book 2 Dog-eared Pub. ISBN 0958557918