Terry Mosher
Encyclopedia
Christopher Terry Mosher, OC
(born 11 November 1942) is a Canadian
political cartoonist for the Montreal Gazette
. He draws under the name "Aislin", a rendition of the name of his eldest daughter Aislinn (without the second 'n').
Born in Ottawa
, Ontario
, Mosher attended fourteen different schools in Montreal
, Toronto
and Quebec City
, graduating from the École des Beaux-arts in 1967. He famously won entrance to this fine arts college (now part of UQAM) by forging his high-school graduation certificate, which he called his most successful work. He then began working for The Montreal Star, moving to the Montreal Gazette in 1972.
Aislin's drawings have also appeared in numerous international publications, such as Punch
, The Atlantic Monthly
, Harper's, National Lampoon, Time
, The Washington Star, The New York Times
and the Canadian edition of The Reader's Digest
. He is the author of 43 books.
Terry Mosher has had a long association with the Old Brewery Mission
, Montreal's largest shelter for the homeless, and in 2001, was appointed to the institution's Board of Directors.
Mosher famously turned down shares in the board game Trivial Pursuit
for which he provided the original artwork. The co-inventor Chris Haney
gave Mosher a choice: $1,000 or shares. Mosher took the cash. http://www.allangould.com/magazines/business/trivialpursuit/magazines_business_trivialpursuitinvestors.html
and five individual prizes from the international Salon of Caricature. In 1985, Mosher became the youngest person ever to be inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame
. In 2002 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
. In 2007, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from McGill University
.
(Robert Layton
) in the House of Commons
as "a crime against fundamental Canadian values of decency and mutual respect."http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0011504
On March 12, 2010, he drew a cartoon depicting a woman in a niqab
as being in a prison, which brought criticisms of Islamophobia
. One community leader pointed out that he had made similar cartoons about women wearing a hijab
.http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/03/12/mont-gazette-cartoon-niqab-aislin.html
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born 11 November 1942) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
political cartoonist for the Montreal Gazette
The Gazette (Montreal)
The Gazette, often called the Montreal Gazette to avoid ambiguity, is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with three other daily English newspapers all having shut down at different times during the second half of the 20th century.-History:In 1778,...
. He draws under the name "Aislin", a rendition of the name of his eldest daughter Aislinn (without the second 'n').
Born in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Mosher attended fourteen different schools in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, graduating from the École des Beaux-arts in 1967. He famously won entrance to this fine arts college (now part of UQAM) by forging his high-school graduation certificate, which he called his most successful work. He then began working for The Montreal Star, moving to the Montreal Gazette in 1972.
Aislin's drawings have also appeared in numerous international publications, such as 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...
, The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
, Harper's, National Lampoon, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, The Washington Star, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and the Canadian edition of The Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
. He is the author of 43 books.
Terry Mosher has had a long association with the Old Brewery Mission
Old Brewery Mission
The Old Brewery Mission is a homeless shelter located in Montreal. It is the largest shelter for men in the province of Quebec, and the largest homeless shelter for women in Canada. It is also the largest private homeless shelter in Canada, and the second largest shelter overall. The Old Brewery...
, Montreal's largest shelter for the homeless, and in 2001, was appointed to the institution's Board of Directors.
Mosher famously turned down shares in the board game Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit is a board game in which progress is determined by a player's ability to answer general knowledge and popular culture questions. The game was created in 1979 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, by Canadian Chris Haney, a photo editor for Montreal's The Gazette and Scott Abbott, a sports...
for which he provided the original artwork. The co-inventor Chris Haney
Chris Haney
Christopher Deane Haney is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1991–2000 and in 2002 for the Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Red Sox. In 2001, he played in Japan for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. Haney gave up...
gave Mosher a choice: $1,000 or shares. Mosher took the cash. http://www.allangould.com/magazines/business/trivialpursuit/magazines_business_trivialpursuitinvestors.html
Honours/Awards
He is the recipient of two National Newspaper AwardsNational Newspaper Awards
The National Newspaper Awards are prizes awarded annually for the best work in Canadian newspapers. The awards were first given in 1949 by the Toronto Press Club, which ran the awards until 1989...
and five individual prizes from the international Salon of Caricature. In 1985, Mosher became the youngest person ever to be inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame
Canadian News Hall of Fame
The Canadian News Hall of Fame is a museum that honours individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to journalism in Canada. The Hall of Fame is operated under the auspices of the Toronto Press Club and is housed within the Ontario Club at 30 Wellington St. W. in Toronto...
. In 2002 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. In 2007, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
.
Controversy
In 1993, Mosher became the first artist to have his work denounced by a Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(Robert Layton
Robert Layton
Robert Edward John "Bob" Layton, PC was a Canadian politician.-Early career:Robert Layton was born in Montreal, the son of Norah Lestelle and former Quebec cabinet minister Gilbert Layton. He graduated from McGill University in 1947...
) in the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as "a crime against fundamental Canadian values of decency and mutual respect."http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0011504
On March 12, 2010, he drew a cartoon depicting a woman in a niqab
Niqab
A niqab is a cloth which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of sartorial hijāb...
as being in a prison, which brought criticisms of Islamophobia
Islamophobia
Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
. One community leader pointed out that he had made similar cartoons about women wearing a hijab
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
.http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/03/12/mont-gazette-cartoon-niqab-aislin.html
External links
- Official site
- See Aislin's caricatures from the McCord Museum's digital collection
- Funny and Moody: The Best of Aislin's Cartoons
- Terry Mosher at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
- Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists