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Steve Bell (cartoonist)
Encyclopedia
Steve Bell is an English
political cartoonist
, whose work appears in The Guardian
and other publications. He is known for his left-wing views and distinctive caricature
s.
, London
, and raised in Slough
, Bell moved to North Yorkshire
with his family in 1968, where he trained as an artist at the Teesside College of Art. He graduated in film-making and art at the University of Leeds
in 1974 and trained as an art teacher at St Luke's College, Exeter (nowadays University of Exeter
- St. Luke's Campus) in 1975. He taught art for one year in Birmingham
before becoming a freelance cartoonist in 1977. His comic strip
Maggie's Farm appeared in the London listings magazine Time Out from 1979 and later in City Limits
, and Lord God Almighty appeared in The Leveller
in the 1970s. In 1980, he contributed a cartoon interpretation of the lyrics to Ivan Meets G.I. Joe to the inner lyric bag of the Clash
's triple album Sandinista!
.
, which has appeared in The Guardian newspaper since 1981, and since the mid-1990s he has also been that newspaper's principal editorial cartoonist. One of Bell's most famous caricatures is of John Major
as a dire superhero wearing his Y-fronts on the outside of his clothes, in a parody of Superman
. Bell also claims to be the first cartoonist to have spotted Margaret Thatcher
's mad left eye, as well as the fact that Tony Blair shares this unusual feature.
Steve Bell has won many awards for his work, including both the political and strip cartoon categories at the Cartoon Arts Trust awards at least eight times since 1997. Many collections of his cartoon
s have been published, and he has also illustrated original books in collaboration with several authors. He has made short animated films with Bob Godfrey
, including a short series of animated cartoons for Channel 4
television in 1999 to mark the 20th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher's rise to power, entitled Margaret Thatcher - Where Am I Now?. He has appeared in a radio programme about the life of 18th century caricaturist James Gillray
. Earlier in his career he wrote and drew the Gremlins comic strip for the British comic Jackpot
.
In 2003, he was listed in The Observer
as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. When he received the UK Press Gazette
award in 2004 for Best Cartoonist, in his speech he thanked "George Bush - for looking like a monkey, walking like a monkey and talking like a monkey".
Bell is fond of parodying famous paintings. Examples include his parody of Goya's The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters
(in an editorial cartoon about the UK Independence Party); William Hogarth
's The Gate of Calais
about the ban on UK meat exports following outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease
and bovine BSE
; and - before the 2005 General Election when it briefly seemed as if the Liberal Democrats
might seriously threaten Labour
- J. M. W. Turner
's The Fighting Temeraire
, in which a chirpy Charles Kennedy
as tug-boat towed a grotesque and dilapidated Tony Blair
to be broken up http://www.guardian.co.uk/cartoons/stevebell/0,7371,1470547,00.html.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
political cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, whose work appears in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and other publications. He is known for his left-wing views and distinctive caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
s.
Early life
Born in WalthamstowWalthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and raised in Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
, Bell moved to North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
with his family in 1968, where he trained as an artist at the Teesside College of Art. He graduated in film-making and art at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
in 1974 and trained as an art teacher at St Luke's College, Exeter (nowadays University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
- St. Luke's Campus) in 1975. He taught art for one year in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
before becoming a freelance cartoonist in 1977. His comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Maggie's Farm appeared in the London listings magazine Time Out from 1979 and later in City Limits
City Limits (London magazine)
City Limits magazine was founded in 1981 in London by former staff members of the weekly London listings magazine Time Out, after its owner Tony Elliott abandoned running Time Out on co-operative principles....
, and Lord God Almighty appeared in The Leveller
Leveller magazine
The Leveller was a British political magazine, c.1976 to 1982, collectively produced by a shifting coalition of radicals, socialists, marxists, feminists, and others of the British left and progressive movements. It was published during the years of the Labour government of James Callaghan and the...
in the 1970s. In 1980, he contributed a cartoon interpretation of the lyrics to Ivan Meets G.I. Joe to the inner lyric bag of the Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's triple album Sandinista!
Sandinista!
Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side...
.
Cartoonist
Steve Bell is probably best known for the daily strip called If...If... (comic)
If... is an ongoing political comic strip which appears in the UK newspaper The Guardian, written and drawn by Steve Bell since its creation in 1982.-Style:...
, which has appeared in The Guardian newspaper since 1981, and since the mid-1990s he has also been that newspaper's principal editorial cartoonist. One of Bell's most famous caricatures is of John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
as a dire superhero wearing his Y-fronts on the outside of his clothes, in a parody of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. Bell also claims to be the first cartoonist to have spotted Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's mad left eye, as well as the fact that Tony Blair shares this unusual feature.
Steve Bell has won many awards for his work, including both the political and strip cartoon categories at the Cartoon Arts Trust awards at least eight times since 1997. Many collections of his cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s have been published, and he has also illustrated original books in collaboration with several authors. He has made short animated films with Bob Godfrey
Bob Godfrey
Roland Frederick Godfrey is a British animator whose career spans more than fifty years. He is probably best known for the children's cartoon series Roobarb , Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk and Henry's Cat and for the Trio chocolate biscuit advertisements shown in the UK during the early 1980s...
, including a short series of animated 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...
television in 1999 to mark the 20th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher's rise to power, entitled Margaret Thatcher - Where Am I Now?. He has appeared in a radio programme about the life of 18th century caricaturist James Gillray
James Gillray
James Gillray , was a British caricaturist and printmaker famous for his etched political and social satires, mainly published between 1792 and 1810.- Early life :He was born in Chelsea...
. Earlier in his career he wrote and drew the Gremlins comic strip for the British comic Jackpot
Jackpot (comic)
Jackpot was a British comic book that ran from the issues dated 5 May 1979 to 30 January 1982, when it merged with Buster. Its strips included:*Jack Pott *Angel's Proper Charlies, a parody of Charlie's Angels*Adam and Eva*Class Wars...
.
In 2003, he was listed in The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. When he received the UK Press Gazette
Press Gazette
Press Gazette, formerly known as UK Press Gazette , is a British media trade magazine dedicated to journalism and the press. It was first published in 1965, and currently has a circulation of about 2,500, although it had enjoyed higher circulations earlier in its history...
award in 2004 for Best Cartoonist, in his speech he thanked "George Bush - for looking like a monkey, walking like a monkey and talking like a monkey".
Bell is fond of parodying famous paintings. Examples include his parody of Goya's The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters is an etching made by the Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes...
(in an editorial cartoon about the UK Independence Party); William Hogarth
William Hogarth
William Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects"...
's The Gate of Calais
The Gate of Calais
The Gate of Calais or O, the Roast Beef of Old England is a 1748 painting by William Hogarth, reproduced as a print from an engraving the next year. Hogarth produced the painting directly after his return from France, where he had been arrested as a spy while sketching in Calais...
about the ban on UK meat exports following outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids...
and bovine BSE
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
; and - before the 2005 General Election when it briefly seemed as if the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
might seriously threaten Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
- J. M. W. Turner
J. M. W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting...
's The Fighting Temeraire
The Fighting Temeraire
The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last Berth to be broken up, 1838 is an oil painting executed in 1839 by the English artist J. M. W. Turner...
, in which a chirpy Charles Kennedy
Charles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
as tug-boat towed a grotesque and dilapidated Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
to be broken up http://www.guardian.co.uk/cartoons/stevebell/0,7371,1470547,00.html.
Awards
- British Press AwardsBritish Press AwardsThe British Press Awards is an annual ceremony that celebrates the best of British journalism. Established in the 1970s, honours are voted on by a panel of journalists and newspaper executives...
"Cartoonist of the Year" 2003. - What the Papers Say Awards "Cartoonist of the Year" 1994
- Political Cartoon Society "Cartoon of the Year" (2001, 2008) and "Cartoonist of the Year" (2005, 2007)
- Honorary degrees from the Universities of Sussex, Teesside, Loughborough and Leeds.
External links
- Bellworks - Bell's archive of his cartoons
- Guardian cartoons by Steve Bell
- The Art of Comedy, an interview with Steve Bell, from suchsmallportions.com
- Interview alongside Martin Rowson
- Interviewing Robert Crumb, 2005
- Biography article at British Cartoon Archive, University of Kent
- Interviewed at ICA by George Melly, 1987