Thank God for Byrne! (Cummings, 1961a)

Artist: Michael Cummings, Published: Daily Express, 30 Jun 1961
Source: BCA http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/record/MC0965 (Accessed: 6th April 2009)

Treasure Island (Franklin, 1964)

Artist: Stanley Franklin, Published: Daily Mirror, 28 Sep 1964,

Source: BCA http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/record/05997 (Accessed 6th April 2009)

Harold, Smith and ‘Security’ Council (Cummings, 1966)

Artist: Michael Cummings, Published: Sunday Express, 10 Apr 1966, Source: BCA http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/record/08741 (Accessed: 6th April 2009)

The Harold Houdini Christmas Show (Franklin, 1967)

Artist: Stanley Franklin, Published: Daily Mirror, 18 Dec 1967

Source: BCA http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/record/12568 (Accessed: 6th April 2009)

The following cartoon is by Gib Crockett and appeared in the Washington Star on the 27th of April 1965 during the Vietnam War. It shows an octopus with the head of Ho Chi Minh, and, just in case the viewer didn’t recognise him, his name conveniently written on a tentacle. The arm of the United States is attempting to cut off his tentacles with a pair of scissors labelled ‘air strikes’ in order to loosen the octopuses grip on South Vietnam: “Whittling him down”.

Notes:

• ‘Whittling him down’ by Gib Crockett. Published 27 April 1965 in the Washington Star. Image Source: Pop Art Machine, http://tinyurl.com/dlu3u9 (Accessed: 16th March 2009)
• Also worth comparing this with the 2005 SOAW Skulltopus, which shows the USA as the octopus with it arms reaching down into South America and having them cut off by a giant pair of scissors.

TUC: Leslie Gilbert Illingworth, published in the Daily Mail 14th April 1969. SOURCE: http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/record/15222 (Accessed 15th Jan 2009).

Yacht being sunk by TUC octopus. Relates to the Industrial Relations Bill initiated in the UK in 1969. The people in it are: Harold Wilson (1916- 1995), Barbara Castle(1910- 2002), Reginald Maudling (1917- 1979), Edward Heath(1916- 2005)¹. Castle and Wilson (Labour party) are in the water with the TUC octopus and, Heath (big nose) and Maudling (glasses) – both Conservative/Tory party – are in the ‘Morning Cloud’ ². The ‘Morning Cloud’ was Edward Heath’s private yacht. As it sails from octopus infested waters into what looks like a storm.

The Labour Party lost the general election in 1970, just over a year after this cartoon was published.

Footnotes:

1. British Cartoon Archive, http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/record/15222
2. I am not sure who the other two people in the boat are: one might be Anthony Barber: photo –http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?mkey=mw85762