Matt Buck's Hack Cartoons

Well some signs of progress this morning - and an age-old cartoon experience, the news overtaking you.

Yesterday's drawing is now out of date. Clearly the TV pictures of Qana have moved the Americans to do something and there is now somesort of temporary cessation of Israeli air activity over southern Lebanon, even if both sides are still firing artillery and missiles at one another.

The challenge now is going to be getting agreement about how to secure a permamanent ceasefire, because this isn't it. Two from a large range of difficult issues that this is going to bring to light are; how to disarm or control Hezbollah and how to bring an international force in the area without making it look as if it's another western invasion of Arab land.

A visual response to the major humanitarian disaster at Qana in southern Lebanon where 50 people, largely women and children have died after a building collapsed on them following an Israeli bombing raid.

I chose to draw this in a sort of triptych - or three panel display - to try and show the inconsistency in the position of the American administration, which still likes to pretend it is a neutral power broker in the region.

Sadly, in other news this week, it has become clear that the bunker busting weapons, perhaps responsible for these deaths, are currently being shipped to the Israeli airforce from the US, via the UK.

Needless to say, the idiots in Hezbollah are still firing missiles at the Israelis.

Say no more about it.

The Prime Minister is going to Washington for one of his 'reward' visits for not rocking the boat. Demands at home are that he rocks the boat this time about standing off the horrors in the middle east, but will he dare do it in public?

Nah, thought not.

You can see an interview with me at the excellent Cartoon Fiend web site.

http://the-cartoon-fiend.blogspot.com/

You'll find lots of other great cartoonists there too. Enjoy.

And a sincere hat tip to Mr McKie for the lovely advertising.

Here's a belated report on the goings on at the Second Liverpool cartoon festival, which is running at the Royal Court Theatre. (Handily close to Lime Street station.)

More than 30 of Britain's top gagsmiths sent work on the theme of performance thanks to the organisers Bill Stott, John Roberts and Paul Hardman. These three heroes have been trying to establish the festival as a regular event and to tie it in with the celebrations around 2008, which is going to be Liverpool's year as European capital of culture.

Despite an excellent launch and a fine exhibition in a vast subterranean bar, it remains to be seen whether they can batter down the walls of prejudice which surround cartooning as an art form in Britain.

In the UK it is too often and too easily dismissed as childish and simple, when time spent examining it would reveal in very many cases, the exact opposite.

Of course, those who like to condemn the virtues of childishness and simplicity are usually among the many jaded old adults have lost their own sense of fun and wonder at the world's absurdities.

Utter misery on the news as the middle east has exploded again.

I liked one piece of reporting I saw in which a Lebanese civilian asked, not for democracy, but merely for the human right to live.

Of course, it applies both sides of that unhappy border

... for the opening night of the annual Comedy Festival on Thursday. I've got three cartoons in a show based on the theme of 'Performance' at the The Royal Court Theatre.

http://www.liverpoolcomedyfestival.co.uk/
http://www.royalcourtliverpool.co.uk/

Should be fun ... I'll pass on anything fun that I learn while I'm there.

It's one year since the 7th of July suicide bombings in London.