Matt Buck's Hack Cartoons

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

These images and ideas were originally drawn and published in November 2007. The assassinated former Prime Minister was a US idea of what a democratic Pakistani government should look like.
28th December 2007
UPDATED 31st December 2007
Channel 4 have footage of the assassination here

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

December 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

’Tis the season to draw daft ecards...mind you, I did get to do kazoos...one of which could even be desribed as flirtatious.
19th December 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

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Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Quite a bit more of our money appears to be committed to bailing out the shareholders and important parliamentary seats in the North East of England.
18th December 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Sometimes you just hear about something completely cheerful. In this case it's that a friend of mine, Gareth Negus, is now running the oldest, purpose-built and continually running cinema in the world. You can find out about the Curzon cinema in Clevedon, near Bristol, here. The history of the place and the battle to keep it alive is a fantastic story about what groups of people can do when they try. There's also a natty piece of simple and creative interactivity which allows the virtual visitor a sneak look at this marvellous old place of mass entertainment. Have a look! Long may it and Gareth thrive.
17th December 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

For all those desperately seeking stocking fillers, I can heartily recommend Alan Pearce’s marvellous book for Christmas.*
* Caution - advert. I illustrated it and provided the silly drawing for the cover.
17th December 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Back.
16th December 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

I get a lot of letters from younger cartoonists and people who make pictures for a living, asking for advice. Once upon a time I used to write these letters myself. I try to answer them, but to be honest, there isn't a great deal of useful stuff you can say. If the author has desire to draw real-life it will come out anyway, with outside advice or not. We all have a talent for expressing ourselves in varying degrees. However, the one consistent thing I always say, is to learn the economic, legal and financial value of what is made with their skill. This is because, sadly, life and some people being what they are, you will undoubtedly find your work and ideas are, at some point, 'borrowed.' The trick at this point is in being to take the backhanded compliment. This last bit of this process is a bit like a finishing school for makers of creativity. It's happened to me several times in the past decade and will no doubt happen again. There's a good quotation by an Indian gentleman caled Ananda K.Coomaraswamy about it.

It's not a question of an artist being a special kind of person, but of every person, who is not an parasite or an idler, being a special kind of artist.

The cartoon awards season results can be found at my colleague Morten's blog - and congratulations are due him, Dave Brown, Steve Bell and Martin Rowson. The event speech was given by former Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer Ken (Kenneth) Clarke. He made a good speech, as you might expect from a professional speech maker, but he also said at least one incredibly silly thing. I paraphrase him here, but the gist of it was, who'd want to look at cartoons on the internet?

Sketchbook caricature of Ken (Kenneth) Clarke - Conservative MP - and guest at the Political Cartoon Awards

I understand why he did this, to connect precisely with what he judged to be his audience, largely middle class, middle-aged, or, elderly and largely suspicious of technology. It worked for him, he got a laugh.

But this, to me, is a classic piece of ostrich-ism and is pointlessly damaging to those of us who have to go out and make a living as professional commercial artists, today, in the ugly here and now. One of my colleagues told me not to get cross about it, to which I can only say bollocks, if we can't be bothered about how we are going to make a living through our skill at drawing then we won't survive as a form of either art or journalism.

Clarke's joke smacks of 'if I don't look I won't have to see what is changing around me.' This is probably because he (and many others) do not understand the digital world and have no interest in learning about it. I thought this was a sad and silly attitude to perpetuate among other people who love cartoons and drawing as a useful form of human communication.

The digital world may not be easy to understand but it offers opportunity to commercial artists in a way that the old print world, and its surviving fans, would be daft to ignore.


Matt Buck’s animated drawings

’Tis the time of year for the annual political cartoon awards, at which I traditionally win nowt. The idea is to offer an image for the year (2007) and hope it catches the jury's eye as the best single image entered.*

My entry for this year's Political Cartoon of the Year award

There is also the highly desirable cartoonist of the year award. This invariably goes to one of the daily newspaper cartoonists. The event is an excuse for lots of professional cartoonists to get together, smoke, drink and bitch about the lucky winners. It is also, as a result, unmissable and one of the drawing years’ absolutely fixed points. It also, bizarrely, always clashes with other social events you cannot easily avoid. Kudos to Dr Tim Benson of the Political Cartoon Society who organises and promotes the event which this year is being held at The Guardian newspaper's Newsroom. You can see Dave Brown of The Independent and his winning one-off image for last year here - scroll down a bit.

* Cynics say, and there are a few about, the key to victory is to have one's entry stationed strategically close to the drinks.

5th December 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

The dodgy home-grown political donation farce goes on ... and abroad, international observers condemn the legitimacy of the Russian elections. It all reminds me of Florida and the days of the hanging chads and mass disenfranchisement of sections of the population. Although happily, I couldn't find a way to shoe-horn all that into the cartoon. Published above and here

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

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Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Absolutely lovely. A wonderful combination of pictures, music, production and design. This was made by somebody called Miralaum. A hat-tip to Wiley Miller for spotting it. the full list of featured commercial artists for 500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art. is;
Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Botticelli , Boltraffio, Albrecht Durer, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Messina, Perugino, Hans Memling, El Greco, Hans Holbein, Rokotov, Peter Paul Rubens, Gobert, Caspar Netscher, Pierre Mignard, Jean-Marc Nattier, Vigee-Le Brun, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Winterhalter, Tyranov, Borovikovsky, Venetsianov, Gros, Kiprensky, Amalie, Corot, Edouard Manet, Flatour, Ingres, Wontner, Bouguereau, Comerre, Leighton, Blaas, Renoir, Millias, Duveneck, Cassatt, Weir, Zorn, Mucha, Paul Gaugan, Henri Matisse, Picabia, Gustav Klimt, Hawkins, Magritte, Salvador Dali, Malevich, Merrild, Modigliani, and Pablo Picasso.
Not bad really.
2nd December 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

After this evening's announcement that the Met Police will get to decide whether they investigate the current Labour party donation row, I wonder if John Yates will fancy another go the sources of party political funding? It is beginning to look as if Harman and Brown are briefing against one another. If the PM has lost her loyalty, he is in a lot of trouble, because hitherto, she has been about as loyal to him as it possible to be in party politics. This image was made for Channel 4 News in October of 2007.
29th November 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

It is always reassuring to read this sort of thing. A hat-tip to David Hughes and also to Iain Martin, who takes a long hard look at Harriet Harman, who's facing some very awkward questions today. She's also married to the Labour party treasurer, Jack Dromey. Yesterday, he claimed he had no knowledge of the dodgy donations to the party. It's the second time he's has to do this in the last two years as he did not know about the cash for honours loans which bedevilled Tony Blair at the end of his time as Prime Minister. Realists might wonder how much shredding of email has been going on in the background during the last week - and this trend applies to all political parties.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

This would be car crash government if it wasn't taking place somewhere else. Published above and here.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Nick Garland in the Telegraph is very good today - simple and on the money. Peter Brookes in the Times goes for a more complex analogy - new film out - and it is, as ever, nicely done. Dave Brown in the Indy goes for a body shot and The Guardian in the absense of Bell and Rowson doesn't do too well at all. My own work for Channel 4 News should be live soon. The iniquities of finding a home in a media outlet means that my colleague, Morland doesn't have a slot this morning (well, that I know about), This should stop immediately, because his work deserves to be measured in the same league as all these fine journalists above.
Matt Buck’s animated drawing

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28th November 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Famous opportunist moves in on the Rock. Why might he do this? Well, you could read this, or, you might prefer to get the fuller tale of hubris that allowed him the opportunity, here. Today's spin is that the crisis is nearly over, I'd bet it isn't and don't bet that Branson and his associates are going to get the former bank either...

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

The following is a long blog for me, but then, I didn't write it. It was published in The Health Service Journal in September of this year. The article is about identity management, and in view of this week's news (see blogs past and drawings above), I would urge anyone who is passing by (hello) to read it. I have an interest to declare at the end too.*

For your information, the information commissioner’s website is at: www.ico.gov.uk

The speed at which businesses, the government and the public sector are developing electronic record systems is starting to gather pace.

The arguments in favour of new systems are, by now, well rehearsed. They include the idea that electronic records will support safer services, increase efficiency, promote team working and deliver more security, accessibility and convenience for end users – patients, in the case of the NHS.

However, the Information Commissioner’s latest Annual Report suggests that many organisations are finding some of these kinds of argument more compelling than others.

Taken as a whole, it suggests that while many bodies are happy to embrace the increased information sharing, surveillance and targeting that new systems make possible, they are less committed to security and positively ambivalent about openness.

Sadly, I fear that the NHS is following the general trend. It is undoubtedly in the vanguard of what an earlier IC report called the Surveillance Society - defined as a world in which technology is routinely used to track and record people’s activities.

This is not only because it is developing its own care records. It is also because its data tends to be drawn into other projects, such as the children’s database, and because it is enthusiastic about using electronic systems to target services on people and monitor their impact (the algorithm to spot patients at ‘high risk’ of hospital admission is a case in point).

The problem is that there are few opportunities to debate what such systems can legitimately be used for - and even fewer checks on function creep. As Richard Thomas, the IC, notes: ‘The benefits of using personal information are undeniable.

‘But so are the risks for individuals and society where use goes beyond reasonable expectations or where things go wrong. [And] the risks - such as mistaken identity, judgemental profiling - magnify as information is shared ever wider.’

Sooner or later, it is certain, the NHS will be caught up in a major scandal involving records, databases or targeting. Some of its data will turn up somewhere it shouldn’t. Supposedly neutral targeting will turn out to be discriminatory. Some deserving soul will not get the treatment they need because ‘the computer says no.’

And when that happens, questions will be asked about how such systems could have been put in place and there will be reviews and resignations… which is why Mr Thomas argues that the best defences we now have against such abuses are data protection and the self interest of organisations with reputations to lose.

Unfortunately, other parts of his Annual Report suggest that these are not much of a defence, since it covers some ‘frankly horrifying’ but very basic security breaches - data being used on unsecured laptops, left open on an applicant website and dumped in bin bags.

Only one of these incidents is related to the NHS (guess which). But since every NHS IT manager has a fund of stories about staff taping passwords to computers or carrying patient notes around on USB sticks and MP3 players, any of them could be.

These kinds of breaches, and the social engineering lapses covered in another report on The Illegal Trade in Personal Information, happen despite the reputational damage that inevitably occurs when news of them gets out.

They also suggest that the potential for electronic records to deliver better security is not being realised in practice, because the introduction of new systems is not being accompanied by a new culture of security and confidentiality in using them.

Nevertheless, organisations are still willing to plead confidentiality when their own interests are at stake. The Annual Report contains the usual list of bodies - including an NHS trust - that were only too willing to hang on to information that should have been released under freedom of information rules.

Unusually, the IC addresses ‘ministers, permanent secretaries, chairs and chief executives’ directly in the year’s report. It is they, he argues, who must ensure that their organisations ‘exercise the necessary self restraint’ as they help to create a surveillance society and who must ‘ensure that their organisations guarantee safeguards.’

This is an important message, but at the moment I’d say we are in for years of stories about database application and security scandals. As a journalist, I suppose I shouldn’t complain, since they’ll keep me in business.

Managers, though, might like to reflect on Mr Thomas’ point that it won’t be much fun to be caught up in them, and take steps that will leave me and my colleagues writing about something else.

These are the reasons I have great caution about the uses of technology, commercially and publically. It is rarely the technology itself which is the issue, the real problem is invariably the people who use it, us.

* The article was written by my partner, Lyn Whitfield.
23rd November 2007


Matt Buck’s animated drawings

When your reputation for economic and security competence goes, you do not have much left as a government. This is worth a read - the journalist is obviously being briefed from a very high-level.
Drawn 21st November 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Published here and above.
20th November 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

The news that HM Revenue and Customs have managed to loose rather a lot of customer details on a pair of computer discs. It doesn't breed great confidence for national ID cards does it? Expect reassurances that the system will be changed to ensure that this sort of thing can never happen again...

20th November 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

...coming soon...

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

In Greek mythology, Prometheus was a Titan who deceived Zeus, King of the Gods, and stole fire for mankind. His punishment was to be chained to a mountain top and have his liver pecked out every day, by a visiting vulture or eagle. Generally, I steer away from classical references like this in my drawing but I felt that the mess that the Prime Minister is in over Northern Rock really deserved an unpleasant image and this is certainly one.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings
A potted history of Prometheus:

Here on Mount Caucasus, Prometheus was tormented day and night by a giant vulture tearing at his liver. By day, the eagle would come down to the cliff and devour Prometheus' liver, and by night the liver would regenerate, only to have it destroyed the following day again.

Will you stand up, not to be counted? No to identity cards. Why are so many people worried about having their name on a list owned by the government? Well, you could read this and then have a think about it. The clause about us being responsible for the accuracy of all the information collected is particularly interesting, because if it isn't correct, and we all know how reliable large databases and call-centres are, we'll be individually liable for £1,000 fines. And get this, we don't even have a choice about signing up, at least, not if we want a working UK passport. A bit further down the road on which the government plans to take us, signing up, will become compulsory for everyone over the age of 16.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Alan Pearce’s marvellous book for this Christmas* made it to the hallowed halls of R4s Today programme yesterday. You can listen again to what he had to say, under fire from Sarah Montague and the nice person from the Health and Safety Executive, here. It's under the 8.30am segment of the programme for Wednesday 14th November.

* Caution - advert. I illustrated it and provided the silly drawing for the cover.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings
15th November 2007

If you read history you'll discover that many of the problems in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the NW borders of British imperial India, are old. The arguments about who holds the power in the relatively new nation of Pakistan, are connected to them and the partition of India after WW2. Published above and here.
UPDATED: 16th November 2007. There's a useful interactive timeline outlining what is going on inside Pakistan here

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

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Matt Buck’s animated drawings

12th November 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

This Remembrance day, please remember what you are not allowed to do in Westminster's Parliament Square, thanks to our government. This is a fine piece of public spirited journalism from Tim Ireland.
UPDATED: And to those who say the internet can't change anything, I say you are right, it can't, but the people who use it can. Read the response that Tim got to his efforts. Little things matter, especially when talking about daft laws.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

You get to meet interesting people who can encourage you to think about things in a way you might not have before, or, remind you of something important that you had forgotten. Mick Fealty who spoke at a Daily Telegraph blogging event last evening, reminded me of the reasons to became a journalist, way back before the idea of blogging had crossed the consciousness of the media business. I'm listing an appropriate quote, paraphrasing Mick's verbals, from one of his online homes.

What would be your main blogging advice to a novice blogger? Listen as much as you write.

The consequences of reckless lending. Thanks to the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alastair Darling, for such an entertaining and highly public argument. 7th November 2007. Published above and here.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Drawn for Tribune in the UK. 7th November 2007.
Matt Buck’s animated drawings

"Despite this international uncertainty, which started from the problems in the US housing market, there are grounds for believing that we will get through this."
Alastair Darling, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Does anyone else find this a curiously unreassuring choice of words to use at present?

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

To anyone who has run tried to run a marathon, this woman is just plain amazing. Paula Radcliffe, winner of the New York marathon 2007. She is, also, clearly, a bit bonkers.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Foul, but funny.
Lou McKeever

From the BBC
Requires Flash player.

A reminder that the DACS show about political imagery is still on at their gallery in central London and tonight they are having a late evening viewing until 9pm. There is some terrific stuff in the show and it's well worth a visit if you can get down there. This photograph of Margaret Thatcher by Roger Bamber* is a part of the show. I have some still and animated work exhibited. The Kowalsky gallery is at 33 Great Sutton Street, London and the show is on until the end of January. Full details are on the gallery page at their website.

* Maggie Gets Her Hands Dirty, May 1983 by Roger Bamber.© Roger Bamber 2007.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

The Saudi royal visit to Britain. Art made on 31st October 2007. Traditionally, this is a night for horrors and things people would rather not see. Published, above and here.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

...coming soon...

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

The times they-are-a-changing. Google's ad revenues in the UK exceed ITV's. I should also say one of my employers, Channel 4, are 25 this week and there is a nice link to a lot of interesting logo idents from the past quarter century, among other things, here. I can't believe it's 25 years!

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

An interesting man to caricature. The colour here has worked much more in favour of the final art than it did with poor old Al Gore below... I wonder why.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Hello Gorehub kind of you to visit.
This was an interesting one to do as I 'lost' the caricatre halfway through, that means I think the simple black and white is better than the colour version.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

In the spirit of the marvellous hypertext video, which you can find below, comes this. Hat-tip to Mindy McAdams but the creative kudos belongs to Michael Wesch.

26th October 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Alan Pearce and Clare Christian have collaborated on a marvellous book for this Christmas*. Anybody who feels the world is going to ruin because of political correctness ought to really enjoy it. I'd like to embarrass Clare now by posting a link to the evidence of her as the Young Publisher of the Year. Here it is. I should also hat-tip Jim Banting, Clare Weber and Liam Relph who helped make the whole thing look just lovely.
25th October 2007

* Caution. I illustrated it and provided the silly drawing for the cover.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Cash for honours - we discover how much co-operation John Yates and the Met Police received from the very prominent people who were under investigation for the sale of national honours and titles. Published above and here. 24th October 2007
Matt Buck’s animated drawings

UPDATE: Tom Bower has a review on The Guardian today which gives an overview of the whole affair and its key players.

This is excellent news. Hello again Ian.
23rd October 2007
Matt Buck’s animated drawings

The Economist takes a long view of the story and why it still matters. It is well worth a read. This weekend's PR spin was about Rock Chairman, Matt Ridley, (a former Economist employee) not receiving any payoff as he leaves his job. But there was also another little story, about the small matter of another £3bn loan from the Bank of England to prop up the ailing institution. Total Rock borrowing from the Bank of England (the taxpapyer, if you like) is now believed to be in the region of £16bn. If you believe what Hemscott are reporting, Northern Rock's funding problems remain acute.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

And it's not just on his trousers...
Fat boy's become a trendsetter.

Link from Chicken Yogurt - 22nd October 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

This is old news, but still good news. A hat-tip to Mr Quittner, wherever you are today...
25th October 2007

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

The problems with making jokes post below, touches on another interesting post from Virtual Economics in which Seamus McCauley talks about the increasing fusion between factual and opinion-based news coverage. This is very interesting to someone like me because essentially it's what visual satirists do; try to reveal truths, or opinions, through analogy, visual symbolism and jokes.

Seamus uses a lovely phrase in his piece - the genuine value of satirical news reporting - and goes on to talk about how one of the major problems that today's conventional journalists are finding, is that the predominant industry business models no longer support what it is, journalists do. In this context he argues, the value of satire, goes up.

'The gap between news and news satire gets ever smaller, and it seems our understanding of current affairs is all the richer for it.'

Sincere hat-tip to Mr McCauley

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

A sweet spot from D-Notice

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

There was a report out on Monday that reconfirmed the problems which many people in many areas of the country have in finding state-sponsored dental care. Published above and here.
Hack animated drawings

Liberal Democrat leader Ming Campbell's has finally discovered the knack of making a speech that other people will listen to - just three weeks too late. Animation made for Channel 4 News
15th October 2007

Hack animated drawings

The Conservative party have lost a battle to keep an £8.3m bequest by a man whose son described him as delusional.
Drugs mogul Branislav Kostic, who died in 2005, wrote his will in the 1980s after saying Margaret Thatcher would save the world from "satanic monsters".
But his only son Zoran, 50, contested the bequest at the High Court, saying his father was "deluded and insane" and he was entitled to the entire estate.
The Conservatives say they have not touched the money.
Handing down his judgement, Mr Justice Henderson, said Mr Kostic would not have left the money to the Tories if he had been "of sound mind".

:-)

Some stories are perfect, even without a drawing

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

Al is officially commended for his efforts to help save the planet. He might get an opportunity to finish off Hillary Clinton, as a fringe benefit, too. This would be a result for him, if you believe the stories about their previous relationship when they were last together in the White House...
Drawn 12th October 2007

More Animated Drawings

The government in trouble - and because of Mr Brown.
Animated drawings

It's been an awful week for the Prime Minister, as I hope you can see here.
10th October 2007
Hack animated drawings

This terrific photograph of Margaret Thatcher by Roger Bamber* is a part of an excellent show on political imagery at the Design and Copyright Society in London. I have some still and animated work in the show. The Kowalsky gallery is at 33 Great Sutton Street, London and the show is on until the end of January. Full details are on the gallery page at their website.

* Maggie Gets Her Hands Dirty, May 1983 by Roger Bamber.© Roger Bamber 2007.

Interestingly, the photo never saw the light of day after Roger took it, as Mrs T was running in the 1983 election campaign at the time, and the image of her holding a pile of crap was thought too unfortunate to be publishable. In case anyone was in any doubt, spin, clearly, did not begin in 1997.

While we are talking exhibitions, I'm also going to be at the annual Big Draw in Covent Garden this weekend, on October 13th and 14th. There is a massive amount of drawing and joke related activity going on, over both days, do come along and enjoy yourselves.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

I have every confidence that this new cartoon strip, made by Lou McKeever and Chichi Parrish, is going to be just fantastic. And probably also, just a bit, rude. Rather wonderfully named, do watch out for Fanny by Gaslight.
Both of these cartoonists are also appearing at the Big Draw in London's Covent Garden, this weekend, don't miss them and it.
(The image republished by permission of Lou McKeever and Chichi Parrish.)
Lou
Chichi
Me

The implications of the Usmanov-Schillings affair continue to rumble around the world. The latest spot is in The International Herald Tribune, which quotes Tim Ireland approvingly I think.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

This picture of a journalism college class from the University of Missouri is sort of wonderful and sort of terrifying, all at the same time. It's certainly a testament to the power of effective brand marketing. A hat-tip to the Silicon Valley Sleuth.

Matt Buck’s animated drawings

David Cameron's speech to the Conservative Party Conference on 3rd October 2007 - somewhat reduced. Published here and by Channel 4 News. You can watch Gordon Brown's effort in Bournemouth and Ming Campbell in Brighton here.