Steve Bell (cartoonist)
Steve Bell | |
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Occupation(s) | Political cartoonist, artist |
Website | www |
Steven William Maclean Bell is an English political
Early life
Born in
Cartoonist
While still teaching, Bell did unpaid work providing the magazine Birmingham Broadside with illustrations, including a comic strip featuring Maxwell the Mutant who changed into someone different every time he drank a pint of mild.[1][2]
He had been a friend at university with another student,
When the
Collections of his cartoons have been published, and he has also illustrated original books in collaboration with 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.[citation needed]
Bell's parodies include
Bell's cartoons regularly feature grotesque caricatures, and have sometimes caused controversy as well as receiving critical acclaim. During the
In the run-up to the
In July 2019, Bell sent an angry email to The Guardian after his If... cartoon strip was pulled. The cartoon portrayed the then
On 15 July 2020, The Guardian announced planning to cut jobs due to expected losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Media Group said "We will discuss all our proposals, including redundancy terms, during collective consultation with our employee and trade union representatives."[16] Online social media including Twitter spread a rumour that Bell's annual contract (due to expire in 2021) would not be renewed, without confirmation from The Guardian or from Bell himself. The UK Press Gazette was told by Bell that his annual freelance contract has always been a process of negotiation. For some time he had been in talks with editor-in-chief Katharine Viner about reducing his workload, and "Sadly this probably spells the end for the 'If…' strip after 39 and a half years, which I enjoy doing immensely, but is a hell of a lot of work for an old codger like me, particularly in full colour. I do hope to continue after next April doing large editorial cartoons."[17]
In October 2020, the
Dismissal from The Guardian
In October 2023, Bell announced that The Guardian would no longer be using his cartoons after 42 years of working together. This followed a cartoon Bell produced within the context of the
Awards, books and exhibitions
- British Press Awards "Cartoonist of the Year" 2003.[27]
- What the Papers Say Awards "Cartoonist of the Year" 1994.[28]
- Political Cartoon Society "Cartoon of the Year" (2001, 2008) and "Cartoonist of the Year" (2005, 2007).[29]
- Honorary degrees from the Universities of
- Bibliography: Steve Bell has had 29 books published since 1981. A full list is available on his website.
References
- ^ a b c d Bell, Steve (25 May 2011). "Steve Bell: 'You must discover the character behind the face'". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ "Birmingham Broadside – Coventry Music Archives's blog". Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ "09.06.04: Robert Kilroy-Silk and the UKIP – Cartoons – guardian.co.uk". www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "26.04.05: Tony Blair and Iraq – Cartoons – guardian.co.uk". www.theguardian.com.
- ^ Bell, Steve (8 April 2013). "Steve Bell on Margaret Thatcher's death – cartoon". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Steve Bell on Tony Blair and William Hague's role in Israel-Gaza clash – cartoon". The Guardian. 15 November 2012.
- ^ Rich, Dave. "Jews, puppets and the Guardian". CST Blog. Archived 29 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Community Security Trust *(blog), 16 November 2012,
- ^ Lipman, Jennifer (22 November 2012). "Steve Bell defends Guardian cartoon". The Jewish Chronicle.
- ^ Elliott, Chris (25 November 2012). "Open door: The readers' editor on… accusations of antisemitism against a political cartoon". The Guardian.
- ^ Lipman, Jennifer (19 December 2012). "PCC rules no breach over Steve Bell Gaza cartoon". The Jewish Chronicle.
- The Huffington Post.
- ^ Elliott, Chris (15 March 2015). "I may not always agree with Steve Bell, but I defend his right to draw". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ Bell, Steve (13 November 2014). "Steve Bell's If ... on Nicola Sturgeon's new Scotland". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ "Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell rails against 'specious charge of antisemitism'". The Jewish Chronicle. 17 July 2019.
- ^ "Guardian will not remove 'racist' Priti Patel cartoon". The Telegraph. 9 June 2020.
- ^ Waterson, Jim (15 July 2020). "Guardian announces plans to cut 180 jobs". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ Ponsford, Dominic (24 July 2020). "Steve Bell 'stunned' at reports he has been 'sacked': 'The whole thing has been a bit disturbing'". Press Gazette. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
Steve Bell told Press Gazette: 'My contract as it stands is coming to an end next year, but since I have always been on an annual freelance contract, and this has always been a process of negotiation. ... I don't know how the story that I'd been sacked got about, and nobody has bothered to approach me to confirm or deny it, but it highlights the problem with social media. I certainly didn't put it out.'
- TheGuardian.com.
- ^ "Why was Jeremy Corbyn suspended from the Labour Party?". BBC News. 30 October 2020.
- ^ Frot, Mathilde (30 October 2020). "Steve Bell cartoon of Starmer and Corbyn draws claims of 'antisemitism'". The Jewish Chronicle.
- ^ Ribbans, Elisabeth (12 November 2020). "A cartoon that sparked reader complaints". TheGuardian.com.
- ^ Fraser, Tali (2 November 2020). "Guardian cartoon of Starmer with Corbyn's head on platter labelled 'repellent'". Jewish News.
- ^ Warrington, James (15 October 2023). "Guardian cartoonist sacked over 'anti-Semitic' Netanyahu drawing". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "Steve Bell sacked by Guardian in antisemitism row over Netanyahu cartoon". BBC News. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Johnson's Scar". Ohio State University.
- ^ @arusbridger (13 December 2023). "He's back! @BellBelltoons Steve Bell's take on the glorious years of government since 2010 in the latest @prospect_uk magazine [image]" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Press Gazette, Roll of Honour Archived 16 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 24 July 2011
- ^ Leapman, Michael (19 February 1994). "Reporter nurtures a scoop". The Independent.
- ^ a b "Belltoons - Monsieur L'Artiste - Steve Bell's Biography". www.belltoons.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
External links
- Bellworks – Bell's archive of his cartoons
- Belltoons.co.uk/books – a full list of Bell's published books
- 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