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Robert Irwin threatens to sue Pauline Hanson over "defamatory" cartoon

<p>Robert Irwin has threatened to sue One Nation leader Pauline Hanson for defamation. </p> <p>In the latest episode of Pauline Hanson's cartoon series <em>Please Explain</em>, Irwin claimed that he was mocked after it depicted him and Bluey promoting a new tourism campaign for Queensland.</p> <p>The episode satirically depicted Irwin attempting to show Bluey the best of Queensland, but mocked the state's housing crisis, youth crime, and health care. </p> <p>At one point in the cartoon, the pair mistake a long queue for a rental property for a line at Movie World. </p> <p>FC Lawyers, who are acting on behalf of the wildlife conservationist, have sent a cease and desist letter to StepMates Studios, the production team behind Pauline Hanson’s <em> </em>cartoon series.</p> <p>In the letter obtained by <em>NewsWire</em>,  Irwin's lawyer claimed that the cartoon is defamatory and  involves the “unauthorised and deceptive use of our client’s image”.</p> <p>“You are potentially liable to our client in respect of defamation, deceptive use of a person’s image, passing off and misleading and deceptive conduct,” the letter sates. </p> <p>“We will commence legal action against you if you do not take down the video immediately.”</p> <p>The letter also claims that the cartoon tarnished Irwin's reputation and misled the public, causing “significant harm to our client’s brand and image”.</p> <p>“We are concerned that the unlawful use of our client’s image may be an attempt to pass off yourself or party as currently being affiliated or otherwise authorised by us, which you are not,” it continues.</p> <p>“This unlawful use has the potential to mislead or deceive consumers into believing that you have.</p> <p>“The use of our client’s image and name on the video is capable of leading not an insignificant number of reasonable and/or ordinary people into erroneously believing that the Pauline Hanson is associated with Robert.”</p> <p>Some people have defended Irwin's move, saying: "It is Pauline Hanson who is the politician and she has a record of trying to sue others when offended."</p> <p>"She likes to dish it out but can’t take it which will cost her at the ballot box!"</p> <p>"What about when Pauline Hanson threatened legal action over Pauline Pantsdown," another added. </p> <p>However, a few others have called him a "snowflake" and told him to "grow up". </p> <p>"Your dad would [have] had a good laugh at Pauline's cartoon. Grow up, stop being a snowflake!" one person wrote on X.</p> <p>"Robert Irwin is very thin skinned he needs a laugh," another added. </p> <p><em>Images: news.com.au/ Instagram/ Getty</em></p>

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Solemnity and celebration: how political cartoonists have handled the death of a monarch, from Victoria to Elizabeth II

<p>It sounds very familiar – a well-respected monarch dies, and a radical, left-leaning, Antipodean cartoonist struggles to find the right tone to commemorate the event. </p> <p>He is torn between his distaste for what he sees as the archaic, pre-modern institution of monarchy, and the undoubted personal quality of the late incumbent. </p> <p>More used to poking fun at the great and good, or attacking governments for their weak-willed or wrong-headed policies, changing tone to reverence and respect is difficult. </p> <p>But in the end, he manages to strike a very good balance and produce a memorable cartoon.</p> <p>The well-respected monarch was George VI; the radical, left-leaning, Antipodean cartoonist was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Low_(cartoonist)">David Low</a>; and the year was 1952. With <a href="https://archive.cartoons.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&amp;id=LSE8008">From One Man to Another</a>, Low not only conveyed his own respects, man-to-man, but imagined also the British workman, his hat in his hand and sleeves rolled-up, casting a humble bunch of flowers towards a mighty tombstone labelled “The Gentlest of the Georges”. </p> <p>This was an expression of democratic – even socialist – sensibility, in an age when monarchy seemed, to many, to be increasingly out-of-step with the advance of modernity and the inexorable march of post-war history.</p> <p>Low was compelled to look back, not forward, conscious he had an historic role to fulfil in commemorating the passing of the king who had embodied so much of the stolid, British pluck and humility during the second world war. </p> <p>He reflected <a href="https://archive.org/details/lowsautobiograph017633mbp/page/n225/mode/2up">in his 1956 autobiography</a> that he hated the old-fashioned, “The Nation Mourns”-style of Victorian cartoon, but it was to that set of images and traditions that he turned.</p> <h2>A long lineage</h2> <p>Cartoonists have had to do something similar in 2022, with the death of Queen Elizabeth II. </p> <p>In the United Kingdom, the likes of <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/peter-brookes-times-cartoon-september-9-2022-vzfhf606t">Peter Brookes</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2022/sep/08/ben-jennings-on-the-death-of-the-queen-cartoon">Ben Jennings</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Adamstoon1/status/1567968191934271489">Christian Adams</a> have all been conscious of the need for solemnity, as well as celebration.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="cy"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QueenElizabeth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QueenElizabeth</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QueenElizabethII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QueenElizabethII</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/queen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#queen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Queen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Queen</a> Elizabeth II <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rest</a> In Peace <a href="https://twitter.com/EveningStandard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EveningStandard</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cartoon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cartoon</a> <a href="https://t.co/bzEcwRlaEb">pic.twitter.com/bzEcwRlaEb</a></p> <p>— Christian Adams (@Adamstoon1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Adamstoon1/status/1567968191934271489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Across the world, cartoonists have had to struggle with much the same thing, and some favoured themes are already apparent: <a href="https://www.electriccitymagazine.ca/touching-cartoon-salute-depicting-the-queen-reuniting-with-prince-philip-and-paddington-bear/">Elizabeth reunited</a> with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, or troops of <a href="https://twitter.com/BennettCartoons/status/1568017878225682433">sad corgis</a>; the Union Flag with an Elizabeth II-shaped hole at the centre; or a tube train with a sole occupant heading into a blaze of light at the end of the tunnel.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="cy">9/9/2022- Queen Elizabeth II <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Elizabeth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Elizabeth</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElizabethII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ElizabethII</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QueenElizabeth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QueenElizabeth</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RestInPeace?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RestInPeace</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RestInPeaceQueenElizabeth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RestInPeaceQueenElizabeth</a> <a href="https://t.co/evcXLHfcgm">https://t.co/evcXLHfcgm</a> <a href="https://t.co/wg7B9k7WSW">pic.twitter.com/wg7B9k7WSW</a></p> <p>— Clay Bennett (@BennettCartoons) <a href="https://twitter.com/BennettCartoons/status/1568017878225682433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>All of these images speak to the style and the visual language of today, but also share a lineage several centuries old. </p> <h2>A bereaved widow, again</h2> <p>Nobody would have thought to depict Queen Victoria’s death in 1901 with her travelling to heaven by tube, although the Underground seems emblematic of her age (London’s first underground railway was <a href="https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/london-underground/a-brief-history-of-the-underground">opened in January 1863</a>, 26 years into Victoria’s reign). </p> <p>There were no sad corgis (that breed only became associated with the Royal Family <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-12/queen-elizabeth-ii-loved-corgi-dogs-throughout-her-life/101428106">from the 1930s</a>), but a downcast British Lion was imagined by Francis Carruthers Gould in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fun_(magazine)">Fun</a>.</p> <p>The theme of a bereaved widow finally reunited with her spouse is clearly a parallel (Albert, the Prince Consort had died in 1861). So too is the very idea that a cartoonist should commemorate the event – something unthinkable when William IV died in 1837, or so much so when George IV died in 1830 that a well-known cartoonist <a href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1882-1209-677">never published his draft sketch</a>.</p> <p>The sheer immensity of the loss of Victoria called for some pretty special treatment, at a time when cartooning was a lot more formal and respectable than it is today. </p> <p>It preoccupied several days’ work for Linley Sambourne, chief cartoonist of London’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_(magazine)">Punch</a> (for a while, a magazine that was almost as much a British institution as the monarchy).</p> <p>Requiescat was huge: a double-page spread in sombre black-and-white, depicting a gaggle of goddesses in mourning for their lost monarch. </p> <p>Allegorical female figures representing countries were all the rage in Victorian and Edwardian cartooning (something David Low also hated and thought was “moth-eaten” by the time he was at his peak). </p> <p>England, Scotland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India were all included by Sambourne. </p> <p>Just one goddess was enough for his junior colleague, Bernard Partridge, who imagined <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clio">Clio</a> – History herself – adding the name of Victoria to the roll of great monarchs.</p> <p>It was the same when Victoria’s son and heir, Edward VII, died in May, 1910. </p> <p>Bernard Partridge went with just two figures, rather than a whole host, imagining a weeping Britannia seated before the empty Coronation Chair, an angel of peace reaching out to touch her shoulder.</p> <p>This was designed to express “an empire’s grief” in terms even more explicit than Sambourne had done with Victoria, but the imagery was very British; even domestic. </p> <p>Minus the caption, it could almost be recycled in 2022 - crucially, the monarch does not actually appear. So too, Partridge’s offering in January 1936, when George V died (apparently by the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/29/king-george-v-was-murdered-not-euthanised">hand of his doctor</a>).</p> <p>Britannia tolling a bell from a medieval bell-tower, with a fog-laden London skyline in the background. Clear the fog, add a Gherkin and a Shard, and the effect would be much the same.</p> <p>While David Low struggled against the Victorian style of memorial cartoon, it is still very much with us. As so often, cartoons can encapsulate a whole host of feelings that mere words can’t express.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Twitter @toonsbystellina</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/solemnity-and-celebration-how-political-cartoonists-have-handled-the-death-of-a-monarch-from-victoria-to-elizabeth-ii-190338" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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China ridicules Australia with more mocking cartoons

<p>China has once again taken a swipe at Australia, as China's Global Times posted a cartoon mocking Australia's allegiance to the US and UK. </p> <p>The cartoon was posted to China's state-affiliated media channels, blasting Australia's "arrogance and immaturity" as Scott Morrison withdraws support of the Beijing Winter Olympics. </p> <p>Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison discussed the tension of the relationship between Australia and China and how the union is a cause for concern, as are the ongoing human rights abuses against the Uyghur community in China's Xinjiang region. </p> <p>“The human rights abuses in Xinjiang and many other issues that Australia has consistently raised, we have been very pleased and very happy to talk to the Chinese Government about these issues and there’s been no obstacle to that occurring on our side,” he said.</p> <p>“But the Chinese Government has consistently not accepted those opportunities for us to meet about these issues.</p> <p>“So it is not surprising, therefore, that Australian Government officials would, therefore, not be going to China for those Games. Australian athletes will, though.”</p> <p>Australia has joined Canada, the United States and Britain in boycotting the games in the name of human rights. </p> <p>Following Scott Morrison's announcement, the Global Times posted the mocking cartoons. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GTCartoon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GTCartoon</a>: No.1 lackey <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/US?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#US</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Australia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Australia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottMorrisonMP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Beijing2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Beijing2022</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LiuRui60688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LiuRui60688</a> <a href="https://t.co/oObXYXIwYB">pic.twitter.com/oObXYXIwYB</a></p> — Global Times (@globaltimesnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/globaltimesnews/status/1468578044168511488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>A piece written for the communist party media also hit out at the decision, claiming Australia's decision was "nothing but a joke".</p> <p>“Australia’s move is not surprising. As a Western country located in the southern hemisphere, the sense of insecurity grasps Australia so much that it needs a ‘big brother’ to follow,” the piece said.</p> <p>“However, without even getting an invitation, the so-called boycott is nothing but a joke, Lü Xiang, director for research of the Chinese Institute of Hong Kong, told the Global Times.</p> <p>“The Morrison government’s boycott decision exposed their arrogance and immaturity in dealing with geopolitics as the move brings no good to Australia or bilateral relations, Chen Hong, a professor and director of the Australian Studies Centre, East China Normal University, told the Global Times.”</p> <p>Beijing issued a warning to the US, saying they would "pay the price" for its boycott, while accusing Parliament House of <span>“political posturing and selfish games” and “blindly following” Washington.</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Leunig axed from The Age after 50 years over anti-Dan Andrews cartoon

<p dir="ltr">Cartoonist Michael Leunig<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/media/cartoonist-michael-leunig-axed-from-prime-spot-at-the-age-over-offensive-vaccine-image/news-story/3b6b99a4101ebe53df58cb21827df0d4" target="_blank">has been dropped</a><span> </span>from his position as a cartoonist for<span> </span><em>The Age</em><span> </span>over a<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/leunig-cartoon-divides-the-internet" target="_blank">controversial image</a><span> </span>comparing resisting mandatory COVID-19 vaccination to the Tiananmen Square protests.</p> <p dir="ltr">Leunig shared the cartoon on his Instagram account, with the picture depicting one of his lone ‘everyday man’ characters standing in front of a tank armed with a loaded syringe and the caption “Mandate”.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUTONJjBIHA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUTONJjBIHA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Michael Leunig (@leunigstudio)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The cartoon mimics the iconic “tank man” image of an unidentified Chinese protester standing in front of a column of tanks, with Leunig including the photo in his cartoon.</p> <p dir="ltr">The image never made it to print in<span> </span><em>The Age</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some speculation about Leunig’s continued role at the newspaper emerged last week, after a statement published in<span> </span><em>The Age</em>’s letters section said it was “trialling new cartoonists”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845068/leunig1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c595938f095241e6bd21cebb17e03c19" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @leunigstudio / Instagram</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/peter-fitzsimons-a-closed-book-on-lisa-wilkinson-coverage/news-story/fd5acfa9e7f6dc420c38a116177c0bcc" target="_blank">The Australian</a></em>’s columnist Nick Tabakoff, Leunig confirmed that he has been taken off the newspaper’s editorial page position following the emergence of the controversial cartoon.</p> <p dir="ltr">Leunig told the publication that<span> </span><em>The Age</em>’s editor Gay Alcorn called him to “break the news gently” that his cartoons would no longer feature in the newspaper.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said he was told he was “out of touch with the readership”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Gay feels this type of cartoon is not in line with public sentiment, and<span> </span><em>The Age</em>’s readership, who it does seem are largely in favour of the Andrews Covid narrative,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But my job is to challenge the status quo, and that has always been the job of the cartoonist.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Leunig - who has had a 50-year-long career as a cartoonist - also claimed that he has had 12 cartoons “censored” this year, “all about Covid and/or Dan Andrews, with next to no explanation”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845069/leunig2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9ceb768377dd448f92bbf4b25bc454fb" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @leunigstudio / Instagram</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Leunig defended his reference to the Tiananmen Square image in his cartoon, saying it is often used as a “Charlie Chaplin-like metaphor for an overwhelming force meeting the innocent powerless individual”.</p> <p dir="ltr">It divided fans on his Instagram page, with some describing it as “brilliant” and others saying it was in “pretty bad taste”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The cartoonist has shared a series of images on social media including figures in the likeness of Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, alongside critiques of politicians and the handling of the pandemic by the Victorian government.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845070/leunig3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c3929cca63a44ae8b92ded40dede2168" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @leunigstudio / Instagram</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Alcorn told<span> </span><em>The Australian<span> </span></em>that Leunig was “entitled to be upset” about being let go from the position.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though she declined to comment further, she told<span> </span><em>news.com.au</em><span> </span>that Leunig was still “employed by us to provide a Saturday cartoon”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Leunig has also faced criticism over past cartoons, including one that compared the Victorian government to fascists following news of a proposal to ban unvaccinated children from childcare centres.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another controversial cartoon depicting an absent mum has been labelled as “condescending” and upsetting for young mums struggling with raising young children.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @leunigstudio / Instagram</em></p>

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Leunig cartoon divides the internet

<p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p> <p>Cartoonist Michael Leunig has once again divided fans after posting an image comparing resistance to mandatory vaccination as being similar to the fight for democracy in Tiananmen Square.</p> <p>In an image posted to his Instagram account, Leunig drew a lone protester standing in front of a loaded syringe, mimicking the iconic “tank man” image of protest in China. An inset of the 1989 photo also appears in Leunig’s drawing.</p> <p>The cartoon divided fans on his Instagram page, with some applauding it as “brilliant’ and “spot on” while others describe it as “pretty bad taste” and a “disgusting comparison”.</p> <p>“Really? Comparing a vaccination to Tiananmen Square massacre? This undermines every other piece of art you have made that comments on humanity and social justice. Incredily disappointing,” one person wrote.</p> <p>Author Kerri Sackville posted: “Ugh. I used to idolise you”.</p> <p>Another user wrote: “Wow. This a disgusting take that mocks the bravery of the Tiananmen protesters. Absolutely ridiculous, illogical, immoral, and disgusting.”</p> <p>While another asked: “Do you really relate to this level of oppression over a single vaccine in a time of a pandemic? It’s not the same.”</p> <p>Another fan questioned the message the work would send.</p> <p>“I usually love your work and admire the way you question social/norms and assumptions. This piece however, feels pretty ill-considered during this critical time. Please think carefully about how you may influence others and your social impact as an artist. It maters,” they wrote.</p> <p>Lawyers weekly deputy editor Jermone Doraisamy tweeted the cartoon, describing it as “grotesquely offensive”.</p> <p>“To compare the plight of anti-vaxxers to that of a man whose fate remains unknown, 30 years on, is just appalling,” he wrote.</p> <p>However, others supported Leunig, who was declared a national living treasure in 1999.</p> <p>“Good on ya Leuing…. One of your best,” one fan said.</p> <p>“Bless you Leunig. We need more brave artists like you,” another posted.</p> <p>“So accurate and reassuring that I’m not alone with my perspective!!!!,” wrote another.</p> <p>“OMG…..love this one.”</p> <p>It’s not a first for Leunig, whose cartoons are often published in<em><span> </span>The Age</em><span> </span>and<span> </span><em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em><span> </span>newspapers, has caused controversy over his stance on mandatory vaccination.</p> <p>In 2015, the Melbourne cartoonist sparked outrage with a cartoon comparing the Victorian government to fascists, following a proposal to ban children who are not vaccinated from childcare centres.</p> <p>More recently, he caused controversy over a “condescending” image depicting an absent mum.</p> <p>The infamous Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing came after weeks of protests by students and workers demanding democratic change and the end of corruption. The stance ended abruptly after soldiers and tanks arrived on the 4th of June 1989.</p> <p>It is unclear how many lost their lives but its thought to be between several hundred to thousands of people.</p> <p>The communist party of China has since forbidden discussion of the Tiananmen Square protests and has taken extreme measures to block information related to it, including censoring internet posts.</p>

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Prime suspect in Madeleine McCann case purportedly leaks taunting cartoon

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A cartoon allegedly drawn by the prime suspect in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance has been discovered in a German newspaper, which appears to mock German prosecutors leading the investigation against him.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">44-year-old Christian Brueckner is currently in prison in northern Germany for raping a 72-year-old American woman in a Portuguese resort in 2005.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The resort, Praia de Luz, is the same location where three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from her family’s apartment in 2007.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After remaining unsolved for more than a decade, German investigators made headway when they identified Brueckner as a suspect in June, also stating that Madeleine was presumed dead.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The cartoon purportedly created by Brueckner was obtained by German newspaper </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bild.de/bild-plus/news/inland/news-inland/zeichnung-aus-dem-knast-maddie-verdaechtiger-verhoehnt-staatsanwalt-77470300,view=conversionToLogin.bild.html#fromWall" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bild</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and appears to show Braunschweig prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters in court, wearing legal attire and holding a €5 bill while asking a clairvoyant for new evidence.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 302.3076923076923px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843674/1e1ab46353f7a6eab7de073792e434d8a6f39a41.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c56d21b0509f401e8a9c6ab424f78b58" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Bild</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Is there anything new?” the judge asks a person sitting behind a curtain with a crystal ball, while the jury sleeps.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The clairvoyant is believed to represent </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/new-unusual-lead-in-madeleine-mccann-case" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Michael Schneider</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> - the clairvoyant who provided police with exact coordinates where he believed Madeleine’s body would be found.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, questions still remain about how Brueckner would have leaked the cartoon to the publication from the high-security prison he is serving his sentence in.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Previously, Brueckner purportedly penned a letter from his cell which was also published by </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bild</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, where he labelled the investigation against him as an “unbelievable scandal”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though he is the prime suspect in the McCann case, Brueckner is yet to be questioned or charged.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Legal

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This coffee shop is 2D

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Seoul, South Korea, there is a caf</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">é</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> unlike any other.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Greem Caf</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">é boasts a unique interior that transports visitors into a two-dimensional world inspired by the Korean animated series </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">W</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Inside, every wall, counter, and piece of cutlery and furniture has been made to look like a two-dimensional black and white drawing ripped from a cartoonist’s sketchbook.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To make the illusion, every object is white with a dark outline.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPKCuMYlmWx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPKCuMYlmWx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Since 2017 / Greem cafe / 2D (@greem_cafe)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The design is more than just a gimmick to draw visitors in, but is all about creating an experience for patrons.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marketing manager J.S. Lee told </span><a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-this-south-korean-coffee-shop-designed-look-cartoon"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Architectural Digest</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that visitors “want to make unique memories in a memorable place”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Due to the popularity of the concept, visitors are forbidden to take any photos until they have made a purchase.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLNaX92FpdI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLNaX92FpdI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Since 2017 / Greem cafe / 2D (@greem_cafe)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The café has outgrown its original location too, moving to a larger space down the road and now including a roof terrace patrons can visit - including a stylised 2D clothesline and patio furniture to match the café’s unique aesthetic.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lee said he expects to open additional locations around Korea, and he hopes to expand on a global scale too.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Greem Café / Instagram</span></em></p>

International Travel

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Charlie Hebdo cartoon of Queen and Meghan Markle sparks outrage

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>French satirical magazine Charle Hedbo has left people furious after releasing a cartoon of the Queen kneeling on Meghan Markle's neck in a similar fashion to the way that US man George Floyd passed away.</p> <p>The cartoon, published Sunday, was titled "WHY MEGHAN QUIT BUCKINGHAM", with Markle drawn to say "Because I couldn't breathe anymore!".</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">French magazine Charlie Hebdo mocks George Floyd's murder and Meghan's racism concerns. The cover reads: 'Why Meghan left Buckingham Palace', 'Because I couldn't breathe'. <a href="https://t.co/3Fuj789xn7">pic.twitter.com/3Fuj789xn7</a></p> — Nadine White (@Nadine_Writes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nadine_Writes/status/1370677878145363970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>US man George Floyd was unarmed and died after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nine minutes. Video footage of the incident released had Floyd saying "I can't breathe", which became the rallying cry of the Black Lives Matter movement.</p> <p>The cover has been shared on Twitter and has been described as "utterly appalling".</p> <p>Dr Halima Begum, CEO of anti-racism think-tank Runnymede Trust, said that the image was "wrong on every level".</p> <p>"#CharlieHebdo, this is wrong on every level. The Queen as #GeorgeFloyd ‘s murderer crushing Meghan’s neck? #Meghan saying she’s unable to breathe? This doesnt push boundaries, make anyone laugh or challenge #racism. It demeans the issues &amp; causes offence, across the board."</p> <p>Another Twitter user voiced their outrage, saying it was "disgusting".</p> <p>“Words cannot describe just how disgusting I found that Charlie Hebdo cover.</p> <p>“Punching down and constantly drawing racist caricatures it’s not satire.”</p> <p>The cartoon comes after Markle claimed an unnamed member of the royal family commented on the colour of Archie's skin before he was born.</p> <p>Buckingham Palace said that the allegation of racism was "concerning" and that the matter would be dealt with privately.</p> </div> </div> </div>

News

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Global Times publishes new offensive cartoon as tensions boil

<p><em>The Global Times</em>, a Chinese state-owned newspaper has not relinquished its attacks against Australia as they publish a brutal new graphic.</p> <p>The new tabloid features an Australian Defence Force member holding a sign with the words “human rights” while grinning for a camera – out of frame he is standing on a covered, bloodied body.</p> <p>The cartoon was created by artist Liu Rui and is a reference to the recent war crime allegations that includes the brutal slaying of 39 Afghans.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">A perfect picture of hypocrisy/Global Times Cartoon <a href="https://t.co/o64bN19QWr">pic.twitter.com/o64bN19QWr</a></p> — Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) <a href="https://twitter.com/HuXijin_GT/status/1334158699040960512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>The new cartoon is the latest of three and indicates China shows no sign of backing down first in its feud with Australia.</p> <p>It came to a head this week after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian shared a doctored image on Twitter that depicted an Australian soldier holding a knife to the throat of a young child.</p> <p>On December 1, the newspaper released another cartoon that showed a kangaroo in a suit with a bloodied knife next to it by artist Chen Xia.</p> <p>That article demanded Mr Morrison and the Australian Government “take full responsibility for the deteriorating relationship with China” and claimed “Australia exaggerated and distorted Zhao’s comment and use of cartoon over the crime of Australian troops”, calling it “a false image”.</p> <p>“The country that owes an apology is Australia – to China. And to Afghanistan first and foremost for slaughtering their innocent people,” the editorial wrote defending the first image that Mr Morrison slammed.</p> <p>“It needs to seriously reassess the damage done its own international optics caused by this double standard outburst regarding ‘freedom of speech’ and ‘human rights’.”</p> <p><em>Afghanistan Times Daily</em> editor-in-chief Mansoor Faizy also weighed in on the feud – arguing that the real tragedy was the killing of Afghans being ignored.</p> <p>“A storm of outrage escalated after Chinese officials refused to remove the post, rather than ask Australian officials to apologise to the Afghan people for the unlawful killing of innocent Afghans with inhuman war crimes,” Mr Faizy wrote.</p> <p>“It’s the Australian soldiers who diminished their country’s image by killing helpless Afghan innocents. Asking China to remove the post, or being ashamed of this post, does no good to Australia.</p> <p>“The best thing Canberra can do is to investigate the war crimes in the most transparent way.”</p>

News

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“Arrogant hypocrites”: Chinese media's new attack on Australia with disturbing cartoon

<p><span>China has continued its relentless criticism against Australia’s outrage with another shocking cartoon that was shared by Chinese state media.</span><br /><br /><span>The disturbing graphic shows a bloodied kangaroo which is portraying military murder.</span><br /><br /><span>The Chinese artist Fu Yu – known as Wuheqilin has spoken out about the disturbing graphic that first received fury from SCOMO.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839020/china-scott-morrison.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/66d372e9039d40d083478af50a07d98d" /><br /><br /><span>He spoke out about the original doctored image, posting a video from Beijing Capital International Airport where he advised Mr Morrison to “face reality”.</span><br /><br /><span>In his new column for the Global Times, he said: “I am the one who illustrated the cartoon that pissed off Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.</span><br /><br /><span>“It is totally hard to believe that a head of state like Morrison got totally bent out shape about my computer graphics work. I am flabbergasted that he even organised a press conference to fume about it.”</span><br /><br /><span>The artist said he created the image, which he labels a cartoon, on the night of November 22.</span><br /><br /><span>Earlier this week, the faked image was published to Twitter by China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, who said he was “shocked by murder of Afghan civilians and prisoners by Australian soldiers”.</span><br /><br /><span>It has led to global outrage and criticism against Beijing.</span><br /><br /><span>“Morrison called my cartoon ‘fabricated’,” Wuheqilin wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>“Some overseas netizens claimed it was doctored. I’d like to tell them that their focus should not be on whether or not it is a real picture or an artistic creation. It is an incident embedded in a cartoon.”</span><br /><br /><span>The latest cartoon depicting a bloodied kangaroo in a suit with a bloodied knife next to it, was created by a different artist, Chen Xia.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839018/china-scott-morrison-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ed82bf76f9824324a9c8012c09e13291" /><br /><br /><span>The publication posted a series of tweets overnight about Australia, with one including a graphic listing Australia’s alleged war crimes.</span><br /><br /><span>The tweets have been simply flagged: “China state-affiliated media.”</span><br /><br /><span>In the latest Global Times piece defending Wuheqilin, writer Yu Luxu said: “A cartoon is cartoon. It is not a photo. So how can it be ‘faked’ as Morrison and some Australian outlets claim?</span><br /><br /><span>“Cartoon has characteristics that exaggerate some points with an emphasis on artistic expression and visual shock. This is very common around the world. This is far from fabricating facts. Still, Wuheqilin’s work is based on facts.”</span><br /><br /><span>The article went on to demand Mr Morrison and the Australian Government to “take full responsibility for the deteriorating relationship with China”.</span><br /><br /><span>It further claimed “Australia exaggerated and distorted Zhao’s comment and use of cartoon over the crime of Australian troops”, calling it “a false image”.</span><br /><br /><span>“The country that owes an apology is Australia – to China. And to Afghanistan first and foremost for slaughtering their innocent people.</span><br /><br /><span>“It should also apologise to the Chinese artist, whose work was groundlessly smeared as a ‘false image’.</span><br /><br /><span>“It needs to seriously reassess the damage done its own international optics caused by this double standard outburst regarding ‘freedom of speech’ and ‘human rights’.”</span></p>

News

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"Better than any words": Aussie mum's inspired response to controversial Leunig cartoon

<p><span>An Australian mum has hit back at the popular cartoonist Michael Leunig’s depiction of motherhood that ruffled feathers.</span></p> <p><span><em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em> and <em>The Age</em> were under fierce criticism last week when it published the cartoon that showed a woman pushing a pram while looking at her mobile phone, oblivious to her child on the ground behind her.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Leunig’s generation’s parents would routinely leave their kids in the car while they went into a pub for a few beers before driving home drunk. <a href="https://t.co/gGsP9YVZum">pic.twitter.com/gGsP9YVZum</a></p> — Toby G(uts and gore) (@Epigrammist) <a href="https://twitter.com/Epigrammist/status/1186819771297193984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">23 October 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Now, Perth mum Paula Kuka has addressed the outrage that was felt by many Aussie mums when they saw the cartoon for themselves.</p> <p>Kuka has shown the reality of what mums such as herself do on a daily basis.</p> <p>The image was posted on her personal Instagram account common_wild, which shows two images. One is titled “what I did” and the second comic is “what you saw”.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4CP_WDnvI5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4CP_WDnvI5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">I spent yesterday feeling a little angry and powerless about a particular cartoon by a well-known Australian cartoonist. . Today I realised I might be angry, but I’m not powerless. This is my response. . (In case you missed it, it was to do with the recent spate of babies falling out of prams and being abandoned by mothers too busy checking Instagram 🙄🤦‍♀️).</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/common_wild/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Paula Kuka</a> (@common_wild) on Oct 25, 2019 at 1:52am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Kuka wrote a powerful caption for her drawing, outlining the rage she felt after seeing the comic.</p> <p>“I spent yesterday feeling a little angry and powerless about a particular cartoon by a well-known Australian cartoonist,” she wrote.</p> <p>“Today I realised I might be angry, but I’m not powerless. This is my response.”</p> <p>Many mums quickly agreed, including celebrity mum Carrie Bickmore.</p> <p>“Thanks for sharing this @common_wild. Love it,” Carrie wrote to her 670,000 fans.</p> <p>“Tip of the iceberg of what parenting entails, the two minutes you check your phone because your child is in the pram and you can finally reply to a message you received 4 hours ago one handed whilst running another errand …” one woman commented.</p> <p>“This is better than any words,” another agreed.</p> <p>Many were quick to say that Leunig’s comic was “condescending” after seeing the comic.</p> <p>There was a poem attached to the drawing that read:</p> <p><em>“Mummy was busy on Instagram</em></p> <p><em>When beautiful bubby fell out of the pram</em></p> <p><em>And lay on the path unseen and alone</em></p> <p><em>Wishing that he was loved like a phone.” <span> </span></em></p>

Home & Garden

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Controversial Aussie cartoon of Serena Williams sparks backlash

<p>An Australian cartoonist has sparked backlash after he tweeted a depiction of Serena Williams' meltdown in the US Open final.</p> <p>Drawn by Herald Sun editorial cartoonist Mark Knight, the picture shows Williams in a fit of rage on the court with a baby’s dummy beside her.</p> <p>In the cartoon, chair umpire Carlos Ramos is seen asking her opponent Naomi Osaka: “Can you just let her win?”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">My toon in today’s <a href="https://twitter.com/theheraldsun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theheraldsun</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SerenaWilliams?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SerenaWilliams</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/usopen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usopen</a> <a href="https://t.co/didwtQg1R5">pic.twitter.com/didwtQg1R5</a></p> — Mark Knight (@Knightcartoons) <a href="https://twitter.com/Knightcartoons/status/1039017329030393856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>The controversial cartoon was quick to draw criticism, with US sportswriter Julie DiCaro saying that his depiction of the events was sexist.</p> <p>She tweeted: “Where was this cartoon for all the men who have broken their rackets over the years?”</p> <p>However, Knight defended his drawing, writing: “Well Julie here’s a cartoon I drew a few days before when Australian male tennis player Kyrgios at the US Open was behaving badly,” he wrote.</p> <p>“Don’t bring gender into it when it’s all about behaviour. I’ll accept your apology in writing.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Well Julie here’s a cartoon I drew a few days before when Australian male tennis player Kyrgios at the US Open was behaving badly. Don’t bring gender into it when it’s all about behaviour. I’ll accept your apology in writing😁 <a href="https://t.co/NLV0AjPGsY">pic.twitter.com/NLV0AjPGsY</a></p> — Mark Knight (@Knightcartoons) <a href="https://twitter.com/Knightcartoons/status/1039056385462349825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>Author JK Rowling also slammed the cartoon, saying: “Well done on reducing one of the greatest sportswomen alive to racist and sexist tropes and turning a second great sportswoman into a faceless prop.”</p> <p>America’s National Association of Black Journalists denounced the cartoon, arguing that the illustration was “unnecessarily sambo-like”.</p> <p>“The art of editorial cartooning is a visual dialogue on the issues of the day, yet this cartoon grossly inaccurately depicts two women of colour at the US Open, one of the grandest stages of professional sports,” the NABJ said in a statement.</p> <p>In an interview on Melbourne’s 3AW radio, Knight continued to defend the viral cartoon.</p> <p>“The world’s gone crazy,” Knight said.</p> <p>“It’s a cartoon about poor behaviour. It’s nothing to do with race.</p> <p>“I drew this cartoon on Monday night, I saw the world’s greatest tennis player spit the dummy.</p> <p>“She’s great to draw, she’s a powerful figure, she’s strongly built.</p> <p>“I’m sorry it’s been taken by social media and distorted so much.</p> <p>“I’ve tried to reply to these people but they don’t listen.”</p> <p>Herald Sun editor Damon Johnston also supported the cartoon.</p> <p> “A champion tennis player had a mega tantrum on the world stage, and Mark’s cartoon depicted that,” he said.</p> <p>“It had nothing to do with gender or race.”</p> <p>The cartoon has since been retweeted 7600 times and received over 20,000 likes.</p> <p>The cartoon depicted William’s verbal attack on chair umpire Ramos during her match against Japan’s Naomi Osaka on Saturday.</p> <p>Williams received three code violations during the finals match – the first for receiving coaching, the second for racket abuse and the third for verbal abuse of the umpire.</p> <p>The first penalty that sparked William’s anger was also questioned by WTA Tour chief executive Steve Simon and former tennis star Billie-Jean King. </p> <p>Do you think the cartoon is offensive? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. </p>

Art

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Cartoon characters you didn’t know were inspired by real people

<p>In animation, you often need larger-than-life personalities to help flesh out the two-dimensional images. But behind those incredible characters you think you’d only meet in a cartoon are living people who served as direct inspiration.</p> <p><strong>1. Troy McClure – <em>The Simpsons</em></strong></p> <p>Springfield’s very own celebrity heartthrob took his name and certain personality aspects from two Hollywood B movie actors – Troy Donahue and Doug McClure. The voice behind the man, Phil Hartman, was also responsible for some of Troy’s personality. According to Doug McClure’s daughter, her father knew that <em>The Simpsons</em> character was poking fun of him, and was amused by it. Apparently, McClure’s children would call him “Troy” behind his back.</p> <p><strong>2. Rocko – <em>Rocko’s Modern Life</em></strong></p> <p>This surreal Nickelodeon show from the 1990s stars a paranoid wallaby who moves to the big city. In his initial pitch, creator Joe Murray described Rocko as “a young anthropomorphic Woody Allen, who has just moved away from home to a surrealistic adult world.” Watching the show back, it’s not hard to see the similarities.</p> <p><strong>3. Ursula –<em> The Little Mermaid</em></strong></p> <p>One of Disney’s most beloved (and sassy) villains, Ursula the sea witch is loud, vain, and loves attention. When <em>The Little Mermaid</em>’s lyricist, Howard Ashman, was working with artists on Ursula’s design, he selected one that closely resembled the appearance of his acquaintance, the famous drag queen Divine. If you put pictures of the two side by side, the resemblance is uncanny.</p> <p><strong>3. Popeye – <em>Popeye</em></strong></p> <p>According to local folklore in the town of Chester, Illinois, Popeye is based on Frank “Rocky” Fiegel. This makes sense, considering <em>Popeye</em>’s creator, Elsie Crisler Segar grew up in Chester. Also lining up with the claim is that Rocky was apparently good with his fists, smoked a pipe, and only had one eye. Rumour has it that Segar began sending cheques to Rocky when <em>Popeye</em> became successful.</p> <p><strong>4. Olive Oyl – <em>Popeye</em></strong></p> <p>Popeye’s beloved, Olive Oyl is believed to have been based on creator Elsie Crisler Segar’s neighbour – Dora Paskel. Paskel was very tall, quite slim, and usually wore her dark hair in a bun.</p> <p><strong>5. Edna Mode – <em>The Incredibles</em></strong></p> <p>Stealing the show in Disney/Pixar’s superhero romp, <em>The Incredibles</em>, fashion designer Edna Mode is a one-of-a-kind genius with a fiery spirit, a distain for ordinary fashion (her true love is for designing superhero costumes), and a hatred for capes. Voiced by the film’s director, Brad Bird, Edna is believed to have been inspired by revered costume designer Edith Head. Head was nominated for an unbelievable 35 Oscars during her career, and won eight of them.</p> <p>Who is your favourite cartoon character? Let us know in the comments!</p>

TV

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Only "smart" people will find this cartoon funny

<p>Sense of humour is a notoriously subjective topic, so you’d be forgiven for regarding the findings from this latest study in Cognitive Processing with an air of scepticism.</p> <p>In an experiment on education and intelligence, researchers at the University of Vienna found people with a dark sense of humour tend to be better educated.</p> <p>Their findings were based on a series of cartoons, including the below.</p> <p>So, do you find this cartoon funny?</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Wie gewonnen, so zerronnen. Nichts ist schwerer als seine Mäuse zusammenzuhalten. <br />Altes Haushaltungsgesetz! 😉<br />(Cartoon Uli Stein) <a href="https://t.co/E5HkE91J0R">pic.twitter.com/E5HkE91J0R</a></p> — Löwe Wasserburg (@WbgKhr) <a href="https://twitter.com/WbgKhr/status/836579254615801857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2017</a></blockquote> <p><span>(The caption translates to: “Easy come easy go. Nothing is more difficult than holding his mice together. Old law!”)</span></p> <p>“Black humour, often called grotesque, morbid, gallows or sick humour, is used to express the absurdity, insensitivity, paradox and cruelty of the modern world,” they wrote.</p> <p>“Characters or situations are usually exaggerated far beyond the limits of normal satire or irony, potentially requiring increased cognitive efforts to get the joke.”</p> <p>Did you find the cartoon funny?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Twitter / Löwe Wasserburg </em></p>

Mind

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Find the kitten hidden in this classic cartoon

<p>Ah, it’s always the way – the simplest of brainteasers by appearance tend to be the hardest to figure out. Today’s vintage puzzle, originally an advert for Dr. Seth Arnold's Balsam, might seem easy but odds are it will have you stumped.</p> <p>The cartoon depicts two women sitting at a table. One of their cats is in clear sight, but the other has been cleverly hidden. Can you find the kitten hidden in this classic cartoon?</p> <p><img width="499" height="312" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33950/vintage-brainteaser-in-text-one_499x312.jpg" alt="Vintage -brainteaser -in -text -one" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>If you’re feline stumped, don’t worry. We’ve included the answer below:</p> <p><img width="499" height="312" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33951/vintage-brainteaser-in-text-two_499x312.jpg" alt="Vintage -brainteaser -in -text -two" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Did you find the cat straight away? Or did you need a bit of help? </p> <p><em>Image credit: Dailymail / <a href="http://www.playbuzz.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Playbuzz</strong></a></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2017/01/dog-owner-classic-optical-illusion/"><em>This optical illusion has the internet baffled</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/12/spot-the-shape-hidden-in-this-puzzle/"><em>Spot the shape hidden in this puzzle</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/12/find-the-word-dog-in-this-brainteaser/"><em>Find the word DOG in this brainteaser</em></a></strong></span></p>

Mind

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Find the eight rabbits hidden in this classic cartoon

<p>There’s nothing like a <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/02/spot-the-coffee-beans-hidden-in-this-jungle/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>brainteaser in the morning</strong></span></a> to make sure your mind is sharp. And while this classic mind-bender might look simple, in reality it’s anything but.</p> <p>Shared by <a href="http://www.playbuzz.com/" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Playbuzz</strong></span></em></a>, this vintage puzzle employs an elusive colour scheme and a number of clever visual tricks to hide eight rabbits before your very eyes.</p> <p>Try it for yourself below. Can you spot the rabbits?</p> <p><img width="500" height="644" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33691/rabbit-in-text-one_500x644.jpg" alt="Rabbit -in -text -one" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Did you see them? It’s tricky, right? Here are the answers:</p> <p><img width="500" height="644" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33692/rabbit-in-text-two_500x644.jpg" alt="Rabbit -in -text -two" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Like we said, this puzzle is much harder than it seems. Did you find the rabbits straight away, or did you need a little help? Let us know in the comments section. </p> <p><em>Image credit: Dailymail / Playbuzz</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2017/01/dog-owner-classic-optical-illusion/"><em>This optical illusion has the internet baffled</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/12/spot-the-shape-hidden-in-this-puzzle/"><em>Spot the shape hidden in this puzzle</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/12/find-the-word-dog-in-this-brainteaser/"><em>Find the word DOG in this brainteaser</em></a></strong></span></p>

Mind

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