One of the most popular political cartoonists to emerge in the past few years is Crikey’s Andrew Marlton, who you may know as the quirky and hilarious First Dog on the Moon.
First Dog will appear in Hobart tomorrow in the opening event of the Tasmanian Writers Festival 2013 with Jon Kudelka (The Australian and The Mercury) and Chris Downes (The Mercury).
Most well-known political cartoonists draw single images, but First Dog uses a larger amount of text to tell a story through a series of panels.
“I do have a tendency to babble,” he says. “And early on there is usually much more than what appears in the end, which is only about a third of what I write to begin with.”
The longer story-telling (and joke-making) format is one of the advantages of working in the online environment, unconstrained by the space limits that exist on newspapers. First Dog has been with Crikey for five years and also enjoys getting some laughs through Twitter (@firstdogonmoon).
His favourite politicians to draw? “Kevin Rudd, because he’s so easy to draw,” said First Dog. He has drawn a number of different Tony Abbotts over the years, most recently with a bucket over his head. He also loves to draw the Prime Minister. “She leaps out of the pen and is so easily identifiable as both a prime minister and a fox.’’
But drawing politicians was easier in the Howard years. “He was such a looming figure and has been replaced now by less interesting types. I have to work harder at them because they are all so terrible.”
First Dog, Jon Kudelka and Chris Downes will talk, among other things, about the pressure of igniting the creative process every day. “Some days are terrible and some days they just spring out,” First Dog said. He attends a Crikey news meeting in the morning, to toss around ideas, and then files his cartoon by midday.
Newspaper cartoonists have an evening deadline and therefore get a little more time.
The Tasmanian Writers Festival 2013 – the Shock of the Now will run over two weekends – this weekend and next weekend – and features 43 artists speaking on 23 panels. For full details of the program, and to book tickets, go to www.tasmanianwriters.org.
First Dog on the moon will appear with Jon Kudelka and Chris Downes at the Founders Room, Salamanca Arts Centre (off Woobys Lane) from 2pm Saturday March 16.
Miranda Harman
