An agent for Michael Leunig emailed me with new information, so I decided to update this entry. Justin Combs says, "www.leunig.com.au is a tribute site that should in time become Michael’s official site." He also notes that you can see Leunig's artwork at artloft.
Below is the original post, with broken links fixed.
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The worst thing about egg-eating snakes is that they are kind of difficult to top.
So today I'm just going to point at some other sites. They all have to do with Michael Leunig, an Australian cartoonist.
I have no idea how I found him originally... just one of those internet things.
His cartoons appear sporadically in the Melbourne newspaper The Age. (Click over to BugMeNot if any of the newspaper links below require registration and you don't have or want your own.)
At this point I would have liked to show you this picture of one of his cartoons, saying "reproduced with the kind permission of...", but I can't. To a huge Australian newspaper I'm an insignificant flea. An insignificant American flea. Oh well. Just click it. It's not titled but I call it Mysterious or Unusual.
Here are some other recent cartoons from The Age:
What has happened to your life?
Banana mules of suburbia
Leunig draws a lot of political cartoons, which you may or may not agree with. I have political views but have decided that Rurality the blog is apolitical so I'm not going to discuss them here.
His "everyday life" cartoons speak to everyone, regardless of politics. Many good ones, including The Guru (a personal favorite), are here on a site that reviews his book The Travelling Leunig. (Edited to remove broken link. You can find The Guru here and others here.)
More cartoons, including my other favorite, The Plodder.
Curly Flat has background info.
The list of his books, at amazon.com.
His artwork. Sadly, Rurality can't invite you up to see its Leunig etchings at this time, since they start at around US$500 and Rurality still has many unmet fencing needs.
Another place that sells his art.
Hope you like Leunig as much as I do.
Edited to add:
One more. This one has lots of Leunig's prayers.
You might guess that I enjoy the one that begins, "We rejoice and give thanks for earthworms, bees, ladybirds and broody hens"!
And also this, if it's not too mushy for a Friday:
God help us to live slowly:
To move simply:
To look softly:
To allow emptiness:
To let the heart create for us.
Really great, smart cartoons. Plodder: I told a friend a few days ago that if I ever won a million dollars I'd loaf. Regardless of the win, I tend to do it now and love it. Of course I also take kickboxing twice a week. You're right, it's full of punch. But would you guess that it's also full of peace? It's that good ol' Buddhist philosophy of release (the punch) and the Hatha yoga practice of breathing into the pain with acceptance. Good stuff. This is what your blog made me think about today. Thanks Rurality (karen)
ReplyDeleteThat was a really nice post. He has a great perspective on life..
ReplyDeleteYeah, Karen, I have to agree - after 20 years of academia (and I'm sure it's true for other endeavors), The Plodder has it right. I hate to discourage optimistic young things but there it is.
ReplyDeleteGlad y'all like him too!
ReplyDeleteHis drawings are beautiful art. I'm going to link to your post. :) Thanks, Rurality!
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of surprised that he's not marketed worldwide. I believe lots of people here would like him too, if he were better known.
ReplyDeleteWe need more Australian imports like that! :)