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Peterson for The Vancouver Sun, September 27, 2003: A federal central Canadian politician courting the "local" Western B.C. vote.[/caption]
The great Canadian editorial cartoonist Roy Peterson passed away Sunday, at his West Vancouver home. He was 77. Peterson was one of the finest editorial cartoonists of any country, and any time, but he was Canadian; born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1936, and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. He served as the editorial cartoonist for The Vancouver Sun newspaper from 1962 to 2009 (read the Sun's obituary). From 1978 to 2001, his illustrations appeared in the weekly national news magazine Macleans, illustrating Allan Fotheringham's back page column -- that would likely have been where I, and most Canadians, first saw his work -- and what work!
Roy Peterson's editorial cartoons were models of surgical precision -- cutting, sharp, and bloody accurate. He was a particularly devastating caricaturist. His punch was arguably softened by his virtuoso draftsmanship (draftspersonship?) with both a brush, and a nib pen. His crosshatching technique was flawless; he used it to give his work depth, tonal "colour," and motion.
When he started at The Vancouver Sun in the 1960s, Peterson worked with, learned from, and ultimately took over from, editorial cartoonist Len Norris, a Vancouver institution. Norris may have thought globally, but he always drew locally. His cartoons featured local Vancouverites reacting to events big, and small. It was an innovative, and endearing approach. Norris' cartoons have a fresh, timeless quality to this day.
[caption id="attachment_5998" align="alignnone" width="497"]
"Frankly, I have my doubts about the judgment of any man-on-the-street on a day like this ..." Len Norris for The Vancouver Sun, October 25, 1955.[/caption]
In contrast, Peterson's work was more traditional: Just like editorial cartoons in the 19th Century, Peterson's characters wore labels, and often personified factions. Peterson's editorial cartoons could land like bombshells when they were published, but their very timeliness makes them a bit obscure all these many years later, particularly if you don't know all the players of the day.
[caption id="attachment_5994" align="alignnone" width="497"]
Western Reform politician Stockwell Day. Peterson savages his athletic PR image in this July 13, 2001 piece for The Vancouver Sun.[/caption]
I didn't see much of Perterson's work for The Vancouver Sun, until I moved to Vancouver in 1980. Before that I saw his illustrations for Allan Fotheringham's Macleans column. These illustrations were less wordy; punchier. They were also sharply reproduced on glossy, white magazine stock, so a young illustrator could profitably pore over them with a magnifying glass, if he chose to. Unfortunately, I can't find one of them to reproduce.
Roy Peterson won seven National Newspaper Awards; was president of the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists, and founding president of the Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists. In 2004 he was made an officer of the Order of Canada. He was published in countless magazines, and newspapers, but his first home was always The Vancouver Sun newspaper. Unfortunately Peterson didn't so much leave that home, as he was pushed. In 2009 the Sun dropped him -- sorry, laid him off, as part of a cost-cutting drive. After 47 years of working on contract for the Sun, they gave him three months’ notice -- no pension or other benefits.
[caption id="attachment_6002" align="alignnone" width="497"]
Roy Peterson's comment on East Vancouver boy Larry Campbell being elected mayor -- The Vancouver Sun, November 17, 2002.[/caption]
The Sun's treatment of Peterson somewhat parallels how, in 2007, the New York Review of Books abruptly stopped buying illustrations from David Levine, one of the greatest caricaturists of the 20th Century. In their 2009 obituary for David Levine, The New York Times described Levine's work as the "visual trademark of The New York Review of Books for nearly half a century." In 2006, Levine was diagnosed with macular degeneration, an eye disease that leads to blindness. Levine was likewise left without a pension. The Review continued to publish his old work, which they owned.
The passing of Roy Peterson underlines the passing of an era. As go newspapers, so go editorial cartoonists. Where a Norris, or a Peterson cartoon could be the talk of the town in 1960s Vancouver, today the Internet allows the same ordinary folk Norris spoke through in his cartoons, to finally speak for themselves, in countless Facebook pages, and forums, and blogs, just like this one.
Peterson for The Vancouver Sun, September 27, 2003: A federal central Canadian politician courting the "local" Western B.C. vote.[/caption]The great Canadian editorial cartoonist Roy Peterson passed away Sunday, at his West Vancouver home. He was 77. Peterson was one of the finest editorial cartoonists of any country, and any time, but he was Canadian; born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1936, and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. He served as the editorial cartoonist for The Vancouver Sun newspaper from 1962 to 2009 (read the Sun's obituary). From 1978 to 2001, his illustrations appeared in the weekly national news magazine Macleans, illustrating Allan Fotheringham's back page column -- that would likely have been where I, and most Canadians, first saw his work -- and what work!
Roy Peterson's editorial cartoons were models of surgical precision -- cutting, sharp, and bloody accurate. He was a particularly devastating caricaturist. His punch was arguably softened by his virtuoso draftsmanship (draftspersonship?) with both a brush, and a nib pen. His crosshatching technique was flawless; he used it to give his work depth, tonal "colour," and motion.
When he started at The Vancouver Sun in the 1960s, Peterson worked with, learned from, and ultimately took over from, editorial cartoonist Len Norris, a Vancouver institution. Norris may have thought globally, but he always drew locally. His cartoons featured local Vancouverites reacting to events big, and small. It was an innovative, and endearing approach. Norris' cartoons have a fresh, timeless quality to this day.
[caption id="attachment_5998" align="alignnone" width="497"]
"Frankly, I have my doubts about the judgment of any man-on-the-street on a day like this ..." Len Norris for The Vancouver Sun, October 25, 1955.[/caption]In contrast, Peterson's work was more traditional: Just like editorial cartoons in the 19th Century, Peterson's characters wore labels, and often personified factions. Peterson's editorial cartoons could land like bombshells when they were published, but their very timeliness makes them a bit obscure all these many years later, particularly if you don't know all the players of the day.
[caption id="attachment_5994" align="alignnone" width="497"]
Western Reform politician Stockwell Day. Peterson savages his athletic PR image in this July 13, 2001 piece for The Vancouver Sun.[/caption]I didn't see much of Perterson's work for The Vancouver Sun, until I moved to Vancouver in 1980. Before that I saw his illustrations for Allan Fotheringham's Macleans column. These illustrations were less wordy; punchier. They were also sharply reproduced on glossy, white magazine stock, so a young illustrator could profitably pore over them with a magnifying glass, if he chose to. Unfortunately, I can't find one of them to reproduce.
Roy Peterson won seven National Newspaper Awards; was president of the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists, and founding president of the Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists. In 2004 he was made an officer of the Order of Canada. He was published in countless magazines, and newspapers, but his first home was always The Vancouver Sun newspaper. Unfortunately Peterson didn't so much leave that home, as he was pushed. In 2009 the Sun dropped him -- sorry, laid him off, as part of a cost-cutting drive. After 47 years of working on contract for the Sun, they gave him three months’ notice -- no pension or other benefits.
[caption id="attachment_6002" align="alignnone" width="497"]
Roy Peterson's comment on East Vancouver boy Larry Campbell being elected mayor -- The Vancouver Sun, November 17, 2002.[/caption]The Sun's treatment of Peterson somewhat parallels how, in 2007, the New York Review of Books abruptly stopped buying illustrations from David Levine, one of the greatest caricaturists of the 20th Century. In their 2009 obituary for David Levine, The New York Times described Levine's work as the "visual trademark of The New York Review of Books for nearly half a century." In 2006, Levine was diagnosed with macular degeneration, an eye disease that leads to blindness. Levine was likewise left without a pension. The Review continued to publish his old work, which they owned.
Quantity triumphs over quality
The passing of Roy Peterson underlines the passing of an era. As go newspapers, so go editorial cartoonists. Where a Norris, or a Peterson cartoon could be the talk of the town in 1960s Vancouver, today the Internet allows the same ordinary folk Norris spoke through in his cartoons, to finally speak for themselves, in countless Facebook pages, and forums, and blogs, just like this one.
All images from Simon Fraser University Library's editorial cartoon collection ►
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