Best Australian Political Cartoons 2003

"Give me a good cartoonist and I can fire half the editorial staff." - HL Mencken

Mencken's comment goes to the heart of the role of the political cartoonist. The contents of the little black box to the right of the editorial can often have a more profound impact on public perceptions of people and events than do many column inches of considered argument. Australia has had a long and proud tradition of superb cartoonists, but we have never needed them more than we do today.

With more than 100 examples of the cartoonist's art, the book is a superb survey of the past political year as interpreted by such sardonic luminaries as Bill Leak, Michael Leunig, Alan Moir, Peter Nicholson, Bruce Petty, John Spooner and Cathy Wilcox. As they move from gentle irony to blistering anger, these sharp-witted iconoclasts, practitioners of our most democratic and levelling art form, revel in the freedom of expression denied to other commentators.

With a witty and perceptive introduction from Don Watson, this book is an unforgettable portrait of the past year and a tribute to the art, power, vitality and wit of our finest cartoonists.