Update on Political Cartoonist Terry Mosher, aka Aislin
November 2, 2007
Terry Mosher is one of Canada's most revered political cartoonists. The prolific humourist/artist/caricaturist has been up to a lot since we first covered him in Terry Mosher, Political Cartoonist Aislin on The Cartoonists in 2002. It's time for an update on this creative man dedicated to jabbing, provoking, and mocking people and establishments around the world, and causing riotous laughter in fans around the world. It has become an honour to be skewered by the Province of Québec and Canada's best - Terry Mosher.
Even the best can have an off day. Still working from his home base at the Montreal Gazette, "Mosher usually has two or three cartoons spiked by editors every year, though it happens less lately," said Craig Silverman on Hour.ca. "He [Mosher] says Montreal is rare in its love for 'spicy cartoons that upset people a little bit... We get away with a lot more here. In other cities most editors look at cartoons as something to fill the space between editorials.'"
But Terry Mosher has had a streak of well-earned popularity in the last few years.
His many honours now also include:
- 1985 Inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame;
Terry was the youngest member to receive the honour, at age 43. (He also has two National Newspaper Awards.) - 2003 In May of 2003, Terry was given Canada's highest honour and made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was given the precious award for his "charitable work and contribution to the world of political cartooning. Governor General Michaele Jean presented the medal at a ceremony at Rideau Hall.
- 2007 Received an honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from McGill University in Montreal, Québec. Canada's best-loved national lampoonist has been making people laugh—and think—for four decades now, chronicling the missteps and mishaps of our leaders in cheeky pen and ink," said the McGill University Honour Roll site. The degree was awarded on May 31, 2007.
And along with awards for his tremendous body of work, and publishing several more books, Terry has been busy creating other fascinating projects. In 2006 and 2007, he wrote and illustrated a Gazette newspaper series of articles about his Safari trips to Africa, what the daily life was like, what joys and miseries he came across, in a style only Aislin can produce.
Taking a whole new direction, Terry Mosher is also eveloping a series of articles accompanied by his delightful cartoons and sketches for Reader's Digest. The series is entitled "Aislin's Travels".Covering places around the world, from Ireland to Puerto Rico, Quebec City and many more locations, the series begins in the November 2007 issue of Reader's Digest in Canada.
Visit the McCord Museum site to view 29 of Terry's political cartoons, on display with the work of fellow political cartoonist heavyweight, Serge Chapleau. Along with a great view of the cartoons, if you can't get to the Museum exhibit in person, there is also a detailed background section describing the politics and presentation of each cartoon.
A documentary entitled, Dangerous When Provoked: the Life and Times of Terry Mosher, was produced for the CBC Television in the summer of 2007. The satirist's life was thoroughly investigated along with his sense of humour. Kaos Productions won a Gemini award for the Mosher biography.
Thanks to Aislin , Canadians and fans around the world have enjoyed politics and world events through the eyes of a brilliant, satirical humourist who can say the obvious and slice at incongruity and idiocy without penalty. Cheers for the genius of Terry Mosher!
Terry Mosher and his wife, Mary Hughson live in Lachine, Québec. She is a graphic designer who uses her talents to design her husband's books. She is also an illustrator and watercolour artist.
For more information visit:
Cartoons featured are © Aislin.
Many thanks to Terry Mosher for permission to use his creations.
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