Larry even dissapoints cartoonists!!
Article quoted from www.wickingtoons.blogspot.com
Larry Pickering was Australia's first cartooning millionaire* (which are few and far between, let me tell you) and was very much the media star during the 70s and early 80s. He's one of the few daily editorial cartoonists to actually retire from the profession. Most of us would rather drop dead at our drawing boards, if we can.
Both Today Tonight and A Current Affair last night had stories on Larry's failure to scrape enough cash together for child support, even though he lives in a penthouse, drives a flash car and gets around in a pink helicopter. Standard tabloid stuff and not really that interesting, unless you happen to be one of his various wives or kids. (A few years back, ACA pursued him over some alleged betting software scam, which was much more entertaining.)
Anyway, I almost met Larry once, back around 1980 when he was with The Australian. I'd managed to get an appointment with him one afternoon, just to meet him, which I was pretty starry-eyed about. I waited outside his huge office for about two hours but he never came back from lunch.
No great loss, though. Bill Mitchell's office was nearby and he took pity on me and invited me in for a chat. Bill was the daily cartoonist on the Daily Telegraph back then and his office was much, much smaller. He was a lovely bloke and I ended up having a fine day anyway.
Soon after, Bill took over from Pickering on The Australian, where he remained until passing away in 1993. The Oz sponsors the annual Bill Mitchell Memorial Award for budding cartoonists in his honour".
"Bill and Larry
No, not cyclones. Cartoonists.Larry Pickering was Australia's first cartooning millionaire* (which are few and far between, let me tell you) and was very much the media star during the 70s and early 80s. He's one of the few daily editorial cartoonists to actually retire from the profession. Most of us would rather drop dead at our drawing boards, if we can.
Both Today Tonight and A Current Affair last night had stories on Larry's failure to scrape enough cash together for child support, even though he lives in a penthouse, drives a flash car and gets around in a pink helicopter. Standard tabloid stuff and not really that interesting, unless you happen to be one of his various wives or kids. (A few years back, ACA pursued him over some alleged betting software scam, which was much more entertaining.)
Anyway, I almost met Larry once, back around 1980 when he was with The Australian. I'd managed to get an appointment with him one afternoon, just to meet him, which I was pretty starry-eyed about. I waited outside his huge office for about two hours but he never came back from lunch.
No great loss, though. Bill Mitchell's office was nearby and he took pity on me and invited me in for a chat. Bill was the daily cartoonist on the Daily Telegraph back then and his office was much, much smaller. He was a lovely bloke and I ended up having a fine day anyway.
Soon after, Bill took over from Pickering on The Australian, where he remained until passing away in 1993. The Oz sponsors the annual Bill Mitchell Memorial Award for budding cartoonists in his honour".
posted by BobHunter at 11.5.06
3 Comments:
Wow! You DO hold a grudge....30 years later!!!
God help anyone else who was late for a lunch appointment with you.
I, too, was a Larry Pickering fan, as a kid. I used to cut his cartoons from the Herald in Sydney and The Australian.
They were brilliant. Sill fresh even when you look back at them today.
In contrast to your own experience, as a kid, I had a wonderful meeting with Larry Pickering, at his office, unnanounced. To this day, I have never forgot his generosity and friendliness to a complete stranger / fan.
One day, on my 14th birthday in 1976, my mum and dad took me and my 5 brothers into town for a day out at Luna Park or the zoo (my choice). As it was my birthday, I could nominate what I wanted to so. I said, "Gee I'd like to meet Larry Pickering." So off we went to Surry Hills to The Australian newspaper office, where he was working at the time. We were stopped at the lower floor lobby security, where we asked if we could see Larry Pickering. It was about 11:00 am and the security guard made a call. A few minutes later we were told to take the lift to the 4th floor, where we were met by another staff member. We waited a few more minutes and then were shown the way to Pickering's office. It was a tiny little room, hardly big enough for a desk, let alone 8 unexpected visitors. He gave us an hour of his time, talking to this young, starry-eyed kid. I just remember what a terrific person he was to have given us so much time. After an hour or so, as time was getting on, and my mum said we shouldn't take up any more of his time, he asked me who my favourite political cartoon character was. I replied, 'John Gorton' (Pickering did the best Gorton caricature). His hand went to a sheet of paper and raced around the paper until John Gorton's face appeared. He wrote, "Happy birthday, (name) Regards Pickering".
That was the best present any kid could have.
I am not related to Pickering and I do not have any association with him. I have seen the recent hatchet jobs on the internet and on TV, and can only wonder if it's the same person, and it does all come across as a bit of a beat-up, especially the recent one.
I know lots of kids also received the encouragement and generosity of Pickering, and he in fact published a book of cartoons by Australian kids who sent him cartoons.
This web blog, I was referred to by a friend, is pretty obsessive, seems driven by the scarred resentment of one individual, based on a late lunch 30 years ago. Get over it, and go see a therapist.
I'm not a starry-eyed kid anymore, but I think some balance is in order in this one-sided, compulsively obsessive hatchet job!
What does 'Bob Hunter' know about Aliza Theresa Luckhardt (aka 'Tuppy')?
THAT is the question.
Well, 'Bob'?
-----------------------------------
What does 'Bob Hunter' know about Aliza Theresa Luckhardt (aka 'Tuppy')?
THAT is the question.
Well, 'Bob'?
-----------------------------------
What does 'Bob Hunter' know about Aliza Theresa Luckhardt (aka 'Tuppy')?
THAT is the question.
Well, 'Bob'?
-----------------------------------
What does 'Bob Hunter' know about Aliza Theresa Luckhardt (aka 'Tuppy')?
THAT is the question.
Well, 'Bob'?
-----------------------------------
What does 'Bob Hunter' know about Aliza Theresa Luckhardt (aka 'Tuppy')?
THAT is the question.
Well, 'Bob'?
-----------------------------------
What does 'Bob Hunter' know about Aliza Theresa Luckhardt (aka 'Tuppy')?
THAT is the question.
Well, 'Bob'?
-----------------------------------
What does 'Bob Hunter' know about Aliza Theresa Luckhardt (aka 'Tuppy')?
THAT is the question.
Well, 'Bob'?
-----------------------------------
What does 'Bob Hunter' know about Aliza Theresa Luckhardt (aka 'Tuppy')?
THAT is the question.
Well, 'Bob'?
-----------------------------------
I'm still waiting on my royalty cheque from Larry for my contribution to his 1980 book 'Cartoons by Australian Kids'...
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