Some of the country's best political cartoons have gone on display at the museum of Australian democracy at old parliament house in Canberra. The 'behind the lines: no guts, no glory' exhibition features cartoons depicting some of the hot topic issues of the year, like housing affordability, climate change, and war in the middle east. Victoria's Megan Herbert is showcasing some of her work there and has just been named the 2024 political cartoonist of the year.
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00:00It's quite a surreal honor, but I'm trying to lap it all up.
00:05I love it.
00:06So when did you get into cartooning?
00:09I think I've been doing it for forever.
00:11I've always been drawing and writing since I was a child.
00:14But my first professional gig here in Australia was about 2021 with the agent Sydney Morning
00:20Herald.
00:21And prior to that, I've been doing a lot of stuff online.
00:24So just cartooning for the people of the internet.
00:27Okay, so let's take a look at some of your work.
00:30First, the Prime Minister and the Communications Minister announcing social media is doing
00:34real harm to our kids.
00:36We want to send a message that bullying, violence, fraudulent criminal activity and misogyny
00:40will not be tolerated.
00:43And then the next panel, so the kids turn to watching regular TV news with Donald Trump
00:47and Elon Musk center stage.
00:49Is this your favorite of the year?
00:53It's not my favorite, but I think it's very relevant given what's just gone through parliament
00:57this week.
00:58And look, we do have a problem when we're saying one thing without legislation, but
01:04society at large is saying something quite different.
01:08So this type of behavior is everywhere.
01:10So how do you legislate against that?
01:12And I'm on the fence about a social media ban.
01:15I have a child of that age, so it is very relevant to me.
01:19But it's a difficult issue, isn't it?
01:23Indeed.
01:24And let's go to another cartoon now.
01:25The second cartoon referencing the recent climate protests in Newcastle.
01:30Police in the boats announcing protestors be warned that we have zero tolerance for
01:34any behavior threatening public safety, ensuring the access of a ship emblazoned with climate
01:40chaos accelerant.
01:42What drew you to this protest?
01:44Well, I mean, the vibrancy of that protestable, as they called it, which I adore that term,
01:50is that what really caught my eye in the photographs, but I cartoon a lot around climate
01:54change.
01:55It's been a key issue that I've concentrated on with my communication for at least 10 years
02:01now.
02:02And so it often works its way into my political cartooning.
02:05And just the idea that we're trying to ward off any threats to public safety by stopping
02:11protests when, of course, we all know the biggest threat to public safety moving forward
02:16is going to be the effects of climate change.
02:19How much longer can they deny this?
02:21I don't know.
02:22Now, I just wanted to ask you about the New Yorker magazine.
02:26How much of your work have you submitted over the years to the New Yorker?
02:31And why is that particular publication such a passion for you?
02:37When I first came back to Australia in 2020, of course, we were all in lockdowns.
02:42And I started this cartoon a day project as a way to build up my muscles, hoping to eventually
02:48do some sort of political cartooning here.
02:50But as part of that project, I started to be in touch with some of the New Yorker cartoonists,
02:54and I just love their work.
02:56So I think I've probably submitted 50 or 60 cartoons by now.
03:02It's a difficult process because you have to prepare these batches, ship them off, and
03:05then wait for months for a rejection, ultimately.
03:08And in the meantime, you can't do anything with those cartoons.
03:12They sit in this funny slush pile.
03:15So it's a luxurious process in that if you've got the time and the money to spare, you can
03:20do this until the end of time.
03:23But yeah, that's how they sort the wheat from the chaff, I suppose.
03:27And so you've submitted 50 odd.
03:30You're very keen to continue that?
03:32Yes, it's the ultimate challenge.
03:35And one day, one day, it's the amount I'll get to the top of.
03:39Yeah.
03:40And why the New Yorker?
03:43It's just the ultimate gag cartoon publication.
03:47That's how they started, and they've stayed true to those roots.
03:50And the fact that they're still thriving, it's just wonderful.
03:54And the cartoonists are some of the greatest people that I've interacted with online.
03:58They're so generous with their information and their time and their humor.
04:02So we need humor now.
04:04It can't all be serious.
04:05It can't all be political.
04:07Sometimes you just need a gag cartoon.
04:10And we mentioned at the start of the interview, you've got about 10 jobs or something like
04:15that.
04:16One of those jobs over these years has been this incredible association with the TV show
04:22Neighbours.
04:23Yes.
04:24When did you start on that, and what as, and how are you involved now?
04:29So I started with them, it was my first job after I graduated as a journalist, actually,
04:35from RMIT.
04:36And my first job was in the story department at Neighbours as the photocopy girl.
04:41And that was in 2020, sorry, year 2000, not 2020, 20 years prior to 2020.
04:47And I've worked in every role in the script department over the years, including up to
04:53script producer for a brief time.
04:56And right now I'm a freelance script writer for them, and it's just one of my favorite
05:00jobs.
05:01I've been on and off, not on consistently.
05:02Whenever I've lived overseas, I put the scripts aside, and then when I come back to Australia,
05:07they lovingly open the door.
05:09So it's been a wonderful, ongoing job for me, and yeah, I treasure it.
05:14So a lot of people would find the multiple jobs quite full on and frenetic and frantic,
05:20but you love it.
05:21Well, it's just the reality of being a professional creative in this country, in most countries
05:27now.
05:28So yeah, you embrace it.
05:29You learn to juggle your time, and you say yes to everything and then burn out, but it's
05:35the roller coaster ride.
05:36You have to in case there's a dry spell.
05:38So I'm used to it now.
05:39I couldn't go back to the other way of working, being in a full-time job, I don't think.
05:43Okay.
05:44Well, it's been delightful having a chat to you, Megan.
05:47And yeah, good luck with the New Yorker.
05:48I want to get a subscription just to see your cartoon finally appear in there.
05:55Oh, follow me on the socials.
05:57You'll see it.
05:58I'll trumpet it to the world.
05:59Good stuff.
06:00Megan Herbert there, Ian Camber.
06:01Cheers, and congratulations once again.