Cartoons as high, humorous art

He has been retired for several years now, but it’s pretty obvious that John Yardley-Jones hasn’t lost his edge or his sense of humour. Not at all.

The now 81-year-old British-born former newspaper editorial cartoonist has a new show setting up to open tomorrow at Art Beat Gallery on St. Anne Street. A quick look at the pieces is enough to tell you that his penmanship is still flawless, but a quick look would be entirely insufficient. To do them justice, give yourself lots of time to linger over the fine details. You won’t be disappointed.

Just in time for the first visit to this country by Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, Yardley-Jones has a series of royal mockeries lined up that will likely leave tried and true monarchists looking to lynch him.

The first image has William and Kate sipping tea in their full wedding regalia as they skip along pushing a pram with three infant children named Elton J., David B. and Mr. Bean. But check out William’s footwear: sneaker shoes labelled “left” and “right.” Does that mean that he sometimes forgets which is which?

Right next to that pic, there’s a stronger barb pointed at Will’s father. Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II are walking their two Corgi dogs, except these monstrous canines bear the heads of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles.

Princess Beatrice takes the next caricature spot along the line. "Princess Biffy” shows her wearing her now-infamous hat, except this one is a little different. It’s still the same colour — a kind of peach or salmon variation — but the twirly ribbons that decorate the top are actually from a cleverly disguised roll of toilet paper. All of a sudden, the title of this piece seems to make a lot more sense. And you will laugh at the inside joke.

These are all just ways that the artist vents his creative drive, a force combined from years of watching and learning about the antics and activities of celebrities, politicians, public figures and others. It’s enough to make one want to never become famous.

“It’s wonderful to be involved in a show again,” Yardley-Jones enthused. “I was kicked out of the newspaper business years ago and I was really very angry for a while.”

However intense that rage was, it ended up taking the form of a visual arts business and a renewed interest in taking his work to the people.

For years, he learned to focus his sights on people like Pierre Trudeau and Ralph Klein. One such work shows the former Alberta minister of environment standing in pools of oil as he wonders aloud, “Just who the heck does Ottawa think is responsible for Alberta’s environment anyway?”

The little cat hiding in the picture muses rhetorically, “There’s no point in asking you, Ralphie.”

With our former premier now out of the limelight, Yardley-Jones takes pot-shots at people like Jack Layton, dressed up like the pied piper, or Michael Ignatieff in a vampire’s sleeping casket with an RIP to the Liberal party.

That’s the mark of a good editorial cartoonist — the ability to cut to the chase and make a 1,000-word argument with few to no words.

Of course, if you laugh or bite your lip in bitterness, then he has done his job even better. He says that he does miss the newspaper business, just for the ability to share his barbs with more people.

“I was very fortunate to be in it when it was at its best,” he stated, later adding, “I gave them a hell of a time with the politicians in the past, and I loved it!”

“What the editorial cartoonists come up with now are kind of wishy-washy. There’s no grab. There’s no bite.”

Still, he is at least happy to get the occasional gallery exhibit, a few times a year.

“I’m just absolutely delighted to work on this one!” he remarked with his trademark inflections.

The remarks on the duke and duchess aside, at one point, he is kind to a queen who garners a lot of favour, especially in these parts. The picture shows the artist himself hugging his own picture of Lois Hole — often known as the Queen of Hugs — with obvious delight. It just goes to show that he doesn’t always treat public figures with harsh ink.