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Carless: A Cartoonist Q&A
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by Traudi Down
December 21-27 2006 |
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"The political cartoon is my method of protest, my comment on the injustice and craziness of people in authority. It's marvelous what you can do with a cartoon."
Roy Carless is a compulsive storyteller. He delights in recounting anecdotes of his life as a blue-collar worker, as union steward at Westinghouse (Hamilton), or as a self-taught political cartoonist. Like his cartoons, though, his stories are short and to-the-point. They are told in a direct manner and punctuated by mild expletives.
Born in Toronto, Carless moved to Hamilton in 1948 to work at Westinghouse, and immediately joined the union. His cartoons lampooning what he considered to be silly corporate/management decisions became a favourite method of sounding off, much to the delight of the men on the factory floor.
He estimates he's done 6,000 drawings since the 1940s. One thousand of these have already been donated to the National Archives in Ottawa. And he admits, rather offhandedly, that he constantly gives drawings away.
Carless doesn't own a computer. He draws by hand in ink, creating what he proudly calls "Carless originals". At age 80, he draws every day, even if there is no market for the cartoon.
Many of Roy Carless' political cartoons are featured in The Carless Cartoon Collection: Not Bad for an Old Bastard by Kerry J. Schooley (Seraphim Editions, September 2006). We interviewed Carless recently at his Hamilton home.
When did you start to draw?
I was always drawing in public school. Then I got on the editorial board for the high school paper and yearbook (at Runnymede Collegiate, Jane Street, Toronto). My first published cartoon was in the Magna Carta (school newspaper).
How would you describe your style?
It's simple, uncomplicated. I'm a black and white and grey guy! I use a lot of black - that gives it mass. And I use a lot of wash - to fill in the grey. Colour is for comics; cartoons should be in black and white. I've worked in every medium: pencil, crayon, India ink. I do a lot of self-editing, taking out all the stuff that's not required or that makes it too busy. I work to get everything in balance and to focus the eye (of the reader), to simplify it and tie it all together.
From where do most of your ideas come?
I read five papers a day during the week, and Sunday's Toronto Sun. That's how I know it's Sunday! Ideas just come, although I guess my mind is storing ideas while I'm reading. Then, just like that, I get the whole picture and I rush to sketch it down quickly before it's gone.
What makes a good political cartoon?
You have to have good ideas! You have to have a good knowledge of history and know about your country and the world. It must be simple and understandable, and it must be humorous. You have to have humour. The eye automatically scans from left to right so you need to keep this in mind. You only have a few seconds to make your point. I also want to try and project the point into the future and not just react to the daily issue. I draw for the future - it's not just a daily giggle.
How important is this medium?
Politicians are bullet proof but not ballot proof. You are never really going to change a politician but you can try to influence the public.
Tell us about the cartoons you did at Westinghouse.
I learned to draw really fast in the shop. I had to be fast so they wouldn't catch me! Of course they weren't signed but everyone knew who was doing it. I always had a reason for doing a drawing. The picture would be passed down the line. Finally a management type would see it and the company would feel shamed or stupid. It was faster than lodging a grievance!
Is there anything you won't draw?
I hate chairs. They are too damned awkward.
Of all your cartoons, which is your personal favourite?
The Last Spike which has appeared in shows in Montreal and Paris. I also like Joe Clark Lemon of the Year - it's great! (Both are in the book.)
Have you done anything really controversial?
I did a cartoon around the time of the War Measures Act, of Trudeau (called Watch It). I couldn't get it accepted anywhere. It wasn't published for 10 years. (It is in the book)
Do you have any regrets?
There is not one drawing that I'm sorry for or ashamed of.
Have you ever done any painting?
Yeah. My wife Audrey was always after me to paint. So one time I did this painting. A nice outdoor scene while we were up North (Georgian Bay area). When it was done I said to her, "There's your painting. Don't ask me to do any more!" It's hanging there in the hall.
Drawing seems to be a compulsion for you.
It has saved my life. I have difficulty walking and I have a bad back. I read and I draw. What else is there to do? It's a gift. It keeps me young.
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