A cartoon about the fishing quotas following Brexit.
The cartoon shows a UK fishing boat and seagulls that are trying to take some of the fish.
Drawn: December 2020
Cartoon reference number: a885
Fishing quotas after Brexit
Art in the environment cartoon
A modern art sculpture set in a natural setting.
The cartoon shows a modern art sculpture, similar to the work of Barbara Hepworth or Henry Moore, set in the environment. A bird is nesting in the hole in the sculpture.
The sculpture is titled Art in Nature.
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Cartoon drawn: 2019
Cartoon reference number: art021
This cartoon features in my book of cartoons about art.
See the book here.
Bird in the form of the helmet from a suit of armour
Bird in the form of the helmet from a suit of armour – dip pen and ink drawing with watercolour wash
This is a drawing executed in traditional media – a dip pen and ink with tone added using a watercolour wash with a brush.
a747
Vultures endangered by consuming contaminated carcasses
Vultures endangered by consuming carcasses contaminated by anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac.
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Vultures in India are on the verge of extinction due to scavenging on the carcasses of cattle that have been treated with the veterinary drug diclofenac.
Original version drawn: 1991
a694
Prehistoric early bird catches the worm
Cartoon about the saying “The early bird catches the worm”
The joke is that the ‘early bird’ is literally an early bird in evolutionary terms, such as an archaeopteryx.
A cartoon about evolution, prehistoric creatures.
sayings and proverbs
Ref: a620
Garden birds cartoon – nesting box design
Bird nest box design cartoon
A bird ignoring an ornate nesting box – the bird is building a nest in a branch fork under the nesting box
Cartoon reference number: a633
See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Garden cartoons – noisy neighbours cartoon
Noisy neighbours cartoon
Cartoon showing problem neighbours hanging a loudspeaker outdoors in a tree.
A gardener is hanging a bird nesting box in a tree. The loudspeaker looks very similar to the nesting box, which is part of the joke
A humorous observation about neihbors from hell, encouraging birds in the garden, inconsiderate neighbours
Cartoon reference number: a578
See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Tufted duck illustration
Tufted duck illustration
Stylised illustration of a tufted duck
An ornithological illustration of a tufted duck (Aythya fuligula)
This design was inspired by the tufted ducks in my local pond in their breeding plumage – specifically the bright yellow eye against the black plumage of the head.
Cartoon reference number: a506
Dodo cartoon – live dodos discovered on Mauritius!
Dodo extinction cartoon
Tourists discovering a live dodo on the island of Mauritius.
The dodo is asking the tourists not to reveal that they’ve found it, as it doesn’t want to be pestered by hoards of natural history film units making natural history documentaries
A cartoon about endangered species, dodos, extinction, natural world television programs
Cartoon reference number: a438
Dodo cartoon – why the dodo became extinct
Dodo extinction cartoon
A cartoon showing why the dodo became extinct.
Dodos lived on the island of Mauritius and became extinct due to the arrival of humans to the island
A cartoon about endangered species, dodos, extinction
Drawn: 1991
Cartoon reference number: a437
Flying crow chasing an insect – illustration
An illustration of a flying crow chasing an insect
A digital painting of a crow
A cartoon crow that looks rather sinister and menacing
Crows are amongst my fovourite birds
An illustration or clipart about birds, crows, flight.
Cartoon reference number: a404
Drawing of a flying crow – taking off from a branch
A drawing of a crow in flight
Illustration or sketch of a crow
A drawing of a crow taking off from the branch
This is an impressionistic drawing, hopefully capturing something of the dark, sinister presence of crows, which is one of the things that make them such impressive creatures (along with their great intelligence too).
Cartoon reference number: a401
Garden bird feeder and bird seed cartoon
Cartoon about garden bird feeders, feeding stations and bird seed
Cartoon showing a bird feeder full of bird seed
The gardener is asking his wife if she has seen his prize marrow seeds
The implication is that the gardener’s wife has used the prize vegetable seeds as bird food.
Cartoon reference number: a248
See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Bird nesting box cartoon – a bird box with classical facade
Cartoon about garden birds and bird nesting boxes
Bird nesting box cartoon – a classical facade for a bird box
A gardener nailing a classical facade in front of a hole in a tree that’s being used by a bird as a nest
A cartoon about attracting birds to gardens, bird box design, wildlife merchandising.
Cartoon reference number: a247
See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Cartoon about garden birds and bird nesting boxes
Cartoon about garden birds and bird nesting boxes
Cartoon showing a gardener looking at a bird that is nesting in a birdbox in his garden.
The bird is building a nest in the nesting box and is carrying nesting material to the nest.
The man is thinking “Isn’t that one of my prize delphinium seedlings?”
Birds as garden pests taking seedlings.
The cartoon also about the subject of being taken advantage of – the gardener has thoughtfully and kindly provided the bird with a nesting box, but the bird has then proceeded to take the gardener’s plants. Of course in real life the bird wouldn’t realise what it was doing, but this is a cartoon, and in cartoons animals are often as conscious of their actions as humans are – in fact they are humans in animal form.
Cartoon reference number: a246
See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Bird cartoon – attracting birds to your garden with a bird table
Cartoon about attracting birds to your garden with a bird table
The gardener has put a bush that is full of ripe berries onto the bird table to attract birds
A cartoon about encouraging wildlife in the garden, bird feeding stations, bird feeders.
Cartoon reference number: a243
See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Wildlife gardening cartoon – a nesting box for robins
Garden humour – putting a nesting box for robins
Cartoon showing a gardener putting a bird box in a tree to encourage birds to nest in his garden
The joke is in the fact that there’s a robin building a nest in the packaging or packing box that held the nesting box kit rather than in the nesting box itself.
Robins are well known for building their nests in unusual places, such as in discarded kettles, tin cans etc.
Cartoon reference number: a218
See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Joke about the arrival of summer – the first swallow and first hay fever sneeze
Cartoon about the arrival of summer – the first swallow arriving at the same time as the first hay fever sneeze
Showing gardeners in a garden seeing the first swallow of summer and hearing the first hay fever sneeze at the same time.
Traditionally it’s the sound of the first cuckoo that heralds the summer, however cuckoos are now becoming rarer. Meanwhile, hay fever is becoming more common, so the sound of a hay fever sneeze is replacing the call of the cuckoo as the harbinger of summer.
A cartoon about allergies, seasons.
Cartoon reference number: a207
See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Using Christmas decorations as bird scarers
Christmas cartoon. Using Christmas decorations as bird scarers
A joke showing a gardener hanging up spare Christmas decorations to scare birds away from the seedlings in his garden
A cartoon about bird deterrents, protecting seedlings, birds as garden pests.
Drawn: Dec 2010
Cartoon reference number: a199
See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Garden birds cartoon
Cartoon featuring a bird box with a bird feeding station attached
A humorous illustration about how to encourage birds into the garden by providing nesting boxes and feeding areas such as bird tables.
A joke about encouraging wildlife into the garden.
Cartoon reference number: a195
See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Solar power cartoon – solar panels on an artificial sunflower
Solar energy cartoon -solar panels on an artificial sunflower
Showing a plant harnessing energy from the sun. The plant in the cartoon is artificial (a sunflower) and the energy it is obtaining is being used to drive a speaker which is producing the sound of birdsong.
A humorous illustration about alternative energy, sustainable energy, renewable energy sources, electricity generation.
Drawn: Aug 2011
Cartoon reference number: a184
See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Art cartoons – birdwatching cartoons. Looking for birds in paintings in an art gallery
A birdwatching cartoon from my selection of art cartoons.
Showing birdwatchers spotting birds in landscape paintings in an art gallery
Birdwatching cartoon. Chris Madden cartoon.
Birdwatchers spotting birds in landscape paintings in an art gallery
A cartoon showing people in an art gallery looking for birds in landscape paintings. The people are birdwatchers kitted out in birdwatching gear, complete with binoculars.
A cartoon about animals and birds in art, twitchers, bird spotters, nature in art.
Cartoon drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: a151
Birdwatching cartoon – and misuse of English cartoon (should it be less or fewer?)
Birdwatching cartoon – and English usage cartoon
Birdwatching cartoon. Misuse of English cartoon.
A cartoon showing a father and son birdwatching. The father is correcting his son’s use of English – on seeing a lesser spotted woodpecker the son has mistakenly called it a fewer spotted woodpecker.
This isn’t just a cartoon about birdwatchers. It’s also a cartoon about linguistics and specifically English usage or misuse.
The mixing up of the words fewer and less is a common error.
Getting annoyed or irritated by the misuse of English, especially at the less/fewer level, is commonly seen as a sign of grumpy middle age.
The cartoon’s idea came to mind because of the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) Big Garden Birdwatch, an annual event in which people are encouraged to count the different garden birds that visit their gardens.
Cartoon reference number: a104
Cartoon – shooting the dove of peace
Cartoon showing the dove of peace being shot at by a military tank.
Artwork showing the dove of peace being attacked by the miltary.
An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove.
A cartoon showing military antagonism to anti-war movements.
Cartoon reference number: a040
The dove of peace with an egg shaped like the earth – symbolising world peace
Dove of peace illustration.
Artwork showing the dove of peace with an egg shaped like the earth in its nest.
An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove.
A cartoon related to the peace movement and the concept of world peace.
Cartoon reference number: a039
Dove of peace defecating on armaments
Dove of peace illustration.
Artwork showing the dove of peace crapping on a military tank.
An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove.
A cartoon related to the peace movement, campaigns against militarism and campaigns against the arms trade.
A possible peace campaign poster.
Cartoon reference number: a038
Peace movement dove of peace illustration
Dove of peace illustration.
Artwork showing the dove of peace carrying off a military tank (and being pursued by a soldier who wants his tank back).
An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove.
A cartoon related to the peace movement and campaigns against armaments and the arms trade – a possible peace campaign poster.
Cartoon reference number: a037
Flying penguins cartoon. Penguins flying using balloons
Penguin cartoons. Penguins flying with the aid of balloons.
A cartoon showing penguins in flight.
Who said penguins were flightless birds?
A cartoon about overcoming adversity, overcoming physical restrictions or disabilities, ambition, ingenuity, enterprise.
This cartoon would probably make a very nice greetings card.
Original version drawn: 2001
Cartoon reference number: a026
Penguin cartoons. A penguin sunbathing on a tropical beach
Penguin cartoon. A penguin sunbathing on a tropical beach.
This cartoon isn’t a joke so much as just a slightly silly and humorous image of a penguin sunbathing on a subtropical beach.
The penguin is obviously on holiday.
The cartoon has no specific meaning. It’s just that a penguin on a tropical beach is somewhat incongruous, therefore funny.
Cartoon reference number: a023
Cartoon penguin with Mickey Mouse ears
Cartoon penguin with Mickey Mouse ears.
I’ve been drawing quite a few penguins recently, and they’ve started mutating.
This one means whatever you want it to mean.
I probably thought up the idea because Mickey Mouse is a very simple black and white shape, just like penguins.
I like its air or slight weirdness. An ambiguous mix of cute and unsettling.
Cartoon reference number: a022