Cartoonist Michael Leunig axed from prime spot at The Age over ‘offensive’ vaccine image

news.com.au ^ | 25th October 2021 | Ben Graham

[naturalman1975]

Newspaper cartoonist Michael Leunig has been axed from his prized position in The Age over an image comparing resistance to mandatory vaccination to the fight for democracy in Tiananmen Square.

In an image posted to his Instagram account, Leunig — whose career has spanned five decades — drew a lone protester standing in front of a loaded syringe, mimicking the iconic “tank man” image of protest in China. An inset of the 1989 photo also appears in Leunig’s drawing.

The image was posted at the end of September and never made it to print in The Age, and speculation about Leunig’s job at the newspaper began after a cryptic 39-word statement on its letters page last Monday. The statement said the Melbourne newspaper was “trialling new cartoonists” on the page.

Now, Leunig has confirmed to The Australian columnist Nick Tabakoff he has been taken off the newspaper’s prized Monday editorial page position — not long after his Tiananmen Square cartoon emerged and stoked outrage from Daniel Andrews fans.

[naturalman1975]

I know the article is behind a paywall, but I felt it was significant enough to share anyway.

I have no idea if Michael Leunig has any following outside Australia but here in Australia, and especially in Victoria, he's seen as something of a cultural icon at this point - and he's particularly beloved of the left-wing arty intelligentsia who generally twitter away about his genius. Personally, I've never thought much of his skill as a cartoonist and while he's occasionally done pieces I think are quite profound, far more often, his work just feels like he's being overly... self impressed with his own importance.

The Age (and it's Sydney Sibling, the Sydney Morning Herald) are probably the two most prominent left leaning media-organisations in Australia, alongside the ABC.

But to see him, basically, cancelled over a cartoon - cancelled by the left for opposing one of their sacred cows, because now they only agree with 95% of what he draws - is striking.

[BenLurkin]

Offensive to who?

Red China?

[Fester Chugabrew]

Hope the cartoon goes viral, like “Let’s go, Brandon!”

[BenLurkin]

Is there any way to get the cartoon without the photo insert?

[naturalman1975]

It’s offence to the Victorian state government and Premier Daniel Andrews would be the concern here.

The left in Victoria are constantly preaching their mantra that “DAN HAS DONE A GOOD JOB”.

Including about his vaccine mandates

[naturalman1975]

The photo insert was put there by Leunig himself in the original cartoon - but it's trivial to edit it out so:

[BenLurkin]

Thank you!

[Howie66]

Truth hurts, huh?

[BwanaNdege]

Younger viewers might not make the connection - a lone individual standing up in defiance of the armed might of a totalitarian regime, i.e. Tienanmen Square.

[Vision]

He must love big brother.

[livius]

Great cartoon!

[matthew fuller]

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/411dV9K5EaL._SX373_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

[livius]

I think the insert is part of it. Tiananmen tanks=Australia.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

The left is willing to eat its own.

[Secret Agent Man]

Its truth.

They hate being exposed.

[Track9]

Great cartoon!

[M-cubed]

It wont be long before the libs, in the interest of “fairness”, will be supporting the rights of Blacks and Latinos to have their own private drinking fountains..../s

I recently asked a few college kids that question by saying...Some Blacks and Latinos have recently asked the college to allow them to have their own private drinking fountains......
Do you agree that they should be accommodated ... and they all answered YES!!!

[Nateman]

I read about a Japanese fellow who kept getting Chinese scam spam. He simply responded to one with ‘Tiananmen Square massacre June 4th 1989’ . After that the spam stopped because the CCP looks for that and shuts down accounts when it happens.

[BradyLS]

The cartoonist deserves an award for “Least Offensive Cartoon Drawing Out The Most Overblown Hypersensitive Reaction.”

[wally_bert]

Says everything.