Drawn in real time while David Pope was watching events on the other side of the world, this work is a raw and emotional first response to a crime that put his craft at the centre of a global debate about cultural co-existence, freedom of expression and the role of satire.
Internationally, Pope’s sketch became one of the most recognised responses to the shootings in the Charlie Hebdo office. The cartoon was viewed by millions on Twitter, and republished in print and online by many international publications.
David Pope began drawing cartoons in the 1980s for the alternative press in Australia. He followed Jenny Coopes as editorial cartoonist for The Sun-Herald before joining The Canberra Times after Geoff Pryor retired from the paper in 2008. Pope has received 11 Stanley Awards for his cartoons, illustrations and caricatures; four Ranan Lurie Political Cartoon Awards from the UN Correspondents Association; and has been a finalist in the Walkley Awards four times. In 2015, Pope was named the inaugural Cartoonist of the Year by the Australian Political Studies Association. This is his first Walkley Award.
Judges’ comments:
The poignant sadness in David Pope’s rough-hewn drawing conveys hurt on so many levels. The pitiable fallen cartoonist, the caught-out-child response of the terrorist, the urgency of the simple image as it was born in real time upon the world stage. This is cartooning at its finest, capturing humanity at its most raw.