Artwork: Cartoon Winner

Alan Moir, The Sydney Morning Herald, “There’s a cartoonist on the bus”

Moir’s “There’s a cartoonist on the bus” was drawn during the furore over the Danish cartoons of the prophet Mohammed. The incident eventually led to more than 60 deaths.

Reversing the usual roles of the characters, Moir depicted suicide bombers running in panic from the bus. His idea encapsulates the ridiculousness of the fuss about the Danish cartoons.

Moir is a multi-award winning editorial artist for The Sydney Morning Herald. Born in New Zealand, he moved to Australia in 1971 and got his first gig as a cartoonist for The Bulletin in 1973, before joining The Courier-Mail and, finally, the Herald in 1984. This is his second Walkley Award.

Judges’ comments
Moir’s cartoon captured the extreme global response to the Danish caricatures and illustrated perfectly how sensitive and volatile the world of religious extremists can be. The style is energetic, tough and yet does not take sides… and it’s funny! It was stuck on the doors of many cartoonists’ fridges.