CARTOONING DANGERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1030, 22 July 1930, Page 10

CARTOONING DANGERS

TALES OF EARLY DAYS “BLO” TALKS TO CITY CLUB The dangers of cartooning in the early days of Auckland, when he received many threats from indignant citizens who considered themselves insulted, were described by Mr. William Blomfield, better known to Aucklanders as “Bio,” in a talk at the Advertising Club luncheon today. He outlined briefly the growth of cartooning from the time of the cavedweller to the present, stressing its use in advertising.

Art was essentially an expression of beauty in nature and the modern trend to cubistic design was unartistie, he said. Men were spoiling their shapely limbs by hiding them iu “Oxford pants,” but woman was not afraid to show her curves and give the cartoonists an opportunity to use their art.

His first paid cartoon, that of a prominent businessman, led to his being "sacked.” The drawing was made on a wood block, and he received half-a-erown as wages. The subject, however, was very annoyed and “Bio” was dismissed. This happened regularly every week, until finally he joined the staff of an Auckland morning newspaper. His work was drawing “bugs aud beetles” for the agricultural section, but one day the editor decided that wood-cuts of prominent citizens should be printed in the day’s news section. This spelt the success of Mr. Blomfield, then a youth of 19. He began by sketching Sir Julius Vogel and later Sir George Grey. Iu those days all prominent politicians wore full beards and presented an excellent opportunity for caricature. "Bio” drew innumerable pictures of Air. Richard Seddon and also of the late Sir Joseph Ward. One of the best subjects for caricature was the Rt. Hou. W. F. Massey. "i have been threatened several times, but only twice was there anything serious,” said the speaker. He once drew a sketch of the then chairman of the Education Board. It. was rather an atrocity, Mr. Blomfield admitted, and he was not very surprised a few days later to receive a threat that, if he drew another cartoon, he would be shot. Another man whose hat had been distorted in a drawing challenged “Bio” to a duel with sword or pistol. At the time of the Tarawera eruption, Mr. Blomfield made a fast journey by train to Hamilton, where he hired a pony and rode through Rotorua the scene of the eruption.