N.Z. Cartoonist Wins Important Award

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28747, 19 November 1958, Page 12

N.Z. Cartoonist Wins Important Award

[From the London Correspondent of ‘ The Press”}

LONDON. November 10.

When it was announced this morning that the “Daily Sketch cartoonist. Keith Waite, had been] judged funniest among the 1061 newspaper cartoonists in an exhibition in London last month it was not only front page news for' the million nr so subscribers to J that lively London tabloid, but it' was..also news in the township of; Mokati. 56 miles north of Now: Plymouth. That is where Waite was born 1 31 years ago. He came to Britain in 1951 alter two years as car-, toonist with the “Otago Daily Times.” and occasional contributor to the "New Zealand Herald." the ‘•Weekly News." ‘Taranaki Daily News.” and many other Dominion journ»l>. Now he-as one of FleeU ; --street’•» I»>f> cartoonists .with n national reputation and a record which include.^,regular contributions to g, s It was an international bition with entries countries. Waite out in entering, but in the end-, he won and also third place’ in the awards fotL- the funniest) cartoons. <* «

%/This was a contest for political cartoonists but Waite does not really regard himself as one. “I try to pick out what people are going to be interested in when they open their paper in the morning and draw something; about that,” ho says. That is why/ every morning after he gets ini from his home at Ashford. Middlesex, he reads through every, national daily newspaper. Then he roughs out a few ideas before spending an hour, and; usually much longer, on his final! choice. If one wants a cup of coffee with Waite he is always ready for it sharp at 4.15 p.m. when his day is done. “I gave up school teaching because I felt I could not work at) full throttle,” says Waite. Now; he is always at full throttle and] that is why he is no longer al “Punch” contributor. Two years ago he had 42 cartoons published 1 within 12 months by that paper. 1 Now he has no lime. Waite married an Auckland ; physiotherapist while he was ! working in Dunedin. They have 1 four children—a daughter 18 : months old and three boys, the eldest of whom is nearly seven. 1 Perhaps that is why. just before Guy Fawkes Day. he drew four! 'small youngsters with expressions' iof Giles-like innocence and tow-' ! ing a guy. bearing down on an

army rocket launching site. Extra’ barbed wire is being hastily erected and the guard is being trebled. Waite explains: “I like drawing children.” He is a car and car racing enthusiast. That is why his drawings! often concern the perils and difiiculties of the motorist. He scored recently with the removal of the hire purchase restrictions from vehicles. He rightly anticipated the out- • come of Wardle’s dispute with' the M.C.C. Next morning his’ cartoon was an outstanding sue-i So he does not specialise in' politics. His.aim is to amuse tn ' whatever subject is topical. Waite’s mother was a school 1 teacher. After attending Sacred

t College, Auckland, he wen’ «>' the Auckland Tcachcis' Ti;li |j " and then taught for a' at Unrnui. He says now that draw before he

coujd walk annffiat his work ha- ■ 1 not improved much at Urenui he got? rcsult.teachmg art thUTLiroin any othei i subject and h<- to Auckland for two ycarc at the ! Elam School of Art. ,1 There he worked for the New ‘Zealand Herald when Mmhinnick i went on holiday. “He did not 'go on holiday half enough, but he gave me a lot of wonderin' advice . . . all sorts of tips.’ Waite still thinks the same about ‘i cartoonists’ holidays. i He got well established on th.: ' l”Otago Daily Times” but the eal' ‘ of Fleet Street came from Kem> ; ley Newspapers and Waite began ..to work for the “Sunday Times." "I was young and I blame myself for not being ('ntirely happx there. Once when they rejected ‘my work I said that if the> jwanted mo they would find m« I (studying Oriental antiquities hi i(the British Museum. 1 studied /Oriental antiquities for six II weeks—it was the longest strike Jin newspaper history. Then 1 went to Glasgow to work for th- • .‘Daily Record' and ‘Eveninu 1 News’.” ; He enjoyed Glasgow but aflei | J completing his contract Wait*. ; 1 worked as a free lance until h< ‘ joined the “Sketch." For quit* : . a time while on his own he wa- . /on a regular income of .£3 3s a, ". week. Cartooning can be a 5 serious business.