Dead cats tell no tales

Press, 9 October 1982, Page 6

Dead cats tell no tales

Read any of Simon Bond's books on "101 Uses of a Dead Cat" and you could noi help but think he hates moggies. Lovers of cats throughout the world have Bond stereotyped as a malevolent sadist, a’ person who obviously had a bad experience with cats as a child. Cartoons depicting cats as pencil sharpeners, toast racks, and surf boards would appear to back up this supposition. "Actually. I am very fond of cats. The book was simply a stupid idea stretched to ridiculous lengths." the bearded, bespectacled cartoonist said in Christchurch yesterday. Buv why cats?

"Why not'. I can't draw too many other things anyway." Was he a sadist? "No. I'm a Methodist actually. Well, maybe once a week I indulge in sadism." Even though he swears it has not influenced his cartoons. Mr Bond is allergic to cats. "I suffer from asthma and if I come in contact with cats my chest tightens and I start wheezing. I am also allergic to house dust and pollen and so it is not just cats." Questioned on the severity of the attacks, he said that in a really bad asthma bout he "turns into an Irishman. And that is not very easy to

do." His feiine fatale sense of humour has brought much criticism from moggy lovers. Mountains of mail, abusive telephone calls, and threats to blow up his two publishing houses in the United States have flowed in. "The count is about 50-50 for and against the books so that is not too bad really, as it is usually only the people who complain that write. A cartoonist is only a person who can put his sense of humour into drawings." Mr Bond was born in NewYork 35 years ago when his father was a United Nations political secretary and publicservant. When he was four

his family returned to England. After a period at the West Sussex College of Design he returned to the United States and "survived" as a freelance cartoonist. "101 Uses of a Dead Cat" just "sort of evolved" and propelled the "surviving" cartoonist into an international jet setter with a new house in London and plans to make a film. After this first book Mr Bond followed up with “101 More Uses of a Dead Cat" and "Unspeakable Acts" (a gallery of outrageous drawings). Calenders followed. In total he has sold about two million copies of his works.