Featured Poem: Doom and Gloom
On the bus, the smell of doom hung heavily in the air. At the office, the smell of doom! In the coffee shop, everywhere he went, the unmistakable smell of doom.
Even at home, at the dinner table, the all-pervasive inescapable smell of doom. And in his bedroom too, the appalling, repulsive smell of doom and gloom.
Then he noticed it was stuck to the bottom of his shoe He had trodden in it!
Characters.
Michael Leunig is often referred to as a cartoonist but the titles of; sociologist and philosopher would hold far more truth. While
his drawings are often
conveyed in a simplistic manner; each of his characters quirks reveals an unspoken societal truth.
Leunig's current style developed in 1969 when he decided to put an end to his political cartoonist career. In dong so, he drew a man riding towards the sunset on a large duck, with a teapot on his head.
Leunig later stated, "...the man was most definitely me and the teapot, worn like a fool's cap, symbolised warmth, nourishment and domestic familiarity," while the duck, "represented feelings of primal freedom and playfulness."
The Duck.
Leunig's famous caricatured duck has now become one of his main socially-recognised characters. The duck often plays the role of gentle observer; reminding us of the importance of the purity, innocence, beauty and fragility of nature.
Michael developed a soft spot for ducks, and animals in general, during his childhood years. He explains, '"I was fond of them. And I like their character. They seem to have a kind of serious quality, but also a vulnerability. I was just drawn to them."
Vasco Pyjama.
Accompanied by his faithful companion, his duck; Vasco Pyjama is relentlessly driven in search for both truth and self-discovery. In short, he is often described as; adventurous, inquisitive, fragile and, at times, despondent.
Without a doubt, one of his greatest friends is Mr Curly. Periodically, Vasco reunites with his old mentor by the shores of Lake Lacuna. Throughout the years, both have stayed informed, of the other, through their intellectually crafted, hand-written letters.
The Curly.
My Curly is, most likely, Leunig's most popular character among the public.
Mr Curly resides in a paradox society named Curly Flat,
where he lives an optimistic life. He enjoys life's simple pleasures; i.e. bird watching and nurturing his vines.
Physically, what sets Mr Curly apart is his cranial dissimilarity, "... the curl is the tender, unfurling motion of nature's growth; the unfolding consciousness; the way in which the heart reaches out into the world"