the stick: and other tales of our times

the stick: and other tales of our times, by michael leunig

i don't think i've ever mentioned leunig on either of my blogs, but i have to say i'm quite a fan.

michael leunig is a cartoonist from the melbourne age newspaper in australia who has a knack of communicating whimsical and, at times, amazingly insightful (i use that word a lot on here) cartoons in an unrefined style. i have no idea if he is a christian or not, but his message is often startlingly spiritual and on target.

all leunig books seem to be good, and this one isn't an exception. the only thing i would say in passing is that some people might find his work overally naive, but even if it is, it sure helps balance out a lot of the cynicism that you can encounter in the world.

arthur and i once went and saw leunig speaking live. leunig was altogether unsure of himself on stage, looked like he was shaking with fear but won over the audience with his extraordinary honesty. he gave us a live demonstration of his drawing and finally managed to relax, before knocking over a very large flower arrangement on his way off the stage. poor bloke. but everyone loved him. and there you have his characters exactly - shakily drawn, reluctant characters, that are very honest and win everyone over by just being themselves - the fact that they sometimes make a fool of themselves only helps them make their way further into the reader's heart.

recommend checking some leunig out if you come across any.