Controversial British cartoonist Andrew Birch at his home in Màlaga
First published in the Guardian
The Financial Times gave him the boot for using the word fuck. La Opinion de Málaga said”adios” and showed him the door for criticizing the mayor too much. The Observer, while they haven't kissed him goodbye, have had to pull his work at the last moment because it was considered potentially libelous on too many levels. Fifty-year-old British political cartoonist Andrew Birch admits that over the course of his career he's played with fire and teased the limits of what various publications are willing to print.
”I've been sacked from so many I can't even recollect them,” says Birch. Often in my case it's for trying to get away with too much, getting too political.” Birch has been living in Spain (first in Barcelona, now in Málaga) for about 11 years making his living as a freelance cartoonist mostly for British publications. He initially experienced Spain as a tourist, but later, having fallen in love with the city of Málaga especially, decided
First published in the Observer
to make Spain his home. Receiving and sending assignments via email, he currently works for some of Britain's most prominent publications: The Guardian, The Observer and Private Eye.
Birch didn't study drawing at university; he never went to art college. But his interest was always present. “I just like drawing,” he says. “I've always loved comics ever since I was a kid. So it was love really. I just love cartoons.”
Birch first got started at age 25 doing general joke cartoons and illustrations; now, all of his work is sharply political. He explains that he's always been extremely interested in politics. “It's the underlying element in our everyday life. Politics guides everything we do,” he says.
While Birch has predominantly worked with British publications, he got a taste of Spanish politics when he worked for four years with La Opinion de Málaga, the second largest newspaper in Málaga. As Birch sees it, The Spanish aren't really used to overt criticism of their way of life, particularly from a foreigner. In England, Birch considers his humour quite run of the mill; whereas in Spain, he developed a reputation for being particularly acerbic. He does consider the Spanish political comic magazine El Jueves one of the best satirical magazines, while considering that some of the strips are tiresomely sexist. “It also seems they can get away with almost anything (probably due to laxer libel laws): in that sense, Spain is much more liberal than the UK.”
For the Spanish papers the focus of his jokes would range from more general national politics, such as some idiocy Aznar or the PP had done at the time to more local focuses such as something the mayor of Málaga had said that week.
“Of course...they sacked me from La Opinion, for criticizing the mayor too much, he
First published in the Observer
says, “But they didn't give me that reason; they said it was for reasons of redesign. That's the excuse they always give. Drawing political cartoons for La Opinion was hard work, and it was badly paid. Birch already spoke reasonable Spanish, but writing in a language that was not his native tongue about a politics and culture that was not his own obviously presented its challenges. However, in the end, Birch says that it was worth it because the experience opened up so many doors to him especially as an expat.
“The fact that I have worked for a Spanish paper has given me a unique insight into Spanish culture, and I made a great deal of friends,” he tells me. “I became accepted as part of the city, which is marvellous.” In fact, this year he was asked by the town hall for the fourth year in a row to be one of the three judges for the comic contest sponsored by Málaga Juventud.
This annual contest places comics on the same level as photography and other forms of graphic art. According to Birch, Spain is actually quite lucky to house some of the best cartoonists in Europe, and they are awarded more prestige in Spain as compared to cartoonists in Britain. He hopes that people will begin to recognise that cartoons are more than just ‘Snow White and The Seven Dwarves’ or ‘Finding Nemo’; rather, cartoons can be used to address important issues in society. "In Britain we don't really give it the merit that it is due. It's considered a childish art form, but of course it isn't; it's for adults, for everybody.”
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