Heath was born on 13 October 1935, in Bloomsbury, London.[1] His father, George Heath, was also a cartoonist of boy's adventure comics, a job he detested. Heath's relationship with both his parents was distant and neither birthdays nor Christmas were celebrated. During the war Heath was evacuated to his grandmother's house in Torcross, in Devon. In 1947 the family moved to Brighton. While studying at art college, which he loathed, Heath sold his first cartoons to Melody Maker for two guineas. He later got work illustrating album covers for Decca Records and drew a strip called "Nelly Know-all" for the Women's Sunday Mirror. By the 1960s he was part of the Soho social crowd that included Jeffrey Bernard, Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon.[2]
He has been cartoon editor of The Spectator since 1991,[1] and the cartoons which are published have not always adhered to the magazine's conservative politics. Heath's own political cartoons have also appeared in The Independent.
Heath has been married three times, the first time for 32 years, the second time for 18 years. He has four daughters in total, two from each of his first two marriages. He kept a black and tan Dachshund, Charlie, for many years until Charlie's death in August 2019. Michael now lives with his third wife, Hilary (née Penn), in Bloomsbury.[2]
Cartoon series
Great Bores of Today
Great Bores of Today was a long-running series in Private Eye. Each has a single frame, in which some immediately recognizable species of modern cultural bore is seen in his or her natural environs, haranguing bystanders, reporters, the viewer, or imagined listeners. Underneath is a lengthy chunk of the logorrhea that the bore utters distinguished in particular by the bland inconsistency of the bore's opinions. (The text is contributed by other Private Eye regulars.) The series has been resurrected in Richard Ingram's monthly magazine, The Oldie, with illustrations again by Heath.
The Suits
A series that appeared in The Spectator, lampooning the interchangeability and solemnity of men in their suits (or the utter helplessness of the normally besuited when temporarily deprived of their suits).
The Regulars
"The Regulars" ran in Private Eye; the "regulars" are Jeffrey Bernard and the other regular customers of the Coach & Horses pub in Soho. The cartoons were used in the play Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell.
The Gays
Another series in Private Eye, from the early 1980s.
Style Victims
Published in the London Sunday Times, this series makes fun of the conscious, and unconscious, style or fashion victims. (One frame shows a pair of sour-faced judges in ceremonial clothes and wigs, one grimly asking the other "What is a style victim?")
Numero Uno
A series that ran in Private Eye, "Numero Uno" makes fun of baseball-capped youth, with Walkman earphones permanently implanted in ears.
The Outlaw
A short lived strip set in the year 2000, where Michael Common is "the last person to smoke in England". Published in The Spectator.
Partners
Partnership and baby-rearing in the England of the 90s. Published in The Independent.
Henry King
A disturbingly precocious baby, permanently wearing a baseball cap. Published in The Spectator.
Bibliography
Collections of Heath's cartoons
Private Eye Michael Heath. 1973.
Book of Bores. London: Private Eye & André Deutsch, 1976.
Michael Heath's Automata. London: A. P. Rushton, 1976.
The Punch cartoons of Heath. Harrap, 1976.
Love All? Michael Heath's Cartoons from the Guardian. London: Blond & Briggs, 1982.
Private Eye's Bores 3. London: Private Eye, 1983.
The Best of Heath. Newton Abbott: David & Charles, 1984.
Welcome to America. London: Heinemann, 1985.
Baby. London: Heinemann, 1988.
The Complete Heath. London: John Murray, 1991.[n 1]
Countryblast,Clive Aslet, London: John Murray, 1991.
British Teeth: An excruciating journey from the dentist's chair to the rotten heart of a nation, William R. Leith, London: Faber & Faber, 2002.
The English at Table,Digby Anderson, London: Social Affairs Unit, 2006
Notes
^Not the complete Heath by any means, but a collection of cartoons from the series "The Suits", "The Regulars", "Style Victims", "Numero Uno", and "Great Bores of Today", as well as political and other topical cartoons.
^Reproduces "The Outlaw", "Partners", "Henry King", new installments of "Great Bores of Today", as well as many political cartoons.
References
^ ab"Michael Heath - British Cartoon Archive - University of Kent". Cartoons.ac.uk. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
^ abc"BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Michael Heath". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
External links
Michael Heath: Biography at the British Cartoon Archive, University of Kent
August 20, 2023
michael, heath, cartoonist, this, biography, living, person, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, adding, reliable, sources, contentious, material, about, living, persons, that, unsourced, poorly, sourced, must, removed, immediately, from,. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources Michael Heath cartoonist news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message Michael John Heath is a British strip cartoonist and illustrator He has been cartoon editor of The Spectator since 1991 Contents 1 Biography 2 Cartoon series 2 1 Great Bores of Today 2 2 The Suits 2 3 The Regulars 2 4 The Gays 2 5 Style Victims 2 6 Numero Uno 2 7 The Outlaw 2 8 Partners 2 9 Henry King 3 Bibliography 3 1 Collections of Heath s cartoons 3 2 Partial list of works illustrated by Heath 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksBiography EditHeath was born on 13 October 1935 in Bloomsbury London 1 His father George Heath was also a cartoonist of boy s adventure comics a job he detested Heath s relationship with both his parents was distant and neither birthdays nor Christmas were celebrated During the war Heath was evacuated to his grandmother s house in Torcross in Devon In 1947 the family moved to Brighton While studying at art college which he loathed Heath sold his first cartoons to Melody Maker for two guineas He later got work illustrating album covers for Decca Records and drew a strip called Nelly Know all for the Women s Sunday Mirror By the 1960s he was part of the Soho social crowd that included Jeffrey Bernard Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon 2 His work has appeared in numerous British publications including Punch Lilliput the Evening Standard The Evening News The Guardian The Spectator The Independent The Sunday Times The Mail on Sunday and Private Eye all his work is signed simply as HEATH He has been cartoon editor of The Spectator since 1991 1 and the cartoons which are published have not always adhered to the magazine s conservative politics Heath s own political cartoons have also appeared in The Independent In August 2016 he was the guest for the long running BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs His favourite choice was Criss Cross by Thelonious Monk His other choices were Dance of the Infidels by Bud Powell Teddy Bears Picnic by Henry Hall amp His Orchestra Max In An Air Raid I Never Slept A Wink All Night by Max Miller Take a Step by Jack Buchanan All the Things You Are by The Quintet Funny Face by Fred and Adele Astaire with Julian Jones amp His Orchestra and Lover by Charlie Parker His book choice was The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith and his luxury item was an artist s painting set 2 Heath has been married three times the first time for 32 years the second time for 18 years He has four daughters in total two from each of his first two marriages He kept a black and tan Dachshund Charlie for many years until Charlie s death in August 2019 Michael now lives with his third wife Hilary nee Penn in Bloomsbury 2 Cartoon series EditGreat Bores of Today Edit Great Bores of Today was a long running series in Private Eye Each has a single frame in which some immediately recognizable species of modern cultural bore is seen in his or her natural environs haranguing bystanders reporters the viewer or imagined listeners Underneath is a lengthy chunk of the logorrhea that the bore utters distinguished in particular by the bland inconsistency of the bore s opinions The text is contributed by other Private Eye regulars The series has been resurrected in Richard Ingram s monthly magazine The Oldie with illustrations again by Heath The Suits Edit A series that appeared in The Spectator lampooning the interchangeability and solemnity of men in their suits or the utter helplessness of the normally besuited when temporarily deprived of their suits The Regulars Edit The Regulars ran in Private Eye the regulars are Jeffrey Bernard and the other regular customers of the Coach amp Horses pub in Soho The cartoons were used in the play Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell The Gays Edit Another series in Private Eye from the early 1980s Style Victims Edit Published in the London Sunday Times this series makes fun of the conscious and unconscious style or fashion victims One frame shows a pair of sour faced judges in ceremonial clothes and wigs one grimly asking the other What is a style victim Numero Uno Edit A series that ran in Private Eye Numero Uno makes fun of baseball capped youth with Walkman earphones permanently implanted in ears The Outlaw Edit A short lived strip set in the year 2000 where Michael Common is the last person to smoke in England Published in The Spectator Partners Edit Partnership and baby rearing in the England of the 90s Published in The Independent Henry King Edit A disturbingly precocious baby permanently wearing a baseball cap Published in The Spectator Bibliography EditCollections of Heath s cartoons Edit Private Eye Michael Heath 1973 Book of Bores London Private Eye amp Andre Deutsch 1976 Michael Heath s Automata London A P Rushton 1976 The Punch cartoons of Heath Harrap 1976 Love All Michael Heath s Cartoons from the Guardian London Blond amp Briggs 1982 Private Eye s Bores 3 London Private Eye 1983 The Best of Heath Newton Abbott David amp Charles 1984 Welcome to America London Heinemann 1985 Baby London Heinemann 1988 The Complete Heath London John Murray 1991 n 1 Heath s 90s London Hodder amp Stoughton 1997 n 2 Partial list of works illustrated by Heath Edit Back with Parren E W Hildick London Macmillan 1968 The Computer People Anne Denny Angus London Faber amp Faber 1970 Robert Morley s Book of Bricks Robert Morley London Weidenfeld amp Nicolson 1978 Illustrated by Heath and Geoffrey Dickinson The Job of Acting A guide to working in the theatre Clive Swift London Harrap 1979 Robert Morley s Book of Worries Robert Morley London Weidenfeld amp Nicolson 1979 Illustrations by Heath and Geoffrey Dickinson Loose Talk Adventures on the streets of shame Tina Brown London Michael Joseph 1979 The Anti Booklist Brian Redhead and Kenneth McLeish eds London Hodder amp Stoughton 1981 Fanny Peculiar Keith Waterhouse London Michael Joseph 1983 Second Best Bed Fenton Bresler London Weidenfeld amp Nicolson 1983 Merde The real French you were never taught at school Genevieve London Angus amp Robertson 1984 No Laughing Matter A collection of political jokes Steven Lukes and Itzhak Galnoor London Routledge 1985 How s Your Glass A quizzical look at drinks and drinking Kingsley Amis London Weidenfeld amp Nicolson 1985 Waterhouse at Large Keith Waterhouse London Michael Joseph 1985 Merde encore More of the real French you were never taught at school Genevieve London Angus 1986 Talking Horses Jeffrey Bernard London Fourth Estate 1987 Beyond Fear Dorothy Rowe London Fontana 1987 Winewise or How to be streetwise about wine Alice King London Methuen 1987 All Gourmets Great and Small Clive and Angela Russell Taylor Southampton Ashford Press 1988 High Life Taki London Viking 1989 Generation Games Laurie Graham London Chatto amp Windus 1990 A Parent s Survival Guide Laurie Graham London Chatto amp Windus 1991 Countryblast Clive Aslet London John Murray 1991 British Teeth An excruciating journey from the dentist s chair to the rotten heart of a nation William R Leith London Faber amp Faber 2002 The English at Table Digby Anderson London Social Affairs Unit 2006Notes Edit Not the complete Heath by any means but a collection of cartoons from the series The Suits The Regulars Style Victims Numero Uno and Great Bores of Today as well as political and other topical cartoons Reproduces The Outlaw Partners Henry King new installments of Great Bores of Today as well as many political cartoons References Edit a b Michael Heath British Cartoon Archive University of Kent Cartoons ac uk 21 March 2016 Retrieved 13 August 2016 a b c BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs Michael Heath Bbc co uk Retrieved 13 August 2016 External links EditMichael Heath Biography at the British Cartoon Archive University of Kent Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Michael Heath cartoonist amp oldid 1158149731, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
