The death of Michael Leunig at the age of 79 has robbed Australia of a a great cartoonist, painter, philosopher and poet. He was a proud contributor to The Age for most of his professional life.
His tenure ended earlier this year when the paper inexplicably sacked him. It was a sign of how hard it is to remain a free thinking spirit in an age when the restrictions around humour are suffocating and the penalties for dissidents harsh.
Leunig’s cartoons were wry, poignant and frequently very funny. I confess that Leunig’s work made me feel uncomfortable at times, but that’s free speech .
Leunig felt strongly that cartoonists who don’t press against the boundaries of comfortable opinion simply aren’t doing their job.
Leunig was declared an Australian living treasure by the National Trust of Australia in 1999. A Melbourne tram was decorated with his cartoon characters and he featured strongly in the opening ceremony of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
He's been an institution as far as I'm concerned since I came to Australia in 1989. His works include The Curly Pyjama letters, Leunig, The Wayward Leunig, The Stick, Goat Person, Short Notes from the Long History of Happiness, and Curly Verse.
Plus his annual calendars, which the newspaper once gave away to boost circulation, such was his popularity
Leunig began to fall out of favour with his increasingly intolerant employers during COVID when his cartoons became instruments of subversion.
He found himself increasingly uncomfortable at Nine Newspapers with its increasing intolerance of ideas that challenge conventional wisdom and - heavens forbid - might encourage readers to look at issue from another side.
I recorded my last conversation with Leunig for Reality Bites in early September. Afterwards we chatted and resolved to catch up at his place in Victoria. I deeply regret that I didn’t get the chance to follow up his invitation.
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