Prince Philip and PMS offer their plaudits for MATT
As the singular cartoonist celebrates 30 years with The Telegraph, leading lights laud his genius
THE Duke of Edinburgh has paid tribute to the “genius” of The Telegraph’s Matt, as Britain’s leading public figures celebrate the cartoonist’s 30th anniversary at this newspaper.
The Duke, a collector and long-term supporter of the cartoon art form, expressed his admiration for Matt in a personal message, in which he praises his “ability to think of wonderfully appropriate swipes at the idiocies of contemporary life”. He today leads tributes to the “30th birthday” of Matt, joined by Theresa May, every living former prime minister, Britain’s best-loved broadcasters, and the great and the good of public life.
Mrs May sent her personal congratulations to Matt for helping politicians to “laugh at ourselves”, while David Cameron revealed he enjoyed one cartoon poking fun at him so much it is mounted on the wall of his daughter’s bedroom. Sir John Major praised his talent for capturing each moment “magnificently” with “gentle, understated humour”.
Celebrities from John Humphrys to Jilly Cooper have selected their favourite drawings, with Newsnight’s Evan Davis declaring that, in a crowded field of cartoonists, there is “none better”.
Mr Humphrys, the presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme, selected his favourite cartoon: UK Brexit negotiators waiting outside an EU door, saying “if they offer us coffee, hold out for biscuits as well”. “Doesn’t that absolutely say it all?” he said. “It’s just so perfect.”
Jilly Cooper, the author, who treasures a personalised Matt cartoon of a dog, said: “Like a sunrise, he lifts the heart. He’s achingly funny, but also he’s very good at characterisation. “They make me laugh for days afterwards.”
Sir Tom Stoppard, the playwright, said: “Matt has entered my brain. Sometimes on reading a news story I wonder idly, ‘What would Matt do with this?’ A pocket cartoon doesn’t grow on you, it jolts the laugh out of you by making a connection just before you might have made it yourself.”
Gyles Brandreth, the writer, said: “I think he’s a genius. We have a wide range of brilliant cartoonists in this country; no country can compare with ours. The leader of the pack is undoubtedly Matt. He is the national cartoon.”
Jeremy Vine, the broadcaster, said: “There’s something about having that one cartoon in the day’s papers, full of all the carnage and misery. There’s this little window, and even if this whole country is hit by a nuclear bomb
‘No country can compare with our cartoonists, and Matt is the leader of the pack. He is the national cartoon’
there’ll still be a Matt cartoon the morning after, and we’ll still laugh.”
Matt Pritchett, who has been known under the pen name of Matt since February 1988, has created more than 8,000 Telegraph cartoons, each capturing the absurdities of everyday life with sharp humour and a gentle touch.
Today’s magazine is a special edition including an interview with the man himself, while a four-page souvenir cover wrap showcasing 90 of his favourite cartoons will feature on Monday.
Reflecting on the past 30 years, Matt said: “Time flies when you’re panicking about tomorrow’s cartoon.”
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, was also invited to join the celebrations. His team politely declined, saying none of the Matt cartoons they had seen about Mr Corbyn was funny.