Cartoonists are living dangerously after attacks

CARTOONIST Michael Heath believes it is now dangerous to be funny, because people are quick to take offence.

Heath, 80, has spent six decades as a cartoonist for publications including Punch, the Evening Standard, the Guardian, the Independent and Private Eye.

Appearing on Desert Island Discs, he told Kirsty Young: “The whole thing about, say, political cartoonists, is that they should be so outrageous that everyone asks questions in the house about the drawing yesterday in the Guardian, or whatever.

“That was not my thing. I copped out, I wanted to be what I am, which is funny.

“Funny is now dangerous and you’ve got to be careful what you do and there are whole groups of people who take offence and look to take offence and wish to take offence, and then take offence at whatever you do.”

Asked about cartooning in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attack, he said: “There’s a limit to what you can do.”

He added: “I mean, now, if you can’t draw certain things, and you can be killed by it, it adds a certain frisson to your drawings.

“However, I am not that sort of cartoonist. I try to keep you amused, like laughing or telling jokes in an air raid shelter.”

Heath chose songs including Thelonious Monk’s Criss-Cross, children’s song Teddy Bears’ Picnic and Max Miller’s I Never Slept A Wink Last Night.

His luxury item was a painting kit.