Megan Herbert

Update on my play, Soapboxed, which debuted on the weekend as a rehearsed reading at the Flinders Fringe Festival. Not only did it sell out, but it was standing room only, and the audience reception blew us away. Can't wait to bring it to full production. 💃

A political cartoon by Megan Herbert showing on the left side of the frame a room with royal blue carpet and a floor to ceiling golden curtain in place of walls and windows. Smiling military servicemen and women are at the gathering. On the far side of the room is Melania Trump, seated with legs crossed, arms folded and trademark wide-brimmed hat covering her eyes. At her feet are a number of high-end shopping bags, one of which is labelled "U.N. GIFT SHOP". President Trump (behind a podium and flanked by a power-posing Secretary of War Hegseth), says "My wife likes to talk about protecting children and I like the gold drapes I picked that cover up the very deep holes we're digging and everything we're putting in them." On the right side of the frame we see what the gold certain is concealing: in the foreground, the bloodied backpacks of the girls killed in the strike on an Iranian school, behind that machines at work digging rows of graves into which dump trucks are pouring the Epstein Files. In the background, scenes of destruction as the middle eastern war rages.

Behind the gold curtain.
My cartoon in today's @theageaustralia.bsky.social

congratulations! 🎉

Thank you. I loved making this series. And it's a theme that's run through my work every since

A black and white illustration by Megan Herbert, titled 'Blood', from her 2009 series 'Commonality', which focused on the things humans share in common, rather than what divides them. The image shows the likeness of a tree, branches, roots and ground visible, with fruit falling from it and birds flying above it, made from capillaries, arteries, blood drips, heart beats, blood spatter and bleeding wrists respectively.

A black and white illustration by Megan Herbert, titled 'Bones', from her 2009 series 'Commonality', which focused on the things humans share in common, rather than what divides them. A skull and cross bones image is comprised of an arrangement of smaller drawings of female bodies in x-ray form, with both outline and interior bone structures visible.

A black and white illustration by Megan Herbert, titled 'Digestion', from her 2009 series 'Commonality', which focused on the things humans share in common, rather than what divides them. A male face, in profile and laying down, with eyes closed and back of hand draped over his forehead in the manner of a person swooning with overwhelm. Raining down on him is an assault of words in a variety of hand-drawn fonts representing the ubiquitous unwanted illustrative influences that threaten to seep in to an artist's work just as the result of being a person living in the world.

A black and white illustration by Megan Herbert, titled 'Tradition', from her 2009 series 'Commonality', which focused on the things humans share in common, rather than what divides them. Five crochet hooks are arranged in a pentagon shape, onto which a single unbroken thread has been knotted and twisted together in an array of knitting, crocheting, plaiting, knotting and embroidery techniques, including a slack part of the design which spells out the words "over and over and over again".

Here's the rest of the 'Commonality' series, in order: Blood, Bones, Digestion, Tradition

A black and while illustration by Megan Herbert of former Icelandic Prime Minister and Head of the Central Bank Davið Oddsson in profile, created during the 2008-11 financial crash for which he was considered by his fellow citizens to be largely responsible. Two cloud-shaped forms, the upper one connected with his nose and the lower coming out of his mouth, are filled with Lettraset letters, the former, being breathed in, containing letters L, O, V and E and the latter, being breathed out, the letters H, A, T and E. The illustration, titled 'Breath' was part of the 'Commonality' series, exhibited at Vopnabúrið in 2009 and released as a limited edition of prints, that explored the things humans shared in common rather than what divides them.

Davið Oddsson, former Icelandic PM and head of the Icelandic Central Bank, considered widely to be responsible for the 2008-11 financial crisis, has died. I'd moved to Iceland the week before the crash and made this artwork in response. Perhaps my first example of compassionate cartooning

perfection

YouTube video by Forbrukerrådet - Norwegian Consumer Council A Day in the Life of an Ensh*ttificator

Please enjoy this message from the Norwegian consumer protection council

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Up...

A political cartoon by Megan Herbert, with the heading "Priority Housing". The image is divided into two panels, which look similar in that they are government offices of some kind with public servants behind glass windows answering enquiries. The office on the left is full of people from all walks of life lining up for assistance to find emergency and affordable housing . One anxious man, whose wife and small children are with him, is at the window saying, "We need housing. Something affordable and energy efficient to increase our security and improve our productivity." The answer from the person behind the glass is, "Well sir, there's a waiting list...". In the right panel, the office is crowded with a huge bank of data processors. A man in a suit is leaning on the counter smilingly saying to the person behind the glass, "These need housing. Something huge and energy and water intensive. To threaten job security in the name of increased productivity." To which the person behind the glass responds, "Yes sir, there's a fast-track..."

Priorities.
My cartoon in today's @theageaustralia.bsky.social

Love this, Harry 🙌

🤢

Yes! Thank you. I saw it too 🤓

JP is so, so good.

When you put it like this, a $75 million bribe to Melania and gutting the Washington Post seems like a small price to pay.

can we put this bobbleheaded man child straight into the sea please

Dear poor person I know you don't like to say my name out loud, most people don't they whisper it like I'm a shameful secret. A secret that makes you lower your head and not feel good enough to hold the gaze of another person. I sit beside you and show up in the quiet panic when rents due, in the way you calculate and recalculate as you return groceries you can't afford. In the exhaustion that isn't just physical its the tiredness of having to always try to think five steps ahead just to survive.I'm right there while you try to sleep but the hunger keeps you awake. I'm in the judgmental looks you get from others as they blame you for me. They see me as a personality flaw. You just didn't try hard enough to get away from me. I'm in the paternalisation that people put on you as if you can't be trusted to make you're own decisions Im not useful for you but I'm useful to the powerful I make workers afraid to ask for better pay, I make renters accept mould and substandard living conditions. I make sick people sick and delay them getting medical care. I make you blame yourself. I make money for job networks while making you use your last few dollars to attend a compulsory activity. You have no choice because they can increase my power against you. I'm laughing as Sarina Russo hands a designer bag to her workers while you can't afford a dentist appointment. I'm over your shoulder watching you read how NESA is hosting dinner cruises discussing topics like Behavioural activation and job seekers motivation. Which makes you feel like cattle stuck in a system where people profit from me while watching me destroy you and everything you are I'm constantly with you and I'll remind you I'm here every chance I get. Sincerely yours Poverty

I take the Swisse Magnesium + Sleep, but have no idea if it's any better than any of the other brands. I often pair it with an Ovaltine Sleep with sugarfree oatmilk chaser (aka mama's sleepy time hot chocolate)

me literally unable to sleep without my magnesium plus

😂

In case you haven't got your tickets for the rehearsed reading of Soapboxed at the Flinders Fringe Festival, allow ICON Sally-Anne Upton to get you over the line. (Get your tickets here: flindersfringe.com.au/events/soapb... )

👉💥👈

I don’t know who needs to hear Jesse Jackson leading the kids on Sesame Street in this beautiful call-and-response reminding them that every child is somebody, but here it is

And MY dad. Migrated here just after WW2. He worked 18 hours a day, 7 days a week so us kids would have a better life than he had. A peaceful future. Education.

He went to an early grave

Yes. We’re migrants and PROUD of our heritage

We LOVE Australia and would die in her defence

🫡

Cartoon by @meganjherbert.bsky.social in today's @theageaustralia.bsky.social #auspol

oh bloody hell

YouTube video by Professor Ross The Simpsons - Classical Conditioning

youtu.be/mS7Ss8kx_CA

A political cartoon by Megan Herbert, referencing a moment in episode 16, season 4 from The Simpsons ("Duffless"), in which Lisa Simpson sets out to prove that Bart is dumber than a hamster because he is unable to learn from operant conditioning (that touching a cupcake leads to an electric shock). The cartoon is split into 4 panels and all people featured are drawn in The Simpson's style. In panel 1, titled JUNE 2024, Peter Dutton (with smiling Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley watching on) is attracted to the sight of a model of a nuclear power plant on a bench top. The model is connected to a device which will deliver an electric current to anyone who touches it. Dutton is looking at a small sign announcing "VOTERS DO NOT WANT". Nevertheless, he is clearly drawn to it, and is saying "OOOOOH...". Panel 2. Labelled MAY 2025, Peter Dutton touches the Nuclear model, receiving an electric shock (BZZZZT!). Taylor is still smiling. Ley now looks concerned. Panel 3, labelled NOVEMBER 2025. The same scene, but now the Nuclear model has a sticky note added to it saying "SCRAP NET ZERO", and this time it's Sussan Ley (with Dan Tehan looking on) touching the model and receiving the electric shock. Panel 4, labelled FEBRUARY 2026, is the same scene yet again, except with the sticky note now removed, and the label saying "VOTERS STILL DO NOT WANT". This time it's Angus Taylor grabbing the nuclear model and receiving the shock, with a smiling Jane Hume watching on. Not pictured: Lisa Simpson watching on from the next room saying "Hamster: two, Liberal party: zero."

D'oh!
My cartoon in today's @theageaustralia.bsky.social (with apologies to Matt Groening)

And in case you'd like to know the episode this references, it's "Duffless", Ep 16, Season 4... google "Bart gets electrocuted by muffin" for a Youtube clip of the moment. You're welcome. 🤓)

He was the best at it.

Absolutely 💔