David Austin

David Austin, the Guardian cartoonist, has died aged 70. He came into the main building in Farringon Road, Clerkenwell, each afternoon at 4pm, read through the letters to be published the next morning, began identifying his possible themes, and went to the editorial conference at 5pm. Then he scowled, stuck in his ear plugs –…

David Austin, the Guardian cartoonist, has died aged 70.

He came into the main building in Farringon Road, Clerkenwell, each afternoon at 4pm, read through the letters to be published the next morning, began identifying his possible themes, and went to the editorial conference at 5pm. Then he scowled, stuck in his ear plugs – defiantly not an office-dweller, he did not like noise – scrawled sketches across complete pages of his notebook, and produced a set of nine little boxes containing drafts of his ideas. The duty editor chose one, the letters editor another, and David polished off the finished product. By 6.30, he was gone.

Obituary in the Guardian
My lasting images of Austin, a cartoonist and friend, by Steve Bell (Also ‘Liberal Democrats’ cartoon).
Andrew Brown (including ‘Flying Bishops’ cartoon).
Guardian leader Monday November 21, 2005