7 Replies to “Ralph Underhill cartoon”

  1. As long as the animals give some economic return too of course, as they only exist for human benefit don’t they? Can’t have them taking up any land humans could use themselves eh? (irony).
    I came across an SF short story years ago about a guy fighting the courts not to have his pets put down. They were the only non-human life left on the whole of plant earth and people objected to the resources they were taking up. Now that’s really painful irony.
    Cartoons are a brilliant way of making an important point punchily. The ‘vandalised-Mona Lisa’ was a brilliant way of expressing to the ignorant what we are doing to nature. (People were right of course that a wild place is far more valuable than any artwork, but we need some analogy for those who just don’t get it.) What do you think however of the danger that they make us laugh, lightening the mood about subjects which really aren’t even slightly funny?

  2. I take quite a lot of care to try and highlight issues in an amusing way rather than make a joke of the issue itself – which is quite a different thing. I am not sure I always succeed, but I do feel strongly that humour has an important role to play in conservation.

    PS – glad you liked the mona lisa one

    Ralph

    https://www.facebook.com/CartoonRalph.Underhill

    1. Hi Ralph. I certainly didn’t mean to say that you were making a joke of the issue itself, or even to criticise your cartoons. It was people’s response I wondered about. Suppose we can laugh about a thing and still take it seriously. Humour is a paradoxical thing.

  3. Finding humour in a cartoon such as this does not mean you are not taking the subject seriously. Humour is a brilliant way of getting people to think about a serious issue. So while I laughed when I looked at this cartoon, I also agree very much with the sentiment. The alternative is reading a, possibly rather dry, account of why nature deserves to be allowed space to exist. A picture is worth a thousand words…

  4. There probably should be a road through the national park and perhaps a fast food franchise and souvenir shop in the middle of it…

  5. I notice the road goes around the National Park….offsetting in action?

  6. HI M Parry – No offence taken at all 🙂 Wasn’t taking it as a criticism of the toons just thought it was an interesting point.

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