Vale Bill Leak

I'm in Qld at present, it's 5:30 am here. I drove up alone last Friday and it was as I was approaching Harrington, that an old friend and fellow brother in ink called me to tell me that Bill had passed.

Here I was all full of joy and bounce, excited about attending the Marriage of one of my two younger brothers (I never thought that I would see this day ) and then that tragic news.

Bill Leak and I have been friends for over 25 years. He was one of the first professionals in this game that I had ever met and his encouragement and inspiration back then and everyday since, has truly helped to mould me as an editorial artist.

He wasn't sick nor did I know of any heart condition, he led quite a health lifestyle. He had just launched his new book last week and just last year had Married his long time partner Goong. He is a father of two, Johannes and Jasper.

The Australian cartooning profession has lost an immense treasure and one of it's more illustrious sons in Bill Leak.

As most of us know in recent years, Bill's cartoons attracted much controversy and polarized public opinion, but he proved to be resolute and fearless in the application of his craft. A true warrior for Free Speech and against Political Correctness and the Evil that currently permeates and pollutes this World, in the form of Radical Islamic Terrorism.

Between 1987 and 1998, Bill amassed 20 Stanley Awards to his credit, eight of those for Cartoonist of the Year and they remain the benchmark for those who follow in his wake.

So my brother married yesterday and is now on his honeymoon and  I have remained awake and working all night to complete this honourable piece for an already much missed mate, a Brother in INK!

God must have given me a tip, because I had no plan on taking any of my drawing equipment with me, not even a laptop BUT as I was just about to leave home, I had an irresistible urge to gather all of my studio needs, just in case an important news event occurred and I need to get a piece done!

Gotta trust that gut feeling, always!