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Neil Mitchell leads anger over The Age’s ‘nasty’ Anzac cartoon

Apr 26, 2018

Neil Mitchell has joined a chorus of criticism against the cartoon.

A famous Aussie cartoonist has come under fire for an Anzac Day cartoon he created and published in newspaper The Age – which has now led to critics branding him “nasty” and “pretty despicable”.

Michael Leunig created an artwork showing a series of colourful war medals, with the words fear, hate, anger, violence, homicide, grief, guilt and depression written on them.

It sparked angry backlash across the country, with 3AW radio host Neil Mitchell leading the way as he launched a fiery response to the artist on air on Wednesday.

“War isn’t nice and many of those emotions do spring from armed conflict – nobody supports war – but Michael Leunig and The Age have again, in spectacular fashion, totally misjudged the mood of the people,” he said. “It is why this newspaper continues to struggle for relevance and audience.”

https://twitter.com/AndrewYoung_au/status/988915524699504640

Branding Leunig an “idiot”, Mitchell went on to compare him to comedian Catherine Deveny, 50, who took to Twitter hours before the special day with a series of vile and offensive messages, before describing Anzac Day as “Bogan Halloween”.

Mitchell wasn’t alone in his anger at Leunig, and political columnist Rowan Dean hit out at the artwork, in a damning speech on Sky News shortly after. He called the artist “beyond repulsive” and added: “It’s A – not funny, B – not making a point, it’s just nasty, it’s vindictive.”

WATCH: @rowandean on Cartoonist Michael Leunig and his cartoon in The Age, saying medals for war are medals for fear, hate, anger and homicide. #theboltreport @SkyNewsAust pic.twitter.com/0qSsOxwlbg

— The Bolt Report (@theboltreport) April 25, 2018

He added: “To mock people on a day like this I think is pretty low, pretty despicable…. [The fact] that that cartoonist is incapable of appreciating the sacrifice that those people who have died have made says everything you need to know about him, and the publication that would publish him.”

Readers who had seen the cartoon shared their own anger on Twitter, with one writing: “Nothing is totally good or totally bad. Michael Leunig as usual takes a leftist view of everything. That’s ok he has that freedom that others provided him by their service. Sadly he doesn’t appreciate that service. #LestWeForget.”

Another added: “But Michael Leunig is a COWARD! Everyone knows that…..Now!”

Michael Leunig, for the record not one of my medals says 'Guilt', 'Anger', 'Grief' or 'Homicide'.

You are most welcome for the freedom to produce this kind of stuff though. Maybe next time a 'thank you' would go down better.@theage @smh #ANZACDay pic.twitter.com/N8okm6y17I

— Andrew Spencer (@MrA_Spencer) April 25, 2018

Meanwhile, one veteran shared a photo of himself wearing his own medals, and added: “Michael Leunig, for the record not one of my medals says ‘Guilt’, ‘Anger’, ‘Grief’ or ‘Homicide’. You are most welcome for the freedom to produce this kind of stuff though. Maybe next time a ‘thank you’ would go down better.”

Lumping him in with Deveny again, another social media user added: “Catherine Deveny and Michael Leunig, hang your heads in shame. It’s because of our service people that you have freedom of speech!”