Bruce Petty, an Australian humorist, cartoonist, and director, went yesterday at the age of 93. Petty passed away quietly on Thursday morning, according to a statement from his family, and his loved ones will sadly miss him.
Who was Bruce Petty?
Bruce Petty began his career as an artist in 1949 at an animation studio in Box Hill. He was born in 1929 in the Melbourne suburb of Doncaster. After his writing appeared in publications like The New Yorker and Esquire, he attracted attention on a global scale.
Petty settled down in Australia after his return and started drawing political cartoons for The Age and The Australian. His works of art were renowned for their biting satire on Australian and international politics that exposed the underlying workings of the political system.
Petty noted that political cartoonists frequently target influential members of society. But in his opinion, the true power is held by the unnamed figures in charge of the vast corporate world. Despite this, he claimed, cartoonists continue to depict politicians even if actual power frequently lies with a different set of people.
Petty earned an Academy Award in 1977 for his short film Leisure, but he insisted he had never actually seen the trophy. He was given a framed image of the Oscar as a substitute. Petty also won the Quill Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009, the Walkley Award in 2016, and the Silver Stanley Award from the Australian Cartooning Association in 2001.