Larry Pickering

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Larry Pickering (born October 18, 1942) is an Australian political cartoonist, caricaturist and illustrator of books and calendars. He led a varied and extraordinary life prior to finding fame and fortune as Australia's most political and notorious cartoonist, leaving home at the tender age of 14 years.

He started his cartooning 'career' at the Canberra Times newspaper in the late 1960s, originally working as a proof reader. During this time he decided to become the capital city newspaper's first editorial cartoonist, practicing his craft at home each night for a year, until he felt confident the cartoons were good enough to be seen publicly. At this point he knew the editor would need to see the cartoons in order for them to published. Always a lateral thinker, Pickering posted the cartoons in the men's room urinal each day where he knew he would have the editor's undivided attention for at least a minute or two a day. The cartoons became quite a phenomenon in the office, where staff, including women, regularly visited the men's room to be entertained, humoured or outraged.

Blessed with an assortment of colourful Australian political characters—John Gorton, Billy McMahon, Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke, Jim Cairns and Rex Connor—Pickering was in the right place at the right time in the nation's political heartland. Never before or since has a cartoonist been so perfect for the times. Pickering's cartoons became a must read in the nation's capital. His work also appeared weekly in the now defunct National Times.

Due to his large cult-like following he was invited in 1974 by the Liberal Party of Australia to stand as its Federal election Canberra candidate. He narrowly lost, but discovered a nasty world of political dirty tricks, with the brake lines cut on his car, he was spat at, and kicked on the streets.

In 1975 he left Canberra for Sydney and the Sydney Morning Herald, in time for the downfall of the Gough Whitlam Labor Government, which he beautifully and infamously portrayed in his Outhouse series.

In 1976 he was made an offer by Australian newspaper owner Rupert Murdoch to join The Australian, the country's national daily. During this period, Pickering drew his hugely popular Jungle Series and found his entrepreneurial wings, publishing a number of books and his notorious and popular calendars of Australian politicians and celebrities nude, with their genitals depicting the subjects' personality or character.

He retired at the height of his fame and fortune in late 1980 to grow tomatoes and later to train race horses, one of his life-long passions.

He also owned a publishing group, including a racing magazine, which he later sold to Kerry Packer. However, his disillusionment with the racing game and his non-conformist approach with the racing establishment saw him wind down his involvement in the industry and move to the Queensland Gold Coast.

He is now semi-retired, playing golf, and occasionally flying helicopters.

Occasionally dabbling in art and cartoons on a rare whim, most recently in June 2008 a limited edition collection of wine was launched featuring Pickering's caricatures on the labels. The cases of 6 bottles were limited to a production of just 230, each numbered. The wine was launched by the speaker of the Queensland Parliament in Brisbane in the Lucinda Bar. The caricatures and the originals, donated by Pickering, are on display in the bar. The bar itself was salvaged from the government owned vessel, The Lucinda, famed for her most notable role in 1891 when a small party, including the then Queensland Premier, Sir Samuel Griffith, South Australian Charles Kingston and Sir Edmund Barton were commissioned to draw up a draft constitution for the Commonwealth of Australia on a cruise up the Hawkesbury River which took place aboard the vessel.

Pickering is credited with breaking the mold for a generation of modern cartoonists with his influence seen in varying degrees in the approaches of most major Australian cartoonists who followed him, including Geoff Pryor (who followed Pickering at the Canberra Times), Bill Mitchell (replaced Pickering at The Australian newspaper), Bill Leak (currently cartoonist at The Australian), Alan Moir, Mark Knight, Paul Zanetti, Peter Nicholson, Sean Leahy, among others.