Design and Art Australia Online

Cartoonist, was born in Sydney. Wanting initially to be a vet, he attended Hurlstone Agricultural College but developed an interest in being a cartoonist after publishing gags in the school newspaper. After completing his School Certificate and having some cartoons published in the National Review , he was employed as a cadet artist with the Sydney Fairfax group and was a graded artist within three years, Aged 18 he became editorial cartoonist with the Sydney Sun . He claimed his major influences varied from the American Mad magazine cartoonists to contemporary editorial cartoonists (eg. Paul Rigby ) and even Walt Disney and Warner brothers. He hid a Gladstone bag in every cartoon and often featured a ginger striped cat and a budgerigar that commented on the news. His first book, Pracy: Draw Your Own Conclusion… , an anthology of his Sun cartoons, includes a self-portrait (inside back cover). A second collection, Hawke, Line and Sinker , was endorsed both by Neville Wran and Nick Greiner.

Pracy died suddenly at work on 19 September 1984, aged 22. He had not long returned to Sydney after some weeks in the US on a travelling art scholarship. His last Sun cartoon, drawn on 19 September 1984 and published the following day, was a comment on Peacock being banned from a TV show. It shows a couple in front of a television set watching a program featuring Bob Hawke, with the wife saying: “… Personally, I think it’d be a good idea if ALL Pollies were banned from ALL T.V. shows” [caption in caps].

Writers:

Kerr, Joan

Date written:

1996

Last updated:

2007