Design and Art Australia Online

Cartoonist and puppeteer, started selling cartoons to the Bulletin at the age of 16 in 1938 while still a student at Sydney Technical College. He also contributed to Man , Man Junior , Army , Humour and Quiz . After serving in the 1st Australian Army Entertainment Unit during WWII he returned to draw for the Bulletin , alternating with Ted Scorfield (art director at the Bulletin from 1948) in drawing the weekly political cartoon after Frith left for the SMH in 1946. Examples include: “ It says here if you repress a child’s natural inclinations you’ll ruin his spirit” (child wreaking havoc in the home) 1946; Numbers, ’47 (33 in the Original) , a rather nasty anti-Semitic cartoon re Jews migrating to Australia 1947; At the Quartermaster’s Store 1950, showing Uncle Sam in an empty (Menzies) storeroom (ill. King, 166); and Bring out a Briton 1958 (original ML). The ML Bulletin collection has 46 original cartoons by 'Heth’ including Art is Long… with an Aboriginal bush artist, clearly Albert Namatjira , abandoning art for alcohol in a bottle labelled 'White Man’s Patronage’ (in S.H. Ervin b/w art exhibition 1999). 25 caricatures of 1939-52 are included, e.g. two of artist John Eldershaw. 15 undated (?) Bulletin originals are in the AGWA (as well as 1 undated London Punch original by Heth titled Dickson ). Heth worked at the Bulletin until 1961.

On 1 July 1959, with his wife, Margaret, as co-scriptwriter Norman created 'Mr Squiggle’ for ABC TV. It ran for 34 years – the longest running TV program in Australia and the longest running children’s TV program in the world. In 1973 Norman was puppet-master on ABC TV. He was awarded the OAM in 1990. The Hetheringtons’ daughter Rebecca (b.1962), a TV presenter of children’s shows, began presenting Mr Squiggle in 1990.

In 1999 Norman lent a model of Mr Squiggle to the S.H. Ervin b/w exhibition. Mr Squiggle also appeared in the Centenary of Federation Parade in Sydney on 1 January 2001, apparently under 'Culture’. On 20 January 2002 Mr Squiggle and Rebecca came out of retirement to open the first solo exhibition of Norman’s work – cartoons, marionettes, puppets, posters and etchings – curated by Toni Warburton and held at the Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre in the Blue Mountains as part of the 2002 'One Van Puppet Festival’. Included were 4-6 original cartoons, other marionettes and puppets, a spare Mr Squiggle puppet and squiggles from the TV show, the posters Heth designed to advertise his Christmas puppet shows held in Sydney department stores from the 1950s to the 1980s, including versions of old favourites such as Ali Baba , St George and the Dragon and Alladin . A selection of the etchings he has recently begun making – detailed images of circus rings, puppet booths and similar topics – printed 2001, were also included.

A member of the Black and White Artists’ Club, Norman lives in Mosman with Margaret. Their son, Stephen, aged 31 in 1990, was then a lecturer in Philosophy at UNSW.

Writers:

Kerr, Joan

Date written:

1996

Last updated:

2007