Mahood, Ken (1930 - 2020)

Ken Mahood original cartoon artwork.

Ken Mahood claims to have been brought up "in a religious community so strict even the churches were closed on Sundays." At the age of 18, Mahood’s first cartoon was published by Punch. In 1966, Mahood became the first-ever political cartoonist on The Times. Mahood left The Times at the end of 1968, but at the start of 1969 began working as pocket cartoonist for the Evening Standard. In 1971 he got the job of pocket cartoonist on the Financial Times. In 1978 he was elected to the Punch Table, and in 1982 he moved to the Daily Mail as a pocket cartoonist. As he commented of his work, "at a time when the news is very grim, I think people look for some light relief. And that's the job of the cartoonist": "The important thing is to be witty and to make a comment at the same time, if possible." Mahood has also contributed cartoons to the New Yorker. He retired from the Daily Mail in 2009, just before his eightieth birthday.