If: The Graphic Novel by Steve Bell (30-Apr-2015) Hardcover

by Steve Bell

In his daily cartoon for the Guardian and his long-running strip, IF , in the same paper, Steve Bell has proved that he is without equal in Britain as political cartoonist. Savage, funny, rude, constantly transgressing the rules of good taste, and of course beautifully drawn his cartoons are hated by those they lampoon and loved by everyone who likes to see authority subverted. In his new collection he covers the years of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, 2010-2015, fertile ground for Bell’s genius. From George Osborne in his bondage gear, the ‘Quiet Man’ zombie Ian Duncan Smith, Cable the elephant, Cameron the talking condom and Clegg the butler to Kipling and the IF penguins, every awful moment of the coalition years is re-run before your eyes … but Steve Bell ‘outrageous, anarchic, brilliant, sometimes inexplicable and a bit mad (not really)’ to quote John Pilger.

Unknown Binding

First published April 30, 2015

About the author

Steven Bell (born 26 February 1951) is an English political cartoonist, whose work appears in The Guardian and other publications. He is known for his left-wing views.

Steve Bell is probably best known for the daily strip called If... , which has appeared in The Guardian newspaper since 1981, and since the mid-1990s he has also been that newspaper's principal editorial cartoonist.

Reviews

[Marko8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite funny, and entertaining. I think Steve Bell definitely finds very smart and creative ways to satirize those politicians, and I love that all his art has color (thank you). I also love that he includes summaries of the events, so that the reader knows what he is reading about.

Now, at the beginning, I found some of the strips utterly violent, but thankfully throughout this becomes less intense. And I will say some things did go over my head (especially writing in a Scottish dialect), but I understood the vast majority.

Would I recommend this book to other people? Maybe. For those that are very much into political satire, and there are plenty of those.

[Andrew Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to be in the mood but if you are, Steve Bell's social and political commentary remains searing and hilarious.