Mick Armstrong b. 1903 Paddington, Sydney, NSW

Also known as Harold Barry Armstrong
  • Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator)
Prolific mid twentieth century war and political cartoonist and designer. Armstrong contributed to a number of publications including the Argus, the Sydney Sun, Smith's Weekly, Melbourne Punch and Aussie. His first publication, at the age of 16, was in the Bulletin.
Talk | Version history | Updated Oct. 19, 2011 | Created Jan. 1, 1996
Name
Mick Armstrong
Also known as Harold Barry Armstrong
Birth date
1903
Birth place
Paddington, Sydney, NSW
Death date
1978
Death place
None
Gender
Male
Roles
  • Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator)
Residence
  • Tasmania
  • 1903 Paddington, Sydney, NSW
Other Occupation
  • Survey draughtsman
Active Period
  • c.1919- c.1978
Languages
  • English
Is Indigenous
No
Initial Record Data Source
  • Black and white artists

cartoonist and commercial artist, was born in Paddington, Sydney but the family soon moved to Tasmania. Mick had his first cartoon published in the Bulletin when aged 16, and he continued to contribute to it occasionally while working as a survey draughtsman, evidently after moving from Tasmania to Melbourne. He also contributed gag cartoons to Smith’s Weekly , Aussie and other papers, e.g. Smith’s Weekly 26 January 1924, 19: 'MAN: “Feelin’ crook?” WOMAN: “No” MAN: “Got a pain?” WOMAN: “No” MAN: “Well, d’yer think yer goin’ ter be crook?” WOMAN: “No” MAN: “Aw, yer contrairy cow. Yer won’t give a block a chance ter drink yer bloomin’ 'ealth.”’

Mick Armstrong drew political cartoons for Melbourne Punch in 1925, for the Sydney Sun in 1932 then worked for several conservative Melbourne papers: the Herald (1932-34), Star (1934-36), Argus (1936-57) and Sun News Pictorial (1957-59). Best known for his work on the Argus during WWII, his wartime subjects include: a wounded tattooed soldier, a cow giving black milk in the blackout, both 1941; The Case for a National Government (a Japanese soldier looking over a map of Australia) 1943 (ill. King, 142); and a plump bespectacled land army girl with an angry cow saying, “Yoo hoo, Mister Cowpaddock – I can’t get this separator thing [udder] to work!” 1943 (ill. Lindesay 1979, 250, 259, 265).

Armstrong published 10 cartoon anthologies, most during WWII (nine listed in refs). His 'Sam N Eggs’ strip circulated widely in the US and in one year during WWII he had 56 cartoons reproduced overseas. National Library of Australia (NLA) has at least three of Armstrong’s original ink cartoons published in the Argus : 'Comp. cook-gen., small fam., live in’, n.d. [1940s?] re Billy Hughes; 'To a miniature’ published 1 September 1949; and 'Barrel of mon [money]’ published 27 June 1955 (re Tatts), while the Victorian State Library (VSL) has at least 11 originals, mostly WWII period. Armstrong worked as a commercial artist from 1959 to 1964 then joined ATV Channel 0.

Writers:
Kerr, Joan
Date written:
1996
Last updated:
2007
associate of
Noel Counihan
1913
Artist (Sculptor), Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator), Artist (Printmaker), Artist (Painter)
associate of
Sir Daryl Lindsay
1889
Artist (Painter), Artist (Draughtsman)
associate of
Samuel Garnet Wells
1885
Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator), Artist (Draughtsman)
Barrel of mon [money]
Date
27 June 1955
To a miniature
Date
1 September 1949
Don't Spill the Good Oil
Date
1943
The Case for a National Government
Date
1943
Sam'N'Eggs
Date
1942
Comp. cook-gen., small fam.
Date
1941
Collections
Fifty Years of Australian Cartooning
11 September 1964- 19 September 1964
Exhibition ()
Blaxland Gallery, Sydney, New South Wales
War Cartoons and Caricatures of the British Commonwealth
1941
Exhibition ()
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
Citations:
  • Armstrong, Mick, (c.1940), Moods of Der Fuhrer, (Place: Melbourne, Vic.)
  • Wyndham, Greg, (1997), letter to editor, (Place: Inkspot, vol. 28, Spring, p.5)
  • (1941), War Cartoons and Caricatures of the British Commonwealth, (Place: National Gallery of Canada catalogue, Ottowa, Canada)
  • Rafty, Tony / Mack, Brodie, (1964), Fifty Years of Australian Cartooning, (Place: Sydney, NSW : Blaxland Gallery)
  • Armstrong, Mick, (1946), Civvy Symphony, December 1946: The world since V.P. Day/ cartooned by Armstrong of the Argus, (Place: Mont Albert, Vic : Edgar J.K. Thompson for the Argus & Australasian Ltd)
  • Armstrong, Mick, (c.1945), War Without Tears: 100 of the War's Wittiest Whimsies, (Place: Melbourne, Vic.)
  • Armstrong, Mick, (c.1944), "Taxi!": A sixth volume of war cartoons Oct '43 to Nov '44/ by Armstrong of the Argus, (Place: Melbourne, Vic : Robert N. Myers for The Argus and Australiasian)
  • Armstrong, Mick, (1943), 19-foughty-3: A fifth volume of War Cartoons/ by Armstrong of the Argus, (Place: Melbourne, Vic : The Argus)
  • Armstrong, Mick, (1944), "Army" Stoo (4th volume of war cartoons October 1943-November 1944 [sic]), (Place: Melbourne, Vic : The Argus ?)
  • Armstrong, Mick, (1941), "Blitzy": a third volume of war cartoons by Armstrong of "The Argus" Sept 1940 to Sept 1941, (Place: Melbourne, Vic : The Argus & Australasian)
  • Armstrong, Mick, (1940), Mein Kranks: A second volume of war cartoons, December 1939 to December [?] 1940, (Place: Melbourne, Vic : The Argus)
  • Armstrong, Mick, (1940), Havoc! War Cartoons by Armstrong, (Place: Melbourne, Vic : The Argus)
  • Armstrong, Mick / Smith, Neville, (1938), The Argus Cartoon Cavalcade, (Place: Melbourne, Vic : Argus and Australasian Ltd)
See also:
  • Noel Counihan expressed his dislike of Armstrong's capitalist conformity in his cartoon The Strong Arm behind "Today's Armstrong", with "Big Business" using Armstrong's nose to draw anti-worker cartoons (ill. King, 136).