Thomas Joseph Scott (born 1947) is a New Zealand

cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...

ist. In the 1990s, he won New Zealand Cartoonist of the Year six times, and won the award again in 2009.

Biography

Scott was born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, United Kingdom in 1947 and emigrated to New Zealand with his family as an 18-month-old. He was raised at

Rongotea Rongotea is a small rural village in the Manawatū District of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located on the western Manawatū Plains, approximately northwest of the region's main city, Palmerston North. Features Like most of the small sett ...

in rural Manawatu, and studied at

Massey University Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...

, graduating with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

in physiology in 1972. Scott has been a regular cartoonist for most of his career; initially for the ''

New Zealand Listener The ''New Zealand Listener'' is a weekly New Zealand magazine that covers the political, cultural and literary life of New Zealand by featuring a variety of topics, including current events, politics, social issues, health, technology, arts, f ...

'' magazine, between 1984 and 1987 for the ''

Auckland Star The ''Auckland Star'' was an evening daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, from 24 March 1870 to 16 August 1991. Survived by its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Star'', part of its name endures in ''The Sunday Star-Times'', created in ...

'', and then for the ''Evening Post'' newspaper and its successor the ''Dominion Post''. As a

satirist This is an incomplete list of writers, cartoonists and others known for involvement in satire – humorous social criticism. They are grouped by era and listed by year of birth. Included is a list of modern satires. Under Contemporary, 1930-1960 ...

, newspaper columnist and cartoonist, Scott often provokes New Zealand politicians and at one stage was banned from the press contingent for a considerable period of time by

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Robert Muldoon Sir Robert David Muldoon (; 25 September 19215 August 1992) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand, from 1975 to 1984, while leader of the National Party. Serving as a corporal and sergeant in th ...

, which naturally resulted in continuing astringent expressions in the press by Scott. He later said of Muldoon: "I believe that much of the sourness, depression and division that currently besets our country can be laid at the feet of one man - Robert David Muldoon... he has made intolerance and prejudice, if not fashionable then at least permissible." Scott has won numerous awards, including the Qantas Awards for New Zealand Cartoonist of the Year (seven times), Columnist of the Year, and Political Columnist of the Year (three times). He also won scriptwriting awards for ''Fallout'' and for ''View from the Top''. Scott co-wrote the screenplay for the animated feature '' Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale'' with

Murray Ball Murray Hone Ball (26 January 1939 – 12 March 2017) was a New Zealand cartoonist who became known for his ''Stanley the Palaeolithic Hero'' (the longest running cartoon in ''Punch (magazine), Punch'' magazine), ''Bruce the Barbarian'', ''All t ...

. In 2001 Scott wrote the semi-autobiographical stage play, about his father, ''The Daylight Atheist'' which has since been performed by numerous theatres in New Zealand and Australia. He followed up his father's story with a play about his mother, ''Joan,'' in 2018. In the

2006 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2006 in some Commonwealth realms were announced (on 31 December 2005) in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Grenada, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, and Saint Christopher and Nevis to cel ...

, Scott was appointed an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rend ...

for services as a writer, journalist and illustrator. In 2011, Scott produced the

1981 Springbok Tour The 1981 South African rugby tour (known in New Zealand as the Springbok Tour, and in Republic of South Africa, South Africa as the Rebel Tour) polarised opinions and inspired widespread protests across New Zealand. The controversy also extende ...

TV drama ''Rage'', shown as the final of four parts of the ''Sunday Theatre'' season on TV One on 4 September 2011. The series was a ratings winner. In March 2019 Scott left the '' Dominion Post'' to pursue a project to write a biography of

Charles Upham Charles Hazlitt Upham, (21 September 1908 – 22 November 1994) was a New Zealand soldier who was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) twice during the Second World War - for gallantry in Crete in May 1941, and in Egypt, in July 1942. He was the mo ...

, which was published in 2020. He rejoined the team of cartoonists at

Stuff Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to: *Physical matter *General, unspecific things, or entities Arts, media, and entertainment Books *''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly (author), Joseph Connolly *''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jere ...

in February 2021 but published his last cartoon in the Dominion Post on 24 September 2022. His son

Samuel Flynn Scott Samuel Flynn Scott (born 1978) is a New Zealand musician and composer, and a founding member of The Phoenix Foundation. Early life and career Scott was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1978. His father, Tom Scott, is a notable author and poli ...

is the frontman of rock band

The Phoenix Foundation The Phoenix Foundation is a New Zealand indie rock band formed in Wellington in 1997. History Early years and ''China Cove'' The band was founded by Conrad Wedde, Samuel Flynn Scott, and Luke Buda in 1994 while students at Wellington High ...

Bibliography

*''Tom Scott's Life and Times'' (1977) *''Overseizure : The Saga of a New Zealand Family Abroad '' (1978) *''Snakes and Leaders'' (1981) *''Ten Years Inside'' (1985) *''Private Parts : Lost Property from the Last 16 Years'' (1990) *''In a Jugular Vein : A Collection of Cartoons and Comments'' (1991) *''Drawn Out: A Seriously Funny Memoir'' (2018) *''Searching for Charlie: In Pursuit of the real Charles Upham VC and Bar'' (2020)

References

External links

Masskerade ’69 retrospective
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Tom 1947 births Living people English emigrants to New Zealand Massey University alumni New Zealand cartoonists New Zealand satirists Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit People from Feilding