Steve Bell
Master of Arts

Steve Bell is recognised for his contribution to the art of the political and editorial cartoon, including the preservation of the cartoon as an art form. He is best known for his editorial cartoons and long running political strip, If..., both of which have been appearing in The Guardian since 1981. He was voted Cartoonist of the Year in 2003.

Steve graduated from Leeds University in 1974 with a degree in film-making at Leeds University. After a brief spell teaching at a secondary school in Birmingham, he became a freelance cartoonist in 1977. His weekly strip, Maggie’s Farm, appeared in Time Out and later City Limits magazines began in 1979.

He created the memorable image of John Major with his underpants worn outside his trousers, of Tony Blair with Margaret Thatcher’s rogue eyeball, and of George W Bush as a chimpanzee. His work has been published all over the world and he has won many awards, including winning in both the political and strip cartoon at the Cartoon Arts Trust at least eight times since 1997.

He is a trustee of the Cartoon Museum in Bloomsbury, which opened to the public in February 2006.