Ged Melling, 1934-2007

Gerard "Ged" Melling, a prolific magazine and newspaper cartoonist frequently published in London and Dublin during the 1970s and 1980s, died October 29 after being knocked down while trying to cross a road in Bramley, Kent. He was 73 years old.

Melling was a latecomer to art and cartoons, attending school in London in the early 1960s, and for a time living in that city's culturally vibrant Soho district. He sold his first cartoon to Time Out soon upon that publication's arrival in 1968, a time during which Melling taught in London secondary schools to make a living. He would eventually teach and publish in Dublin and York. In the early 1980s he attempted cartooning full-time. His work during that decade could be found at the Times, The Economist, the abortive effort Today, Financial Times, the Observer and a number of specialty publications. He published two collections, Guttae (1974) and The Best of Ged (2004).

Melling also painted, illustrated books and participated in art exhibitions. One of those exhibitions was "Art Works In Mental Health" in 2002, which drew attention to his own manic depression. The above image is from that show.

Because he was such a highly productive artist, Melling did not do preliminary sketches, preferring to work directly with pen or brush.

He is survived by three sons.

thanks to Dirk Deppey for bringing this to my attention at Journalista
 
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