Mark Knight
Mark Knight (born 1962)[1] is an Australian cartoonist. He is currently the editorial cartoonist for the Herald Sun, a daily tabloid newspaper in Melbourne. Knight was also the last editorial cartoonist for one of the Herald Sun's joint predecessor newspapers, the afternoon broadsheet The Herald.[2][3]
For the British DJ and producer, see Mark Knight (DJ). For the British musician, see Mark Knight (musician).Childhood[edit]
Born in Marrickville, Sydney,[1] Knight grew up in Lakemba, attended Wiley Park Primary School and then Narwee Boys' High School. He showed an early interest in drawing which was encouraged by his artistic father. Knight's first cartoons were of his family and their idiosyncrasies, drawn at family gatherings.[4] When he was six years old, Knight's father bought him Paul Rigby's cartoon annual of 1967; Rigby's work influence his artwork for many years.[5] He created scrapbooks of Rigby's cartoons cut from The Daily Telegraph, and studied and imitated them while developing his cartooning style.[6]
Knight started a cadetship in 1980 in the Fairfax art department, filling in the black squares in the crossword grids. He went to East Sydney Technical College and studied life drawing, painting, drawing and etching.[6]
Awards[edit]
Knight won a Quill Award for Best Cartoon in 2001 from the Melbourne Press Club.[20] In 2005, he won a Gold Quill Award from the Melbourne Press Club for the best cartoon of the year.[21]
He was named The Age Cartoonist of the Year at the 22nd annual Stan Cross Awards ceremony on 4 November 2007.[22] His other accolades include awards in the categories Single Gag (2003) and Editorial (1995, 2006).[23]
In 2004, Knight was also presented with a Walkley Award for his cartoon named "Benefits of a Bedtime Story".[24]
In 2003, he received an award as part of the Australian Comedy Awards in the visual category for Outstanding Cartoonist[25] as well as another Walkley Award.[6]