[English] Mark Knight cartoons analysis

[Tobias Funke]

Image 1.

In Mark Knight's cartoon published in the Herald Sun, he asserts that the entire Myki system is excessively priced and doesn't function to reasonable standards. Knight encourages the reader to feel frustrated towards Myki and Terry Mulder - the transport minister - by mentioning in his signature that "commuters coulda told you that", referring to Mulder's realisation that the Myki was going to be "a very expensive boat anchor". The use of "boat anchor" works as a metaphor, such that the money spent on Myki is going to waste. The messy wiring works to evoke to the reader that the Myki system is something which cannot be fixed, as the problems are far too deep to be able to rectify.

Image 2:

Mark Knight uses a cartoon to contend that the actions of a ticket inspector are questionable, and should be regulated. To do so, he takes a hyperbolic approach, depicting the inspectors as physically confronting, tall males, and a commuter as a very frail and vulnerable figure. The inspectors are grumpily glancing at the commuter, evoking the idea that they are planning to pursue him, while the commuter is startled at the sign which mentions the possibilities of "being bashed by a ticket inspector". With this, Knight attempts to position the audience into thinking that a ticket inspector behaving inappropriately is a regular occurence to the extent that there needs to be a sign to warn commuters. The audience are invited to feel a sense of fear towards the inspectors, which in turn would encourage them to be more acceptant of the notion that the inspectors need to be regulated.

image 3:

Mark Knight utilises satirical elements to argue that the National Broadband Network is not actually as beneficial as the "$36 billion" it costs. To highlight the unnecessary nature of the Network, Knight provides an example of the type of innappropriate things people use the internet for, in downloading nude photos of St Kilda players, which was an issue the public would be well aware of due to the amount of media interest that was invested into it. Such an example encourages the reader to query the "cost/benefit" of such an expensive network if people are simply going to use it for pointless activities such as that. The St Kilda supporter's open mouth signifies her shock to what she is seeing, which most likely are the St Kilda nude images, which seems to reason towards the idea that if even followers of the team are shocked by the photos, they must be pretty bad. (this one is teeeeerible)