George Butterworth (cartoonist)

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George Butterworth (1905-1988) worked as a British political, strip and sports cartoonist, and latter as a book illustrator.

Butterworth started his career Aged 17, as a cartoonist drawing sports caricatures for the County Express, Stockport, Greater Manchester. From 1932 he worked for another Manchester paper, The Daily Dispatch under the name 'Gee Bee' again, drawing sports cartoons. About this time Butterworth began to submit political cartoons to various newspapers, including the Evening and Sunday Chronicle. During World War II his cartoon Maltese Cross in the Daily Dispatch partly resulted in the island receiving said award in April 1942.

With war declared against Nazi Germany, in September 1939, Butterworth took the roll as political cartoonist. His daily cartoons during this period proved to be so successful, both nationally and internationally that he soon came to the attention of Adolf Hitler and Mussolini. Needless to say neither were impressed.

After the end of the second world war, Butterworth had to find new subjects, and his attentions soon turned to Stalin, and the then perceived threat of the Soviet Union. During this time he also poured scorn on Prime Minister Clement Attlee and the 1945-1951 Labour Government. These years of austerity, rationing, world crisis, and financial upheaval were all easy ammunition for his popular daily cartoons.

A keen football supporter, Butterworth also provided illustrations for the Manchester United Football Club programmes for 1933 until 1952.

An exhibition of George Butterworth's work was held at the Political Cartoon Gallery London September to October 2007

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