“Vidocq Presents…” is a new series on DCC in which I ask some of my friends and colleagues seven questions. Read their answers and get to know them better!
Kicking off the series is the UK lawyer and cartoonist: the Utterrant.
The law is the ongoing story of people in unlikely situations, and it is being written every day. There is a legal cartoon in every courtroom, and the Utterant makes it his job to draw them down and try to show everyone the funny side of the law.
Recently called to the Bar, the Utterant spends his days as a solicitor trying to work as many puns and grammatical absurdities into letters as is practicable under the circumstances. In addition, he tweets, and is always keen to twit some time away with new people.
1: what’s your most favourite part of the day?
It takes me a while to adjust to a morning, but after a at about midday I start to really feel ready for the day. I love that feeling of energy and determination to achieve that comes on just as I take an hour off for lunch.
2: what’s the worst kind of person you ever sat next to on a flight?
I don’t fly much, but be it plane, train, bus or tram the worst seat-partner is definitely the type that hums along to music. Public humming should be banned, or at least strictly controlled. A statutory test should be mandatory, and learners should only be allowed to hum in private with the supervision of a qualified adult hummer.
3: were you ever in a situation where you came up short with a good come back? You can give it now!
I think everyone has ‘should-have-said’ moments every day. They can come on the bus, or startle you in your sleep. Solicitors have it easy, though, because all their snappy posturing is done in reply to letters, on paper. They can just redraft their letter when they get in in the morning, and get someone else to send it. While Playing Solicitor, my best has been re-drafting a letter to include the word ‘monocular’ twenty-two times across five pages, just to make a point. It worked, too.
4: which trial/case still haunts you till today?
Donohue v Stevenson. It’s floating around and rattling its chains everywhere I look!
5: if you have a blog, how did you get started? Who or what inspired you to blog?
I do have a blog, but it’s more focussed on my cartoons than on the more typical comment-and-story style. How did I start cartooning? I still have no idea, but inspiration can be found in the superb frames drawn by people like Alex Williams, Charles Addams and of course Gerald Scarfe. I recently discovered the excellent and hilarious work of Irish cartoonist Annie West.
6: did you end up in the profession of your childhood dreams?
I will answer these last two questions with cartoons.
The first is an exclusive first publication of the first cartoon I ever drew. You saw it here first, folks! The caption will tell you all you need to know about my goals in life.
7: tell us about your most embarrassing experiences in a restaurant, peeing in the wild, opening a bottle of wine, or do-it-yourself projects. Pick one and tell all!
When something like this happens, the question that instantly occurs is almost always the most disappointing one to have answered: “Do you think anyone noticed?”
