Featured Artist: Andrew Marlton (First Dog on the Moon)

Andrew Marlton (AKA First Dog on the Moon ) has shot to fame since winning the prestigious Walkley Award and his recent inception into The Guardian Australia as the editorial cartoonist earlier this year. He is currently holding a retrospective exhibition of his work at 45 Downstairs in Flinders Lane, Melbourne until November 8th.

Marsupialminal is a First Dog on the Moon Retrospective featuring cartoons spanning the past 10 years, including some new pieces created specifically for the exhibition. We had the privilidge of printing a number of the larger works on display using the ever popular Hahnemuhle Photo Rag.

Education and background:
I grew up in Canberra which explains a lot. I was a call centre manager for a while and then I became a cartoonist which is a much better job.

Where are you based?
I work from home in beautiful Brunswick.

How long have you been illustrating for?
Been cartooning for many years – been a professional full time cartoonist for 7 years now.

What are your creative influences?
I grew up reading Petty and Leunig but also Wizard of Id and Peanuts and Asterix the Gaul.

What are your favourite tools of the trade?
My wacom cintiq 24hd touch is fantastic and I love it.

What do you feel is your biggest achievement to date?
I won a walkley, I did a stage show, all good things – but my biggest achievement has to have been getting paid to draw stupid pictures and making myself laugh.

What changes have resulted from your collaboration with the Guardian?
I now have a potential audience of 100 million people – so a lot more people are seeing my stuff which is very exciting. Also I get to be in the actual newspaper (in britain) like a real cartoonist.

Tell us a little about your exhibition:
It is a retrospective of some of my favourite cartoons over the last 10 years or so – plus a bunch of much smaller pieces I did for the hell of it.

What’s next?
A book with cartoonist Jon Kudelka about the tour we did of Tasmanian whisky distilleries – out in November. Another book next year and maybe one the year after that!