China barfs at Scarfe

In a rather timely story (considering the Chinese president's visit to the UK and debate over China's poor civil rights and censorship record) the Independent reports that the new Gerlad Scarfe book, Drawing Blood, ran afoul of China's censors and thought police, forcing the printing to be moved off shore.

"We had to print half the copies in Hong Kong, because there were major objections to a picture of Chairman Mao giving birth to hundreds of workers," Scarfe explains.

"Someone also said 'there are too many erect willies.' I asked what the problem with that was, and got the reply: 'Too big.' So I replied: 'Well, that's the way they are over here'."

Drawing Blood is a collection of Scarfe's incredibly varied, imaginative and often disturbing work, from newspapers cartoons to the opening credits for Yes, Minister and from illustrations for Roald Dahl to Pink Floyd's The Wall (the marching Fascist hammers have become a standout nightmare image). Drawing Blood has just been released; it is a trifle pricey, but then you are getting some forty five years of Scarfe's astonishing work.