Did you know that G. K. Chesterton was not only an essayist, novelist, raconteur, and possibly a saint, but also a cartoonist as well?
In 1911, as he was publishing his Father Brown stories and just before his intermittent debating opponent George Bernard Shaw would write Pygmalion, the London magazine The Sketch published a series of Chesterton’s cartoons, all on the theme of “When the Revolution Comes.” Here’s a selection of three of them, illustrating his humor, as well as his unerring ability to find the absurd nub of the radical Progressivist cause.
Chesterton’s friend and fellow writer, Hilaire Belloc, of course, often confronted Leftists with what would, in our day, come to be known as “hatefacts.”
Chesterton here is making fun of his own avoirdupois. However, under nationalized medicine, unhealthy activity, like smoking cigars or carrying excess weight, is positively anti-social and counter-revolutionary.
Shaw, Chesterton’s antagonist, the great socialist Progessive, is here hoist on his own petard, as one who refuses to stoop to the ritual of solidarity with the People.
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.
