Smile by Mark Lynch

Book cover - Smile by Mark Lynch. Photo / Supplied

When cartooning phenomenon Gary Larson first introduced us to his "paranoid" observations of humanity in The Far Side, it sent a ripple effect through the cartooning world.

What he had done was draw attention to a new form of cartoon humour which was immediately popular, clever and very funny. The Bulletin magazine in Sydney recognised this, and created a panel for cartoonists to try their hand at this new form of thinking. The Underside was born.

Yet among the existing stable of regular contributors that dotted the magazine was the work of a precocious Qantas flight attendant, Mark Lynch. He already had the gift of introverted humour. I mention all this because this is where I first saw his work. We are talking many moons ago. It was fresh, often convoluted and left you smiling. His Bulletin exposure led to him becoming the backup cartoonist for The Australian newspaper's editorial cartoonist, Bill Mitchell.

Many awards and thousands of cartoons later, he is no longer with Qantas. Yet those years of traversing the planet have allowed him to observe the human condition at its best and worst — the perfect toolbox for a sagacious satirist. These days he runs a shrewd portfolio of business interests with one hand while drawing with the other. This ambidextrous, astute lifestyle has allowed him to concentrate on his work minus a plethora of corrosive pressures. It has also earned him the label of "a clever bastard" by fellow scribblers. He is recognised by Australian cartoonists as the leader of the pack when it comes to gag cartoons.

This latest work, titled Smile, is testament to this. Rubber-stamped and officially approved by both John Clarke (aka Fred Dagg) and Bronte-surfing mate H.G. Nelson (of comedy duo Roy and HG), this is classic Lynch — some 140 pages of irreverent, intelligent, yet sometimes corny observations of the inane and sublime; it's worthy of a home on New Zealand shelves as much as suburban Sydney.

An example — "Are we there yet?" asks a walking fish in a revamped evolutionary timeline. Or Noah on the Ark being privately informed that the "Unicorns are gay". A coffee table collection of great one-liners over a kaleidoscope of contemporary subjects, anyone can read this and reverse a frown.

What isn't mentioned anywhere is that when all the book-work is laid to rest and profits calculated, Lynch then peels off a cheque and sends the lot to charity. He's done this with recent books.

A postscript here: I have also lost count of the times where I have been in a Sydney ballroom knee-deep in wit and sarcasm and full of well-primed cartoonists, where the drawing of the night award has gone to him. All but on one occasion, a few years back, where I have a foggy memory of breaking the Lynch hoodoo and winning a carton of fine wines for my troubles. I foolishly trusted Lynch to hang on to my prize for me to pick up when next in Sydney. He had the decency to keep the corks and a cheesy smile.

Rod Emmerson is the Herald's cartoonist