The Comic Cards of Donald McGill and Douglas Tempest in World War One

Peter Tucker compares these two giants of the comic postcard scene

(Originally published in Picture Postcard Annual 1996)

(Reproduced by kind permission.)

4 Licencing Laws

"Drink is doing us more damage in the war than all the German submarines put together", proclaimed Lloyd George in a passionate speech against drunkenness. Munitions workers were drinking too much and absenteeism was affecting the war effort. New licencing laws were introduced, restricting drinking time so that public houses had to close in the mornings and afternoons. Beer prices went up and the strength came down. Spirits and wines became luxuries. "Losh, Mactavish, this is a fearful' war! Food's gane up anither saxpence a quart!" says McGill's Scotsman holding a bottle of whisky, no.1206 "Thistle" series. The bars in the House of Commons were exempt from the licencing laws and still are today. (one rule for one!) But Lloyd George took the famous pledge and King George V banned drink in his household as a demonstration of austerity. By 1916 drink convictions had halved but this did not stop the comic artists from drawing drunks, a tradition with them from the beginning.

McGill depicts a drunk standing under an overflow pipe which is pouring water; he thinks it's raining and has his umbrella up but the night is fine. "Pity the poor boys in the trenches on a night like this". Tempest has a drunk pouring champagne into a military armlet which he has mistaken for a mug; the drink is running through onto the floor on no.273 "Witty Armlet" series. "I can't find the armlet-I'll have a drink!' It is interesting to note most drunks drawn at this period wore top hats unless they were Scottish.

Compare Tempest's Scotsman clinging onto a lamp post talking to a sailor on "Witty Comic" series no.633. "It's a guid job ye are no at sea tonight, ma lad!" The night is perfectly still of course, with McGill's drunk clutching a lamp post. A policeman shining a torch in "Protection" series no.1037: "Here take that beasley search-li' 'way! I ain't a (hic) bally Zepperlin!" Zeppelin raids were causing a great deal of concern and towns and cities were subject to lighting restrictions as the raiders came under the cover of night. Searchlights were set up around London to scan the sky for the enemy and once caught in a beam, the slow moving zepp presented a target for the anti-aircraft guns to aim at.

The message on this zeppelin/drunk card posted in an envelope, is interesting. "Please don't take offence at this card, it is all I had by me at present. Thanks for your PC this morning. Glad father was at the station to meet you. Whatever time you come tomorrow I am getting off to meet you, that is if I can get there. Buses are all on strike and now the tubes and trains threaten to come out on strike too. Whatever are we coming too and so many munitions workers are out as well. My best love to all!" There were strikes in April and May 1917 and again in 1918. As war exhaustion grew there was unrest about many things including wage rates, excessive overtime, poor housing and expensive food.