Bill Tidy dies at 89

Fast-draw cartoonist worked for Private Eye and Punch

Cartoonist Bill Tidy has died at the age of 89.

His work included The Fosdyke Saga strip for the Daily Mirror and The Cloggies, an Archers parody, for Private Eye. He was also known to TV viewers for displaying his speed at sketching on shows such as Countdown.

In a statement on his official Facebook page, Tidy's family said: 'It is with huge sadness that I have to share with you the tragic news that we lost our dad, who is not only the most brilliant cartoonist but the very best dad two sons, a son-in-law and a daughter could ever wish for.’

Paying tribute, comedy writer David Quantick called Tidy ‘one of the greatest cartoonists of all time’ while Gyles Brandreth, who often appeared with Tidy in Countdown’s Dictionary Corner in the 1980s called him ‘a lovely man, with a wry, gentle sense of humour &, of course, a cartoonist of genius’.

Fellow cartoonist Tony Husband called Tidy a ‘brilliantly different cartoonist and one of my great influences’, adding: ‘He kindly wrote me a six page letter (in green ink) on how to be a cartoonist in response to me writing to him for advice when l began. A lovely man too.’

#RIP legendary cartoonist Bill Tidy who has died at the age of 89. He drew scores of iconic cartoons for PUNCH... pic.twitter.com/vSQSDdZhss
— Punch Cartoons ... and more (@PunchBooks) March 12, 2023

The Liverpudlian began his career as a cartoonist when he sold a sketch to a Japanese newspaper in 1955. He went on to have his work published in Punch, New Scientist and the now-defunct Daily Sketch.

The Fosdyke Saga – which was published in the Mirror from 1971 to 1985, when it was axed by the newspapers new owner Robert Maxwell. The tale of a tripe dynasty had previously been adapted as a TV series starring Roger Sloman and Sherrie Hewson, and a radio show with Miriam Margolyes, Enn Reitel, and David Threlfall.

Tidy was awarded an MBE in 2000 for services to journalism.