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Private Eye cartoonist Tony Husband dies at 73 | He contributed to every issue for 38 years

Private Eye cartoonist Tony Husband dies at 73

He contributed to every issue for 38 years

Private Eye cartoonist Tony Husband died yesterday at the age of 73, his son has announced.

He had a heart attack as he travelled across Westminster Bridge to a Private Eye leaving party.

Husband also created the satirical children’s ITV comedy programme Round The Bend, which ran between 1988 and 1991.

His son, Paul, wrote on Twitter this afternoon: ‘I hate to post this because I know how many of you are going to be affected by it.

‘Yesterday my Dad, Tony Husband, passed away as he was on his way to a Private Eye leaving party on a Thames barge. He had a heart attack on Westminster Bridge.

‘It's somewhat ironic that he somehow managed to survive 30 years of Private Eye parties but the one he didn't make...

‘I don't know what more I can say other than he was everything to me and everything want to be.

‘This is the very last cartoon he made. Sent to his mate Nick Newman on the train down cause he thought he would be late.’

It depicted himself stood at Westminster Pier waving to the party boat as it sailed away…

A few hours later, Paul responded to all those who shared their condolences – almost 800 of them under the original post.

He wrote: ‘I can't tell you all how much your comments have meant to me. I must have been an extremely strange sight in the train home as I attempted to hold back tears when reading you replies. Some said my dad gave the world a gift. He did. He also gave the people he loved everything.

‘I have never known someone to give so much and ask for so little.

‘I would like to print all your responses out and one day show them to my kids, who already adore him, so they can see how he is appreciated by the wider world.’

Those who paid tribute included Peter Serafinowicz, who said: ‘I’m so sorry to hear that Paul. He was absolutely brilliant. Always the funniest cartoons in Private Eye. Sending my love to you and your family.’

And fellow cartoonist Moose Allain added: ‘I am so sorry for your loss. I felt so lucky to have met Tony and spent some time with him when he visited Exeter. I couldn’t believe I was meeting someone whose brilliant cartoons felt like a part of the fabric of my life and who I’d admired for so long. He was so proud of you.

And Private Eye writer Tom Jamieson said Husband ‘was of course mentioned in Ian [Hislop]’s speech on the boat and got a huge cheer.’

"Such tragic news. A fabulously funny cartoonist."

The official Private Eye account described Husband as a ‘prolific, funny and inventive contributor’ since 1985. Earlier this year he said he had had a cartoon in every issue of Private Eye for the past 38 years, including the Yobs strip.

And, of course, many people tweeted his cartoons in tribute:

Published: 19 Oct 2023

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