. ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁cart oon ist ▁for ▁the ▁Radio ▁Times , ▁taking ▁over ▁the ▁main ▁back - page ▁cart oon ▁from ▁Marc ▁Box er ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁He ▁had ▁a ▁short ▁st int ▁as ▁a ▁political ▁cart oon ist ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁States man , ▁before ▁returning ▁to ▁academ ia ▁and ▁lect uring ▁at ▁the ▁Central ▁School ▁of ▁Art ▁and ▁the ▁Royal ▁College ▁of ▁Art . ▁For ▁a ▁time , ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁cover ▁artist ▁for ▁The ▁Spect ator ▁but , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁The ▁Times , ▁as ▁its ▁leader - page ▁cart oon ist , ▁at ▁the ▁inv itation ▁of ▁its ▁newly ▁appointed ▁editor , ▁Peter ▁St oth ard . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁particularly ▁noted ▁for ▁his ▁" N ature ▁Notes " ▁series ▁of ▁cart o ons , ▁begun ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁which ▁port ray ▁various ▁fict it ious ▁be asts , ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁appearance ▁( and ▁supposed ▁hab its ) ▁of ▁well - known ▁polit icians . ▁He ▁has ▁noted ▁that ▁a ▁benefit ▁of ▁using ▁animal ▁images ▁is ▁that ▁he ▁can ▁show ▁his ▁subjects ▁doing ▁things ▁that , ▁for ▁reasons ▁of ▁dec ency , ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁published ▁if ▁they ▁were ▁port rayed ▁as ▁human — Bro okes ▁said : ▁" you ▁are ▁able ▁to ▁dep ict ▁c rap ▁and ▁for nic ation ▁and ▁that ▁sort ▁of ▁thing ". ▁ ▁In ▁ 2