Much loved cartoonist William 'WEG' Ellis Green dies at 85
By Ian Royall and Sarah Wotherspoon
CARTOONIST William Ellis Green, whose famous footy posters adorn the walls of fans around the country, has drawn his last caricature.
Known to most by his initials, WEG died at his Heathmont home yesterday, with his wife of 63 years, Joan, at his bedside.
Tributes poured in for the 85-year-old legend whose career started at the Melbourne Herald in 1946.
His premiership posters became a Grand Final tradition for more than 50 years, starting in 1954 when Footscray won its only premiership.
The posters, originally sold for two shillings by The Herald, and later the Herald Sun, raised more than $2 million for the
So determined was WEG to contribute to the children's hospital appeal that he discharged himself from hospital two weeks before this year's Grand Final to make sure he could draw the posters. It was to be his last major work.
Friend and business partner Geoff Bridgeman said doctors told WEG he would not last more than a day if he left the hospital, but WEG insisted on drawing the posters.
"There were two things he wanted to do. One was to draw the posters, and the second was to get to the Herald Sun shop to do the signings the morning after the Grand Final," he said.
WEG joined The Herald in 1946 and spent 40 years at the paper.
After he retired in 1986, WEG continued working as a caricaturist and illustrator with his drawings appearing in cricket books by Max Walker, on stamps and in children's books.
His premiership posters became so coveted, one collector paid up to $5000 for Collingwood's 1958 premiership poster.
WEG died after two heart attacks in September, and pneumonia.
Herald & Weekly Times managing director Peter Blunden said the company was proud of its long association with the artist.
"Nothing is more synonymous with Melbourne and football than a WEG poster," Mr Blunden said.
"But WEG will be fondly remembered, not only as an iconic artist, but as a great Australian, generous and loyal.
"Every year he donated his time, effort and talent to the Royal Children's Hospital to produce and help market his famous grand final posters."
Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal executive director Christine Unsworth said WEG's posters raised more than $2 million for the appeal. "His contribution has been magnificent," she said.
"He never asked for anything and he always came in on the day after the Grand Final to sign the posters."
Former Sun News-Pictorial cartoonist Geoff Hook said WEG was a mentor. "He was more of an icon to me than a rival," he said.
Hook, whose cartoons carried a concealed fish hook, credits WEG with coming up with the idea when he was looking for a gimmick.
Herald Sun cartoonist Mark Knight said WEG was a hard act to follow when he started at The Herald in the late 1980s.
"Both he (WEG) and Jeff Hook strode the cartooning landscape like giants," Knight said. "Not bad for a bloke who was only 5 1/2-foot tall.
"He would get invited to corporate functions and end up drawing all of the guests.
"They would line up in front of Bill, all wanting to go home with a WEG original in their hand."
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said WEG and his posters were part of the city's footy fabric. "Everybody from the PM to the captains of industry has a poster," he said.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said WEG was part of a great football tradition.
"His grand final posters . . . have been a staple part of the premiership ritual since 1954," he said.
In 2001, WEG received the medal of the Order of Australia for his services to art and the community.
In 2003 his drawing skills earned him the Jim Russell lifetime achievement award from the Australian Cartoonists' Association.
He even became a crime fighter in 2006, when, at the age of 82, he confronted a burglar running through his back yard.
WEG drew a caricature for police and the offender was quickly identified and arrested.
Article available at
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24854447-2862,00.html
©
Weg's World 2007
Privacy
|
Terms of Use
|
Copyright
|
Disclaimer
Migration Agents Melbourne
