Brian Mulroney ‘was a great prime minister filled with blarney and bluster’

Pierre Trudeau and Brian Mulroney. Two names burned into Canadian political lore and whose mention elicit immediate and strong reactions of both love and hate.

It should come as no surprise to learn they are two of the most skewered political figures in the history of Canadian editorial cartooning.

In this series of videos, our contributing cartoonist Wes Tyrell speaks with Montreal Gazette cartoonist Terry Mosher, an Order of Canada recipient and one of the most recognized and decorated cartoonists in the country, who talks about the allure of Mulroney and how he became a favourite target:

"He was a great prime minister filled with blarney and bluster, he was sort of an insecure egomanic. He was just wonderful to draw, and very earnest at the same time and a bit of a joker."

Mosher remembers Mulroney fondly, one might be inclined to say he misses him.

"People would ask, did you hate him? No, I loved him. He was fun to draw not because he had a big chin but because he had no neck," Mosher says with a chuckle.

Mosher also offers a look at a daring cartoon that might not make it past an editor desk today. It's from 1972 and depicts Trudeau dancing with then-opposition leader Robert Stanfield drawn during that year's election campaign. If you look closely at the image, something else is going on — Trudeau is putting a knee to the groin of Standfield. Mosher said Maclean's magazine ran it on the cover of their election guide from that year before realizing what was depicted in the illustration.

"Everyone took a whack at Trudeau. He was the most cartooned politician in Canadian history."