Colvin, Neville Maurice, 1918-1991:Impossibles and improbables - our election. [1949]

The cartoon is a series of cameos featuring politicians and others as All Blacks as the country heads towards the 1949 general election. The first cameo shows a man with a '?' on his jersey who scratches his head; text below reads 'Masterton - wet or dry, a trustworthy player-' The second shows PM Peter Fraser running with a rugby ball that represents 'Raglan' under his arm; text reads 'P. Fraser - his duel with Bretton Woods, (the international) will be watched with great interest-' The third cameo shows leader of the National Party, Sid Holland, whispering in the ear of a much smaller Frederick Widdowson Doidge who holds a rugby ball; text reads 'Private enterprise' - Sid's great discovery, knows all the doidges (wordplay on 'Doidge' and 'dodge') (no relation to Doug. Credit.) (is 'doug' another wordplay?) In the fourth cameo a player with his leg in plaster lies on a bed which floats in the sea; text reads 'M.S. Wanganella - the (dead) lock, may be a dead loss, still in dock with injuries received earlier. Has been to Australia before.' The fifth cameo shows a black rectangle with the words 'Wellington - All Black' below it. The sixth cameo shows two players bending over and presenting their backsides to the viewer; below are the words 'The union secretaries - back row, side row, front row, any old row will suit them - especially if it's about danger money-' (wordplay on 'row' meaning a straight line and the differently pronounced 'row' meaning 'argument') The seventh cameo in the centre is Walter Nash who grabs for a ball that represents the 'budget' (Nash's 'black budget'); text reads 'Touch'yer Nash - the fly-away half contemporary and admirer of Charlie Taxton; playing loan (or) cash (or) share league reputedly for big money-' Below him is 'Angus McLagan - the left winger - a hard man to tackle, possibly the toughest man in the country-'; McLagan runs with the ball looking tough. Eighth is a large player who sits on a rugby ball that represents 'work' looking stubborn above the text 'Willie Watersider - the go-slow (ex-Onslow) forward, generally asking somebody to back up, back out, back down, or back pay -' and in the corner is a player holding a ball that represents Karapiro above the text '-and of course, R. Semple, one of the best feat-bawlers in the country!'

Quantity: 1 original cartoon(s).

Physical Description: Ink and pencil on paper 380 x 490 mm