Baa Code

Last week’s blog was all about news stories coming round again. Well, it happened again this week and bit me on the bum. Another story that I’ve tackled at least three times in the past and each time thought I’d given it my best shot.

Seems the Lake District is suffering a spate of sheep rustling at present. Rather odd as it's not the sort of goods you’d expect your average hardened criminal to target. Gathering them into the swag bag would be tricky, let alone fencing them afterwards. 

It’s a topic which, although no fun for the farmer concerned, is pregnant with cartoon possibilities. Do the police have a flock squad? Do they put on a sheepskin and go undercover? Do they have underworld contacts to grass up the thieves?

I’ve done these and other cartoons on this subject over the years. Including the one in the title of this blog. (Turns out they really do bar code the sheep nowadays, so I should have patented that idea when I thought of it.)

So this week I was casting about, looking for a new angle. In the event, I came up with six (plus a token rude one to make sure the editor was paying attention). All of which meant that it got ver-r-r-r-y close to the 5.00 p.m. deadline before the final artwork went in via email.

The sketches are below and you can see the final, selected cartoon in the Westmorland Gazette tomorrow. Or over on my website. Don’t all flock at once.