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Closet cartoonist

Broadcast Date: Jan. 12, 1978

"Basically I can't draw," Atwood tells CBC's Peter Gzowski as she illustrates a few of her cartoon characters. The accomplished writer is also a cartoonist for This Magazine. Using the pseudonym Bart Gerrard, Atwood's Kanadian Kulture Komic deals with issues such as nationalism and sexual politics. Atwood displays her sense of humour saying she knew her cartoons were being read when she began to receive hate mail addressed to Bart Gerrard.

Kanadian Kulture Komic, spelt with Ks because it's "just one of those stupid jokes," follows the adventures of Survival Woman. Atwood, an established novelist, poet, storywriter and now cartoonist, talks about being one of the most written about writers in Canada. "You're supposed to do one thing," she says, "if you do more than that, people get confused and want to write about you."

Closet cartoonist

• This Magazine is Canada's longest-publishing alternative journal. Originally called This Magazine is About Schools, the magazine was founded in 1966 by a group of activists. The current version of This Magazine covers everything from Canadian politics, pop culture and the arts.
• Journalist Rick Salutin convinced his friend Margaret Atwood to join the magazine, which resulted in the Kanadian Kulture Komic strip.

• Her pseudonym for her cartoon strips came from the initials of a 19th century political cartoonist who simply signed his name as B.G.
• The May/June 1978 issue of This Magazine included an ad for a set of 10 Survival Woman cards "ineptly drawn by Bart Gerrard."
• Atwood uses the name O.W. Toad, which is an anagram of Atwood, for the copyright of her books. It's also the domain name of her website.

Closet cartoonist

Medium: Television

Program: 90 Minutes Live

Broadcast Date: Jan. 12, 1978

Guest(s): Margaret Atwood

Host: Peter Gzowski

Duration: 14:32

Last updated:
March 5, 2008