After deciding that it was time for another witch article, I looked for a suitable subject.
I remembered three witch pictures from the distant past that I particularly liked; I did some online research and found that they were the work of cartoonist and illustrator Malcolm Bird, who has designed greeting cards, books, calendars and comic strips and whose pictures have been published in many magazines and newspapers.
This article features s a few typical examples of his witch pictures.
The 'witchy pics' I remembered were on Gallery Five cards.
I like the Halloween colours and motifs in Spido; I also like the details such as the mermaid in the goldfish bowl and the flying vultures on the wall. The witch looks very comfortable and contented in her cosy little cottage:
Mon Repos shows the witch's cottage from outside. She is enjoying the fresh air and sunshine while Spido brings the newspaper, the mermaid dives into the water butt and her neighbour looks on:
Malcolm Bird turned the characters on the cards into a comic strip:
The Witch's Handbook is another of Malcolm Bird's productions. This book “Advises potential witches about interior decoration, spells, fortune telling, gardening, cookie making, old wives' tales, beauty secrets, and fashion.”
Judging by some online images, this book is very amusing and well worth reading; it is packed with witch pics. Unfortunately, the few copies available are very expensive: the asking price for one paperback edition is over £1,000! It was first published in 1984; I wish that I had known about it at the time: I would have bought a copy for myself.
More information about Malcolm Bird and his works can be found on his website:
