Gerald Scarfe
A merciless satirical artist whose grotesque and fluid caricatures have skewered British politicians and animated Pink Floyd's darkest visions.
Born 1936 (age 90)·English cartoonist, illustrator, animator·Birthday: June 1·The Silent Generation
Biography
Gerald Scarfe's pen has dripped with vitriol for over half a century, shaping how Britain sees its powerful. His style—a nightmarish blend of the grotesque and the fluid—turns politicians into bloated, grasping creatures, their flaws magnified into monstrous anatomy. He found his perfect home at The Sunday Times, where his weekly cartoons became a cultural event. His vision extended beyond print; his collaboration with Pink Floyd on 'The Wall' produced some of rock's most indelible animated sequences, with marching hammers and a devouring schoolmaster. Scarfe's work is never gentle. It is a sustained, furious interrogation of hypocrisy and authority, proving that a drawing could be as damaging as a front-page exposé and as haunting as a psychedelic nightmare.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Gerald was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gerald Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Gerald's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Age 90 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the political cartoonist for The Sunday Times for over 50 years, defining British satirical art.
- Created the iconic animation sequences for Pink Floyd's film and tour of 'The Wall,' including the 'Trial' sequence.
- Designed sets and costumes for numerous operas and stage productions, including Disney's 'Hercules' for which he served as production designer.
- Published multiple collections of his work and was the subject of major retrospectives at London's National Portrait Gallery and the British Museum.
- Illustrated covers and features for The New Yorker, bringing his distinctive style to an American audience.
Did You Know?
He suffered from severe asthma as a child and spent long periods drawing in bed, which he credits for developing his style.
His first major break was a cartoon of President de Gaulle published in the Daily Mail in 1961.
He is married to actress Jane Asher, who was once engaged to Paul McCartney.
He directed the 1982 television film 'The Wall' for Pink Floyd.
A collection of his original drawings is held in the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
“I try to draw the inner person, not the outer shell. I'm interested in the corruption inside.”
