Whilst I was at the '05 G8 Protest (The one that was condemned by Bob Geldolf and Wossname from U2 for ‘Not representing what the Rock the World stands for’. And quite right too), there was a point when having gotten into central Scotland, which was effectively sealed off from the rest of Scotland (The inhabitants had to have ID cards to live there), and then through a series of Guerrilla Movements to within 10 miles of the Gleneagles Hotel, I came to where ‘The Siege’ began.

 

Here, the Clown Army  http://www.clownarmy.org/  spearheaded an advance through the barricades into a field and began the long walk towards the famous hotel where the 'Leaders of the Free World' were carving up the Free Economy to keep the Rich, Rich and keep the Starving, Starving.

Then the USAF Chinooks descended to debouch the riot-gear’d UK Police, who tore into the Clown Army as they were trained to by techniques learned in Southern America.   The film crews were set up conveniently on little platforms around the breach in the fence and it all looked suspiciously as if this were a staged event.

 

“Bugger me!” I thought “This is completely Judge Dredd!”.  Then I ran. Like everyone else.

 

So when I got home and saw that after all the thousands of shots that the press must have gotten of the event, they only seemed to have a few shots of a bloodied protestor (No-one asks “Who cracked this guys skull?”  The headlines said things like ‘The face of hatred’),  I didn’t feel there was any damn point in painting pictures of spaceships, aliens or even girls in tight spacesuits.    

So I painted the first of what I’m now calling the ‘Schaden Pictures’.  

 

Schaden (You clever people) means something between ‘Damage’ and ‘Shame’  most often used in the excellent word ‘Schadenfreude’.   I have far more of these pictures to draw than I have spare time to allot to them. The world is full of Schaden pictures and, Christ knows, I’d like there to be an infinite amount less.

 

Any Protest organisation that wants to use these, please go right ahead. That’s just what they’re there for. If you start making money from it (as opposed to covering your costs), I want 10%.

But, you know what?    I don’t think anyone out there is that bothered ... 

Madonna’s still shifting Unit.       Now laugh.