"Show Her a Good Husband", the Counsellor Said...

This cartoon takes place during a marriage guidance counselling session. The husband is proudly showing the counsellor a photo of a friend, prompting her to clarify that when she asked him to “show her a good husband,” she didn’t mean a photo of one of his mates!

The humour comes from the husband’s complete misunderstanding of the counsellor’s request – taking it literally rather than as an invitation to reflect on his own behaviour. It’s a playful take on the kind of crossed wires that can happen in conversations, especially when someone takes a figure of speech at face value.

The joke works visually too – the man’s earnest expression, the counsellor’s exasperated look, and the innocent logic behind his mistake all combine to create a classic moment of cartoon misunderstanding.

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See more of my cartoons at www.nigelsutherland.co.uk

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Husband being Awkward!

This cartoon takes place in a marriage guidance office, where the conversation between husband and wife has clearly reached a familiar impasse. 

The humour comes from the surreal visual twist - the husband is calmly sitting on a chair fixed to the ceiling, while the wife sits on the floor in a perfectly normal way. 

Her line, “See what I mean about being awkward?”, ties the whole thing together. What might normally be a complaint about a stubborn or difficult partner is taken to a literal extreme - he’s not just awkward in personality, he’s awkward in position too. 

The gag works because it combines everyday relationship friction with absurd visual logic, making it both recognisable and delightfully ridiculous at the same time.

Funny cartoon of mine which is now available on a number of items...

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Living Life to the Full - One of My Relate Gag...

This cartoon has a caption that plays on the phrase "living life to the full".

Three individuals are seated at a table, possibly in a counselling or support group setting, indicated by the sign "RELATE".

One person is speaking about another individual who "lives life to the full."

The humour comes from the clarification that "living life to the full" in this context actually means consuming "about fourteen pints" of alcohol daily.

This cartoon was printed in The Sun newspaper on 15th October, 2002.

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The Hidden Bottle Opener

The main feature of this post is my cartoon titled “Bottle Opener”, which was originally published in The Sun newspaper on 17th April 2002. 

Set in the familiar backdrop of a Marriage Guidance office, the scene shows a couple in the midst of a counselling session. The wife makes a wry confession – she has been hiding her husband’s bottle opener. 

It’s a simple but clever gag that instantly connects with readers, especially as it plays on everyday domestic habits and marital frustrations.

The humour works because it captures the kind of petty but recognisable tension that can crop up in relationships. 

Instead of focusing on major issues, the cartoon draws its laugh from the trivial yet telling detail of a missing bottle opener – a symbol of the husband’s fondness for drink, and the wife’s way of making her point. 

Like many of my cartoons, it uses a familiar setting and a quick twist to deliver an instant smile, highlighting the ups and downs of everyday married life.

The Sun - April 17th 2002

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