Not sorry enough

In what some people were calling an epiphany, convicted rapist Brad Shipton reportedly confessed to his crime before the Parole Board and expressed remorse for his wretched behaviour over the years – finally acknowledging the pain and suffering he'd inflicted upon others. Then, just as his victims were welcoming the news, he apparently recanted, explaining through his lawyer that "contrition is hardly a confession". He had committed many immoral and disgusting acts over the years, he said, but they were not necessarily illegal and he still maintained he was innocent. Yeah right.

Isn't this exactly the kind of moral equivocation that got him into trouble in the first place – the reasoning he used to justify his unseemly actions while serving in the police force? It's the old Bill Clinton logic of "I smoked but didn't inhale," which allows somebody to avoid responsibility while still indulging in unlawful activities, and it shows that he – like his buddy Bob Schollum – are completely unrehabilitated and do not deserve to be released yet. Sceptics of Shipton's volte face said he was only apologising to please the Parole Board, and it looks as if they were right.

I was wondering how to illustrate this story when I decided to use a setup I've employed before. The "kid trashing the house" metaphor is always fun to draw, and couching a serious topic in such an innocent scenario is a disarming and humorous way to make people think about the nasty things Shipton did. It works on a lot of levels, especially by comparing Shipton to a child who has yet to learn the difference between wrong and right.

Which is exactly what he is.

Like a lot of people, I'm always excited by the announcement of a new All Blacks team. Each season is a clean slate, wiped of the previous year's failures and ready to be written with great achievements. It's a time of hope and high expectations, and the selection of players provides endless opportunity to pontificate about the choices and how effective they'll be.

But this year my enthusiasm was tempered with a bit of wariness and reserve. I couldn't help but feel that by retaining Graham Henry after the World Cup debacle, the slate remained sullied. The purge of tired old athletes and the introduction of new blood is great (in most cases), but how significant will it be if the coaching team has failed to change? My apprehension was compounded by the departure of Robbie Deans after his triumphant Super 14 win, and a foreboding sense that our best chance for winning the World Cup in 2011 was slipping away to Australia.

Thinking about this, I kept returning to the image of a new model car replacing the old wrecked one. Except in this case the driver remains the same: a crash test dummy doomed to repeat himself. I initially chose not to use any words, then added some in the pencil stage, then changed my mind once more and decided to let the readers make their own inferences. I think the final version is stronger; how about you?

Saturday's cartoon, hot on the heels of another record Fonterra dairy payout. I was trying to think outside the square here – to have a little fun and bring something lighthearted to the weekend pages. As I was ruminating about cows I remembered how revered they are to the Hindus in India, and it struck me as quirky that a cow enjoying the good life there could want to live somewhere else. This was a great piece to illustrate, and is a departure from some of my more cartoony work.

And finally, another shameless plug of my new book. I had my launch and signing in Nelson this weekend, and copies are now available. I'm going to link some ordering info to this site, but if you haven't seen my previous post, here how to get your own:

You can pay with credit card by ordering through Page and Blackmore booksellers.

Or you can receive a signed copy by posting NZ$25 (cheque or cash) to: Mike Moreu, PO Box 1454, Nelson 7040

It's 80 pages, professionally glue-bound with a colourful soft cover, and it includes some of my favourite work from the past year and a half. They make great gifts, and I'll happily inscribe whatever you wish inside.