Submitted by Deborah Diebel,
Deep Water Gallery
Inside an Echo: 42 Years of Satirical Cartoons for the Wiarton Echo. An Exhibition of the work of local Cartoonist, Larry Isbester.
January 17th from 2 – 4 pm at Deep Water Gallery (in the alley alongside TD Bank in Wiarton). The show will continue until February 21st.
For more than four decades, Larry Isbester chronicled the political, social, and cultural life of Wiarton and the surrounding region through the sharp, observant lens of editorial cartooning. Cartooning since 1974, Isbester began contributing to the Wiarton Echo in the early 1980s and worked under contract beginning in 1984. Over a 42-year career with the paper, his cartoons became a familiar and anticipated part of local discourse. His final cartoon, published on February 1, 2024, fittingly marked the close of a career defined by consistency, wit, and civic engagement. His first and final cartoons featured local icon, Wiarton Willie.
Raised in Wiarton and a graduate of Wiarton District High School, Isbester’s early love of drawing emerged through constant doodling from grades one through eight. He credits his grade six and seven art teacher, Lotti Brough, as an early and lasting influence. Though he went on to earn a Bachelor of Science from the University of Guelph, drawing remained a parallel practice, one that eventually found its public voice in political cartooning.
Isbester began his career during a time when Ross Whicher served as Member of Parliament and Harold Silk was mayor of Wiarton, situating his work firmly within lived local history. Influenced by Canadian cartoonists such as Duncan Macpherson (Toronto Star), Donato (Toronto Sun), and Aislin (Montreal Gazette), his cartoons balance humour with critique, distilling complex political moments into accessible visual commentary. As a member of the Association of Canadian Cartoonists, Isbester’s work reflects a deep commitment to the role of satire in democratic conversation and to the power of drawing as a record of community life.
Larry’s cartoon retrospective will be show at Deep Water Gallery from mid-January until mid-February. The show will open on January 17th between 2 pm and 4 pm. All are invited to attend either the opening or regular gallery hours to view the show. Deep Water Gallery is located in the alley alongside the TD Bank in Wiarton, and regular hours are Thursday to Saturday, 11 am – 4 pm.
Deep Water Gallery thanks the Wiarton Home Hardware Building Centre, The Wiarton Chamber of Commerce, and The Tobermory Press for their support of this show.
