In 40 days’ time, on October 2, it will be the 35th anniversary of my first cartoon appearing in Roamer’s Column of The Sunday Times.

I shall not here dwell again on what made me turn to political caricature. I have done that in my three books: Nalizperla – A Worm’s Eyeview, Blame it on Dom and Blame it on Ed as well as in The Times and The Sunday Times centrespreads celebrating the 20th and 30th anniversaries of my cartoons in these newspapers.

The only difference between then and now is that the man who was the cause of my acknowledging the existence of the world of politics has now passed on.

Much has been written about Dom since then; a sharp reflection of each individual’s experience of Dom and his powerful, domineering personality.

Some have suffered irrevocably, others stood to gain immensely – I doubt if there existed the grey, in between, individuals at all.

My now established logo of the sun (and the three birds representing my immediate family) which I started drawing in each cartoon some time back, reflects my own recognition of hope despite the personal, 10-year nightmare between 1977 and 1987. After all, I firmly believe that hope – in the profane sense – is one’s ability to caricature despair!

Without Dom I wouldn’t be publishing this...perhaps!