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Censored cartoonists mock king in new mag

A group of artists who quit Spanish satirical magazine El Jueves on principle after it changed a cover image which mocked the royal family have hit back by launching their own title, 'Pride and Satisfaction'.

Censored cartoonists mock king in new mag
The title of the irreverent new satirical publication is a quote from the abdication speech of King Juan Carlos. Photo: Twitter/@orgulloysatisfa

El Jueves (Thursday) has long been Spain’s most popular satirical magazine but it was rocked by the walkout of many of its cartoonists in May after it changed a cover depicting King Juan Carlos placing a ‘crown of shit’ on Prince Felipe’s head.

Publishers RBA were reportedly unhappy with the anti-monarchy message and 60,000 copies were quickly recalled and binned.

A new print run with a cover featuring Podemos party politician Pablo Iglesias was delivered to newsstands instead, with the 'offending' image moved to the inside pages.

Outraged cover artist Albert Monteys announced his resignation on Twitter and was then followed by many of his co-workers.

Publishers RBA had allegedly informed El Jueves that they were not to run anything on the monarchy but the ploy to protect the royals backfired. Not only was the offending image seen more on social media than it would have been on the magazine cover but El Jueves lost much of its reputation along with its brightest talents.

But now the artists are back, with ‘Orgullo y Satisfacción’ (Pride and Satisfaction), the title of which is a quote from King Juan Carlos’s recent abdication speech.

The irreverent new magazine will go on sale on Wednesday, the day before the coronation of Spain’s new king. It will be available only via download from the website of publisher Caramba Cómics.

On their Twitter account @orgulloysatisfa, the writers have promised that the new title will deliver “a lot of laughs”.

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DIPLOMACY

Row at German art fair over ‘Erdogan with banana’ painting

A German artist complained Friday after his gallery took down a painting that depicts Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with a banana in his buttocks.

Row at German art fair over 'Erdogan with banana' painting
Photo: DPA

The provocative painting entitled “Turkish dictator” by Thomas Baumgärtel has sparked noisy complaints and protests at the art Karlsruhe fair.

The fair organisers tweeted that, amid the row, not they but the gallery owner had “decided to take down the caricature”.

Gallerist Michael Oess said he took the decision “to avoid trouble.”

“I have a certain responsibility toward other visitors,” he told national news agency DPA.

The artist wrote on Twitter that he had severed ties with his gallery after it had taken the decision “without consulting me”.

Baumgärtel is a street art pioneer also known as the Banana Sprayer whose trademark motif is an Andy Warhol-style banana.

The uproar started when a Turkish journalist Thursday filmed the picture with a smartphone while reporting online, said Oess.

The Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah reported on the painting, saying that to Turks it presented a “racist and vulgar attack” on their president.

Oess said the painting, part of the “Despots series — Trump, Kim and Erdogan”, had sold for 5,900 euros.

Germany is home to a three-million-strong ethnic Turkish community.

Erdogan has in the past sued TV comic Jan Böhmermann over a satirical poem, sparking a diplomatic row.

READ ALSO: Hamburg court bans large parts of poem insulting Erdogan