author
H. M. (Henry Mayo) Bateman
1887–1970
Best known for the wildly expressive "The Man Who..." cartoons, this British humorist turned tiny social slip-ups into scenes of glorious chaos. His drawings were sharp, theatrical, and so popular that they helped define British comic illustration between the wars.
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About the author
Born in Sutton Forest, New South Wales, on February 15, 1887, Henry Mayo Bateman moved to England as a small child and trained at the Westminster School of Art and Goldsmiths College in London. He began publishing while still young and went on to contribute to magazines including The Tatler and Punch, becoming one of the best-known cartoonists of his time.
Bateman is remembered above all for his The Man Who... series, in which a single social blunder sets off a chain of horrified reactions. Those cartoons captured class manners, embarrassment, and public awkwardness with a wonderfully exaggerated style that still feels lively and modern. He also worked as an illustrator, painter, and advertising artist, showing a range that went beyond his most famous joke format.
Later in life he spent time in Malta, where he died on February 11, 1970. Though fashions in humor changed, his best work has lasted because it makes human discomfort instantly recognizable — and very funny.