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Nearly four in ten American households now use a video doorbell and about one in three have an outdoor smart camera, according to new research.

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May 1, 2011 was a day like any other on the agenda of Jeffrey Epstein, less than two years after leaving the Florida jail where he served time for procuring a minor for prostitution. This is how that day played out, according to declassified documents from the U.S. government: at 9:30 a.m., breakfast with the diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen. At 11 a.m., a meeting with Nick Ribis, a former executive for Donald Trump’s hotels. At 1 p.m., an appointment with the journalist Michael Wolff. At 5 p.m., another appointment with Howard Lutnick, current U.S. Secretary of Commerce. At 6:30 p.m., dinner with the filmmaker Woody Allen and his wife Soon-Yi Previn, along with other guests like the neuroscientist Steve Kosslyn and hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin. At 8:30 p.m., another dinner in the home of designer Vera Wang.

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Methodological note

When selecting the most relevant individuals mentioned in the Justice Department documents, EL PAÍS decided to place significant emphasis on the nature of the relationship these individuals had with Epstein. For that reason, we have not included people who are mentioned in the documents, but for whom there is no substantial evidence of contact with the pedophile and his inner circle. For example, we do not mention former King of Spain Juan Carlos I, whose name appears in millions of documents because he was mentioned by an actress, nor José María Aznar, whose only link to Epstein, according the declassified documents, is that his name appears on two shipping receipts issues by the sexual criminal. Nor have we included Alberto Cortina, to whose business Epstein was connected through third parties, but who does not appear to have had direct contact with the criminal.

Steve Bell, one of Britain’s foremost cartoonists, has spent over four decades satirising the Royal Family and public figures with his sharp wit and exaggerated portrayals, sparing no one—not even Charles III. Our latest exhibition, The Windsor Tapestry (open until 20 March), features Bell’s 28-meter tapestry inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry. Comprising 98 cartoons chronicling Charles III’s life from 1980 to 2023, it weaves a dual narrative: the modern monarchy through Charles’s lens and the creative evolution of a cartoonist dedicated to holding power to account.

The exhibition also explores Bell’s other critiques of figures, such as Margaret Thatcher, John Major, and Tony Blair, and offers a glimpse into his creative process. How does he bring his ideas to life, and what inspires his sharp, fearless style? We spoke to Bell to uncover a few more secrets behind his work.

Steve Bell
Steve Bell (born 1951) is one of the most revered figures in British cartooning. With a career spanning over 40 years, he is best known for his If… comic strip in The Guardian (1981-2021). He also has been one of the trustees of the Cartoon Museum for over 20 years and curated the ‘Drawing Life’, the display of the museum’s permanent collection in the main gallery of the new Wells Street site.

How long do you let a sketch evolve before you think “This is it”? 
Sketches tend to evolve as you’re doing them, and you have to try things out to see if they work. I came up with the Boris-as-an-arse thing in 2014 while he was still Mayor of London and I drew him as a tube train coming out of a tunnel, but I didn’t start using it regularly until five years later in 2019, just before he became Prime Minister. My caricature of him was pretty rudimentary anyway, dominated by the mop of blonde hair. Drawing him as an arse seemed to work very well after that and it saved a lot of time as it was so quick and simple when I had to draw him more frequently.

Steve Bell, “Effocracy,” The Guardian (January 2021). Image courtesy of the artist and the Cartoon Museum, London.

How do you capture ideas when they pop up unexpectedly?  
Ideas come in all sorts of ways and in all sorts of places, but usually as a result of thinking hard about what I’m trying to say. The trick is to see when something might work, and strip cartoons depend on ideas being recognisable, simple and repeatable. I always found it helpful to go to party conferences and soak it all up, take pictures and make sketches which were/are very useful later.

Portrait of Margaret Thatcher (black felt pen), Steve Bell

How do you keep track of daily topics, political events, or current affairs that you might want to use as subjects later? 
I keep track of politics by following the news and reading the papers avidly, which obviously I do less these days. I used to have Radio 4 on from 6am onwards, except when I actually had to sit down and think of something, in which case I find that most background chat and music gets in the way of thinking. When I’ve finally cracked how I’m going to do something, the Radio, or music, or, these days, an audiobook or whatever, can come back on while I get on with the finished drawing. If an idea comes unexpectedly I try to note it down in a sketchbook, or at the very least make a strong mental note so it doesn’t disappear forever.

Are there any new characters or subjects you want to portray now? 
I keep track of politics by following the news and reading the papers avidly, which obviously I do less these days. I used to have Radio 4 on from 6am onwards, except when I actually had to sit down and think of something, in which case I find that most background chat and music gets in the way of thinking. When I’ve finally cracked how I’m going to do something, the Radio, or music, or, these days, an audiobook or whatever, can come back on while I get on with the finished drawing. If an idea comes unexpectedly I try to note it down in a sketchbook, or at the very least make a strong mental note so it doesn’t disappear forever.

Steve Bell

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Cartoonists carefully craft striking, consistent imagery to make figures instantly recognisable and memorable. These creations go beyond humour, shaping public opinion, influencing politics, and leaving a lasting mark on our everyday life. We invite you to explore the artistry of Steve Bell and the profound impact of caricature at this exhibition.

by Haruka Katsuyama
All drawings, cartoons copyright ©Steve Bell 1977-2025- All Rights Reserved.

Exhibition Information:

Our current exhibition, The Windsor Tapestry (open until 27 March), features Bell’s cartoons spread sequentially across a 28-meter printed fabric tapestry, inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry.

References:

Belltoons – The Steve Bell Cartoons Website

https://www.belltoons.co.uk/

Steve Bell Profile (The Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/profile/stevebell

When Austin Bell first visited Hong Kong in 2017, he was struck by the chromatic vibrancy of its public basketball courts. Coming from the U.S., where these surfaces are often the neutral and uninteresting textures of asphalt and other materials, he was compelled to document the range of vivid color combinations, especially within the context of high-rise neighborhoods and urban infrastructure.

Bell set out to capture 2,549 outdoor basketball courts around Hong Kong—every single one there is in the region. The resulting series, SHOOTING HOOPS, not only highlights the physical courts but conveys a unique portrait of the region and the spaces where people can mingle. “To me, basketball courts are one of the most interesting subjects for aerial photography because they look so different from above than the ground,” Bell tells Colossal. “Their flatness and geometric design become an almost extraterrestrial tableau—like concrete crop
circles.”

For such a densely populated place, Bell’s images are often devoid of people, giving the colorful scenes a subtle ghostly feel. Looking closely, though, you can often see passersby out and about, illustrating the abiding popularity of these urban recreation parks. “One of the newest ones is at a playground called Chung Sing, which is so named for the sound a bell makes, so the designers stylized the surrounding area with audio waveforms,” Bell says.

Bell captured the photos in 2019, trawling Google Maps’ satellite imagery and using his drone to explore spaces between buildings and trees. Over the course of 140 days of shooting during multiple visits, he took more than 40,000 photos. He often photographed from dawn to dusk, and it wasn’t unusual for him to shoot upwards of 100 courts in a day. Once, he meticulously planned a route and captured a mind-boggling 475 courts in a single day.

“The insane became mundane,” Bell says in a statement. “I had become an obsessive completist, unable to rest until I found every court in the city. My obsession was fueled by two desires: to show an unseen perspective of Hong Kong and to fully explore a city that I feel so captivated by.”

Find more on Bell’s Instagram, and purchase the photo book from his webshop.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Austin Bell Chronicles Every Single One of Hong Kong’s 2,549 Basketball Courts appeared first on Colossal.