‘Poor behaviour’ Cartoonist denies Serena Williams depiction is racist

Over the past 24 hours, a particular cartoon depiction of Serena Williams has been causing outrage online. 

The cartoon, by The Herald Sun artist Mark Knight, shows the tennis legend smashing her racket in a rage.

The cartoon has been widely criticised as being sexist and accused of using racist stereotypes. 

@Knightcartoons cartoon is not racist or sexist …. it rightly mocks poor behavior by a tennis legend … Mark has the full support of everyone @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/KWMT3QahJh

— damon johnston (@damonheraldsun) September 11, 2018

The newspaper's editor, Damon Johnston has defended the cartoon, writing on Twitter that it 'is not racist or sexist …. it rightly mocks poor behaviour by a tennis legend … Mark has the full support of everyone.' 

High profile figures have criticised the cartoon, including author JK Rowling. 

'Well done on reducing one of the greatest sportswomen alive to racist and sexist tropes and turning a second great sportswoman into a faceless prop,' she tweeted. 

Well done on reducing one of the greatest sportswomen alive to racist and sexist tropes and turning a second great sportswoman into a faceless prop. https://t.co/YOxVMuTXEC

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 10, 2018

Knight denied that the cartoon was racist, telling 3AW radio's Neil Mitchell:

'It's a cartoon about poor behaviour … People said I’m racist because I drew Serena as an African-American woman.'

'I drew her as a powerful figure, which is what she is. She's strongly built.'

Serena Williams has since been fined $17,000 for her outburst at the US Open Final.