Get exclusive t-shirts designed by Ralph Steadman for Big Issue readers

Want to own a piece of modern-day cultural criticism, a satirical take on these impossibly turbulent political times that you can not only hold in your hands – but wear?

The agent provocateur of political satire Ralph Steadman, who has been terrorising the establishment for more than 50 years, has teamed up with The Big Issue to create an exclusive line that’s for sale right now.

“I saw him as a scatty clown,” Steadman told The Big Issue about illustrating Boris Johnson for the magazine. “Actually, I wouldn’t say clown because that’s an insult to a clown. Clowns can be quite funny and nice. But not Johnson.”

The incredible cover is available in t-shirt form via the Big Issue Shop. Not only that, but Steadman created TWO more bespoke t-shirt designs just for us. You can pick up the exclusive items from £20 and support The Big Issue’s mission to dismantle poverty in the process.

Here’s how Ralph created the latest artwork, out today on @BigIssue. Buy your copy today! @beaukerouac #borisbigissue#helpthehomeless#ralphsteadmandrawing#beau pic.twitter.com/xx50DRLyUm

— Ralph Steadman Art (@SteadmanArt) September 16, 2019

If a t-shirt or vest isn’t your thing, the striking Fear and Proroguing cover is available on a mug for just £12.00.

BigIssue Boris Shop

And if you missed the issue entirely, it can be purchased from the shop too.

One of the exclusive t-shirts, named The Ascent of Man and Woman, was designed by Steadman to convey the relentless homelessness crisis.

Ralph-S-Ascent-Colour-vest-mens

“I thought I would change the world – and in fact, all these years later, I have changed the world,” he said. “It’s worse than it was when I started. There are so many different people trying to help the homeless, but as they help those homeless, more and more homeless come along.”

Available from your friendly neighbour vendor!#borisbigissue #thebigissue #ralphsteadman #beaukerouac https://t.co/RMdUjcKhxG pic.twitter.com/W5HFlKrobh

— Ralph Steadman Art (@SteadmanArt) September 16, 2019

Another, dubbed View from Rough Sleeper Mountain, takes an empathetic look at the desperate situations many rough sleepers are forced into.

Steadman’s career began in the 1960s when he was actively engaged in the political system.

In 1970 he travelled to the USA, and a meeting with Hunter S Thompson would change the direction of both of their lives. The article they collaborated on, The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved, exposed a wilder side of both artists and kickstarted a relationship that peaked with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.