4 NOVEMBER 1995, Page 32

No need to apologise

Sir: Studying Heath's Alice in Wonderland cartoon (Portrait of the week, 28 October), I wondered, not for the first time, why political cartoonists, when drawing inspira- tion from other artists or ideas, always sign `with apologies'. Surely the action of adapt- ing genius of the past, so long as it does not infringe copyright, is a tribute not an insult. It would be more logical were they to apol- ogise to the victims of their work, the public figures they so cruelly lampoon.

Tim Rice

31 The Terrace, London SW13