In 1987, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich published Spitting Images, a photo book collecting portraits of the grotesque puppet characters from the hit British satirical TV show of the same name. The text was written by Sean Kelly, a well-known contributor to National Lampoon. Together, the photographs and Kelly’s writing captured the show at the peak of its cultural reach.
The puppets were built by a team of sculptors and designers who pushed every feature to its extreme. Margaret Thatcher’s sharp nose and rigid posture, Ronald Reagan’s wide grin and blank stare — nothing was subtle. Each figure was designed to be instantly recognizable and openly ridiculous at the same time. The goal was to provoke, and the designs delivered.
Thatcher’s puppet appeared frequently throughout the book. She was dressed in a man’s suit — a direct jab at her reputation for hard, domineering leadership. Her puppet wore an icy glare and an expression of open contempt. Kelly’s captions sharpened the mockery further, turning her into a symbol of rigid authoritarianism.
The still photographs gave readers something the fast pace of television rarely allowed — time to study the craftsmanship up close. Every wrinkle, bulging eye, and warped proportion was on full display. The exaggerated scale and bold colors of each puppet became even more striking in print.
Kelly’s writing matched the visual excess of the puppets. His captions and commentary exaggerated the same traits the sculptors had already pushed to the limit, delivering a second layer of ridicule on top of the first. Politicians, celebrities, and royals all received the same treatment — no subject was handled gently.
American entertainers filled a large portion of the book alongside the political figures. Rock stars, comedians, and film icons were all fair game. The captions for each reflected Kelly’s background in sharp, irreverent humor — punchy, pointed, and often absurd.
World leaders outside the U.S. and U.K. also made appearances. Libyan leader Muammar Al-Qaddafi, British royals, and other international figures were all sculpted and mocked with the same commitment to excess. No national border limited who was eligible for a puppet.
