Bill English recalls his favourite John Clarke moments
The hashtag #PutOutYourGumboots - with people putting their gumboots at their door and photographing them - is gathering steam on social media as fans of John Clarke mourn the comedian.
Clarke, who produced highly reagrded satirical work in both New Zealand and Australia, died while birdwatching in Victorian bushland onSunday.
Clad in gumboots and a black singlet, Clarke's best known creation, Fred Dagg, was played with such conviction that to many New Zealanders, he was a real person. He was such a hit that those well-known gumboots now are housed in Te Papa.
Fans on both sides of the Tasman are sharing gumboot photos.
Australian cricketer Phil Hughes' untimely death in 2014 was marked by fans sharing the hashtag #PutYourBatsOut.
"So sad, he brought a lot of smiles to many faces," wrote Dusty Miller on Facebook.
"The essence of kiwi humour has suffered a great loss with Murray Ball and now John Clarke," wrote Tania Archibald.
Charlie Wilson called Clarke an "icon of Kiwi entertainment".
Several New Zealand celebrities have also expressed their sadness on Twitter.
"RIP John Clarke," said Taika Waititi on Twitter. "Hugely influential to me and my mates, he was one of the fathers of NZ's style of comedy. We all copied him at some point."
"Bloody sad news," said John Campbell.
Guy Williams called Clarke "top class", saying he was "not properly recognised as New Zealand's sharpest political comedian".
RIP John Clarke. Hugely influential to me and my mates, he was one of the fathers of NZ's style of comedy. We all copied him at some point.
