[6] Unlike the early war time cartoons of David Low and others, Zec depicted the Nazi regime as snakes and vultures, implying a sinister side in contrast to the "buffoons" drawn by his peers.
[5] Appearing in the 6 March 1942 edition, the cartoon featured a Merchant Navy seaman adrift in rough waters clinging to the remains of a ship, apparently torpedoed by a German submarine.
"[6] According to Zec, the cartoon was intended to illustrate that wasting fuel had serious consequences in terms of the risks taken (and the lives lost) by seamen bringing it to the country.
William Connor (pen name "Cassandra") suggested the revised caption, believing Zec's effort lacked impact.
Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour, argued that Zec's work lowered the morale of the armed forces and the general public.
[3][11] Churchill called on MI5 to investigate Zec's background, which revealed nothing more sinister than the fact he had left-wing sympathies and found no evidence of him being involved in subversion.
"[6] The cartoon had sufficient impact for Herbert Morrison to ask Zec to help with Labour publicity for the 1945 General Election with the politician dismissing his comments just three years previously on the premise that: "everybody makes mistakes", Zec obtained a belated apology and, as a result on the morning of the election "Don't lose it again!’" was reprinted taking up the entire front page of the Mirror.
Between 1950 and 1952, he was employed as editor of the Sunday Pictorial[4] while continuing to draw for the Daily Mirror until he left in 1954, succeeded in the role of cartoonist by Victor Weisz,[3] or 'Vicky' as he was better known.