Fawkes also produced political cartoons for "The Spectator" with George Melly as his author. The two also contributed occasionally to "Private Eye" and, beginning in 1962, the "New Statesman". Despite producing larger political cartoons for the "Daily Mail", his future role as Illingworth's successor as lead cartoonist was threatened by the paper's preference for the work of Gerald Scarfe. Fawkes therefore began submitting work to other publications, and he began contributing political cartoons to "The Observer". At "The Observer" he fell foul of the readership when some of his cartoons about the British royalty were described as being "grossly discourteous to the Queen". In 1967 Scarfe left the Mail and Fawkes' position at the paper became more secure, and in 1968 he stopped writing for "The Observer" to concentrate on "The Daily Mail".