Fawkes became "The Daily Mail"'s political cartoonist when Illingworth retired in 1969. That year he also replaced Illingworth as political cartoonist of "Punch". In 1971, "The Daily Mail" absorbed "The Daily Sketch", and the role of transforming the old paper from a broadsheet into a tabloid fell to the old "Sketch" editor David English. He gave the role of political cartoonist to Stan McMurtry and Fawkes was dropped from his old role. Fawkes returned to "The Observer" in 1971 and continued to work for "Punch". After "Flook" was cancelled in 1985, Fawkes worked briefly for "Today" and then served a short stint at the "London Daily News". During the 1980s he continued to contribute to "Punch" and "Private Eye", and for the "Observer" he drew a pocket cartoon named "mini-Trog". In 1996 he left "The Observer" and joined "The Sunday Telegraph", where he remained until failing eyesight forced him to retire in 2005.