It’s been said that the pen is mightier than the sword. Montreal Gazette cartoonist Terry Mosher knows that power all too well.

For forty years the cartoonist who known as “Aislin” to his fans has wielded his drawing pen to lampoon Canadian politicians and the country’s changing political landscape.

From Parti Québécois founder René Lévesque to the Prime Minister Stephen Harper, no figure was off limits for Mosher.

“I’ve never worried about offending anyone. It’s a cartoonist’s job to poke fun at political figures, especially when they make mistakes. We’re doing what regular citizens cannot, but wish they could,” Mosher told CTVNews.ca on Tuesday.

Now the 69-year-old titan is paying tribute to some of Canada’s most audacious cartoonists in the new book “Caricature Cartoon Canada.”

The book will be featured at an exhibition of Canadian political cartoons at the McCord Museum of Canadian History in Montreal, and will be on display throughout the summer.

From Bob Krieger of The Vancouver Province to André-Philippe Côté of Quebec’s Le Soleil and Brian Gable of The Globe and Mail, Mosher handpicked the best of the best for this wickedly amusing book.

To unify this project, Mosher asked each colleague to submit the cartoons they felt they would be remembered for.

“The book reflects a mix of styles and viewpoints. But throughout it all you see that cartooning has been a powerful influence in Canada,” said Mosher.

Indeed, Mosher believes that political cartoons will continue to wield satirical power even in today’s age of technology.

“Satire and cartoons will survive. It will always have relevance,” said Mosher.

“I think every cartoonist, including myself, feels the pressures of a changing industry and the technology that’s influencing it today. But many cartoonists still produce the most popular items in Canadian newspapers. Those items still remain popular even on the web versions of these papers. To me that’s a good sign,” he said.

Mosher makes no apologies

Born in Ottawa in 1942, Mosher joined the Montreal Gazette in 1972.

Since then, Mosher’s drawings have appeared in numerous international publications such as The Washington Star, The New York Times, Punch, National Lampoon, and others.

One of Mosher’s best-remembered works by far remains a 1976 cartoon of René Levesque, where the Quebec politician was drawn saying “everybody take a Valium” to the province’s citizens.

The genesis of that statement came from Mosher’s own mind.

“In 1976 the first separatist government was elected in Quebec. The shock waves were felt everywhere. I just remembered thinking, everyone should just take a Valium,” Mosher said on Wednesday on CTV’s Canada AM.

That cartoon catch phrase became a pop culture hit in Canada. Even so, Mosher doesn’t consider it to be his favourite work.

“The cartoon that I’m going to draw tomorrow is my favourite,” Mosher said in an interview on CTV’s Canada AM on Wednesday.

That drive to keep working is what pushes Mosher on as he nears his 70th birthday in November, as does his passion for studying the subtle quirks in political figures.

Mosher’s eye for subtlety came in handy in June, during the Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists convention in Montreal.

Mosher had asked Justin Trudeau to open the festivities at the convention. The 40-year-old Liberal MP arrived on the scene with a host of props, including one surprising item.

“At the end he put on his dad’s famous canoe jacket and said ‘It fits,’” Mosher said.

Though the move may seem insignificant to some onlookers, to Mosher felt this was Trudeau’s subtle way of saying that he will run for the leadership of the Liberal Party.

“I know Justin. To me, that move was his way of ending any speculation about the next move in his career,” said Mosher.