By the time A Christmas Carol was published in 1843, John Leech, an aspiring doctor who left medial school to pursue art, had made a name for himself as one of the most famous caricaturists in London. Credited with creating the very first political cartoon, Leech worked for the satirical and wildly popular Punch magazine. Drawn to his gentle targeting of issues rather than individuals, Charles Dickens’ choice of Leech as his illustrator for A Christmas Carol guaranteed its success. Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but with a first edition copy, Leech’s pictures are worth over 8,000 dollars.