Jun 29 2009
As part of my 25th anniversary as an editorial cartoonist, every week I
will be highlighting cartoons I drew on the same day and month in
another year. Here are a random selection of cartoons published on June 29th.
The first one, from 1989, shows President Bush (41) addressing Ku Klux Klan members. He was dead set against using racial quotas to level the playing field. He also favored a flag-burning amendment. The second one, from 1996, was drawn after the Russian election, when Communist Party candidate Gennady Zyuganov lost to Yeltsin. The animated Disney film, Hunchback of Notre Dame came out the same year. The third one, from 2000, satirizes the purchase of Nabisco by Philip Morris. Nabisco makes Fig Newtons. Mmmm, Fig Newtons.
Jun 29 2009
I hate drawing obituary cartoons! First of all, they almost always end up being overly sentimental, it's the nature of the beast. Second, they don't really serve much purpose except to say someone died and we are sorry about it. So, it is very rare when I choose to draw the dreaded obit cartoon. When I have to draw someone I have mixed feelings about, like Michael Jackson, it becomes that much harder.
As you can see from the previous post, I have drawn plenty of cartoons critical of Jacko's more eccentric and even creepy side. When he passed away on Thursday, I made a conscious decision to comment on his impact on the world of pop music rather than revisit his darker side. Here is my tribute obit cartoon that ran in yesterday's paper. I used the astronaut because it reminded me of MTV's original logo. In the end, even though it was an obit cartoon and I hate drawing obit cartoons, I was pleased with the cartoon.
Jun 26 2009
Michael Jackson wasn't just the "King Of Pop" ... he was also the "King Of Editorial Cartoons." You can see my Michael Jackson tribute cartoon in Sunday's paper.
In the mean time, let's take a look back at some of my favorite Jacko cartoons. In 1988, Jackson released his album "Bad." At the same time, President George H. W. Bush was fighting his own "wimp factor." It made the perfect metaphor. In 1991, I used Michal Jackson's song "Black Or White" (from his "Dangerous" album) as a segue to criticize Bush's anti-quota policy.
In 1994, Michael Jackson shocked the world when he married Lisa Marie Presley. Many felt it was nothing more than a publicity stunt to distract people from Jackson's legal battle against child abuse charges. Either way, I can just imagine what her dad would've thought.
In 2002, Jackson was videotaped hanging his baby over a railing of his
German hotel room. Perhaps he wasn't meant to be around small children.
In a 2003 BBC interview with Martin Bashir, 14 million viewers tuned in
to watch Michael Jackson say he thought it was fine for a 45-year-old
man to sleep with small boys.
What do you think? Was Michael Jackson a criminal or just a misunderstood superstar? To comment, all you need to do is register here one time and then sign in here anytime you want to
access the blog and leave a comment.
Jun 24 2009
As part of my 25th anniversary as an editorial cartoonist, every week I
will be highlighting cartoons I drew on the same day and month in
another year. Here are a random selection of cartoons published on June 24th.
In 1988, the
Supreme Court upheld a New York City law banning sex
discrimination in private clubs. The ruling was aimed at men's clubs and the "old boys network." Women and women's rights groups were happy about the ruling, although I don't think any of them were eager to actually go to the clubs.
In 1996, Bob Woodward wrote in a book in which Hillary Clinton revealed that she had imaginary conversations with Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor told her to keep an eye on the intern!
In 2001, a man was sentenced to three years in prison for tossing a fluffy little dog to its death in a bout of road rage in California. The story of the little dog's demise turned into a media feeding frenzy.
In 2004, a class action suit was filed against Wal-Mart for sex discrimination in the workplace. At the time, men
held two-thirds of all store management positions and over 90% of the
top store manager positions.
To comment, all you need to do is register here one time and then sign in here anytime you want to
access the blog and leave a comment.
Jun 23 2009
Here are a few cartoons published on this day, June 23rd, in assorted years. First up, flag burning! This cartoon was drawn in 1989 when talk of a flag-burning amendment was all the buzz in Washington. Who did they think all these people were burning flags? The proposed legislation was an affront to free speech. Over the years, whenever politicians are uncomfortable with their poll numbers, they pull out flag-burning to distract the public.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I have trouble sleeping when anyone named Bush is in the White House! This cartoon was published on June 23rd, 1991.
Remember Lorena Bobbitt and the Menendez brothers? Remember the O.J. trial? Imagine trying to pass comprehensive health care in 1994 with all that going on. Poor Bill Clinton! Speaking of health care, check out today's CARTOON!
Iran is once again struggling for for free and fair elections. (Here is my Sunday cartoon about IRAN.) It's hard to believe that back in 1998 the only activity in the streets of Iran was World Cup Madness. This was only Iran's second time going to the tournament. They ended up beating America, their first World Cup victory ever, and then losing to Germany.
Jun 19 2009
As part of my 25th anniversary as an editorial cartoonist, every week I
will be highlighting cartoons I drew on the same day and month in
another year. Here are a random selection of cartoons published on June 19th.
First, is today's cartoon showing Obama as a Superhero saving a citizen from the economy and health care costs. The woman is complaining that he is too "Socialist." I am so tired of hearing people complain that Obama's actions are dragging us from Capitalism into Socialism. What a bunch of hooey! He is doing what needs to be done to get us back on track. Republican deregulation is what got us into this mess, not Obama. How soon they forget.
Next up is a cartoon from 1990, the year the movie Dick Tracy came out. It was around the same time that Bush (41) was wasting energy pushing for a ban on flag burning. In 1991, South Africa ended its brutal policy of Apartheid. The 20th anniversary of Watergate was celebrated in 1992. Forget the Swine Flu ... in 2003, it was all about the Monkey Pox.
Jun 17 2009
I can't even skate a straight line. That's what I would say to Sidney Crosby if I saw him. When people say that to me (substituting "draw" for "skate"), I always laugh because, technically, nobody can draw a straight line without the help of a ruler. I wonder if that's true for hockey as well. Cartooning isn't skating. In my mind, it takes a lot less innate talent to do what I do than to do what Sidney Crosby does. He may argue with that. I don't know, I've never seen him draw. Either way, we both have a lot of fun going to work every day.
Here is my cartoon of Sidney Crosby coming into the diner in my local Brewed On Grant strip. He wasn't that easy to draw. One thing that helped was finding this photo on The Silver Platter comparing Sidney to Adam Samberg from Saturday Night Live. The resemblance is uncanny.
For a larger version, click HERE.
Editorial cartoonists, while not known for their skating, can be compared to hockey players. In hockey there are certain physical players who are designated as "enforcers" and it is their job to pick fights and mix it up on the ice. That describes the cartoonist's role on the editorial page. While carefully crafted editorials and opinion columns use calm and measured arguments to score points, I skate in and try to knock some sense into the opposing team. We all know that old joke about going to a boxing match and seeing a hockey game break out. Well, I have never heard the expression, “I went to a hockey game and a civil discussion of the issues broke out.”
Does this means I'll be skating with the Pens anytime soon? Hardly. But it's fun to dream. Way to go Pens!
Jun 15 2009
Whooo! Way to go Pens! You did the unthinkable and beat Detroit at home in the seventh game! The pink octopus is silent. Here is today's cartoon about the big win. Unlike the Steelers in 2006, there was no catchy slogan like "one for the thumb" to rally behind. Hockey doesn't use rings. The Stanley Cup is a big steel trophy and it gets passed around from team to team. But I still felt the Penguins needed their own slogan. "One for the flipper!" seemed to work as a slogan ... even though it doesn't make sense. Of course, now we need "one for the other flipper!"
Here are two cartoons I drew back in 1991 when we won the first time. They still hold up pretty well. I remember how excited the city was. I even got the chance to hold the Stanley Cup when it made the rounds of the newsroom! Yes, I kissed it too. (I am looking for the photos.) I tried to find cartoons I drew after the 1992 win but there were none. I was very confused by this omission until I remembered that 1992 was the year of the Teamsters strike and both The Pittsburgh Press (who I worked for at the time) and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette were shut down for eight months during the strike. I continued to draw national cartoons for syndication but no local cartoons. It's hard to believe there was no newspaper coverage in Pittsburgh of the Penguins' 1992 Stanley Cup win!
Do you remember following the 1992 playoffs? Where did you get your fix without The Press or the P-G around? To comment, all you need to do is register here one time and then sign in here anytime you want to
access the blog and leave a comment.
Jun 12 2009
I know, that's a lot of years. In my Retro Rogers segments I don't pick every cartoon ever drawn on a particular date. Just the ones I like well enough to screen again. June 12th just happened to be a good day. I've got a cartoon about Bush and Gorby from 1991. There is a smoking cartoon from 1992 and a smoking cartoon 2002 (that's the Brewed On Grant with Joe Camel). A post-O.J. trial cartoon on race relations from 1997. And, finally, a cartoon that ran on June 12th, 2004. That was after Mel Gibson's movie Passion of the Christ came out. It was also after Reagan had died and historians were already calling for sainthood.
Jun 11 2009
There has been a lot of gun violence this year, including yesterday's frightening hate crime at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. It seems like a good time to bring back two cartoons that were published on this day, June 11th, in 1992 and1998. The first was drawn in 1992 after Super Soakers were involved in a lethal gun battle. Some legislators suggested a ban on squirt guns. How brave! The second cartoon was drawn when Charlton Heston took over as the president of the NRA in 1998. He tried to convince the Clinton White House to back down on gun control.
More Posts
Next page »