Showing posts with label political cartoons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label political cartoons. Show all posts

Monday, September 25, 2017

Catching up with conservative cartoonist Al Goodwyn

by Mike Rhode
It's been 6 years since I interviewed you for the Washington City Paper - The world's changed a bit since then - have you?
Other than grayer hair and higher cholesterol, I haven't changed much.  Still enjoying life in DC.  And you're right, the world has certainly changed, some for the good and some for the bizarre.  What's also bizarre is that the good and bizarre labels seem to flip depending on individual political perspectives.
About six months ago you started a cartoon blog with Jeff Newman where you provide conservative political cartoons and he does humorous commentary on public events.  Can you tell us how that started, and why you're doing it? How is the reaction?
I had been wanting to try my hand at blogging for some time.  Given that the first steps at blogging aren't really part of the creative process, but include figuring out the mechanics of blogging, the layout, and all of the key strokes needed just to get started, it stayed on the back burner for years.  Jeff's a good friend of mine back in South Carolina and we chat often about politics.  He was actually the push to make the blog finally happen. 
It was over a few beers with Jeff that the topic of blogging resurfaced.  We convinced ourselves we could manage a blog.  Isn't beer amazing?  We wanted the theme to somehow counter the growing number of people who get their news from Comedy Central and memes.  We were both a fan of the book Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole where people seemingly amassed in a confederacy to stymie the protagonist's every move.  From our prospective those who simply latch on to whatever fits their world view without validation from other sources were acting like drones, hence Confederacy ofDrones was launched. 
With lots of snarkiness, satire and sarcasm, we've been posting on a fairly routine basis since then.  Part for fun and part for sanity.  We've loaded over 150 posts so far. We even appreciate other perspectives and disagreement especially when opinions are backed up by facts. The blog can be found here: https://confederacyofdrones.com/.  The reaction has been positive and we've enjoyed engaging with other bloggers on politics.
You've been picked up to do print cartoons for the Washington Examiner, which was Nate Beeler's home when it was a daily. What is the story behind that? Is it all new material for them?
Nate is a phenomenal editorial cartoonist.  His work was a part of my metro commute when the Washington Examiner was a daily newspaper.  I was sorry to see that daily paper go away, partly because it changed my commute routine but mostly because it was another step in the fading of political cartoonists.  Nate has been, and I'm sure he'll continue to be, used by the Washington Examiner through syndication. 
My involvement with the Washington Examiner came about because my cartooning outlet of 28 years, the HealthPhysics News, was cutting back on costs and no longer wanted cartoons.  My start at cartooning began with them back in 1989 when they were called the Health Physics Society Newsletter and ever since then I had been a regular contributor … until this summer when they let me know that they would no longer be running cartoons.  I think they felt worse about it than I did.  It's a business decision that I completely understood.  They had been great to me over those many years and without them, it's possible I may never have tried my hand at cartooning.   
Since one door closed, I was in search of another.  The Washington Examiner, now a weekly news magazine, has its offices near mine in downtown DC.  I made contact with several people there and after they looked at some of my work, we met in person.  They were encouraging during that meeting and indicated that they'd like to occasionally use my work.  The first was in the September 18th issue. 
How does it feel to have a 'reinvigorated' political cartoon career as a conservative in 2017? 

It's great to have an outlet whether it's the blog or in print.  There's so much going on and so many opportunities to identify contrary opinions to what's happening in politics and society, that there's plenty of motivating material for cartoons. 

Even though I lean to the right and most of my cartoons have a conservative tilt, I still poke at Republicans and President Trump.  Of course many would say, and I'd agree, that those are easy targets based on recent missteps and gaffs.  Fortunately as far as US presidents are concerned, we don't elect them for life.  Unfortunately, in the absence of term limits for congress, the country has moved too far away from the citizen politician and more toward entrenched career politicians.  You'd think with the level of political fodder available today for lampooning that the world of political cartoons would be a thriving industry.  Maybe, again, some day.

Monday, June 05, 2017

Jim Berryman Drawing for a Nash car dealership

by Scott Alan Stewart


This drawing by Jim Berryman, son of Clifford Berryman (both worked for the Washington Star and each won the Pulitzer for cartooning), was given to my grandfather, Earle O. Baker, who had a Nash dealership in Georgetown from 1930 to 1963. The building later became the Biograph Theater and now is a CVS -- located on M Street across from the Four Seasons hotel. Progress.



The dealership was called Williams and Baker after my grandfather and his partner Preston Williams. Despite being the nation's capital, DC was in many ways a very provincial town and it was common to do business with well-known people. Among my grandfather's customers were members of congress, John Willard Marriott (whose first root beer stand was on 14th street), and a number of Washington Senators and Redskins. This was before air conditioning was widespread, which later led to a population boom in the 1970s and beyond to our current city's sprawl.

The car in the drawing looks to be a 1946-1947 Nash Ambassador.


Wiki entry for Berryman: James Thomas Berryman (June 8, 1902 – August 12, 1971) was an American political cartoonist who won the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. Born in Washington, D.C., Berryman was the son of Clifford Berryman, also a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist. The two Berrymans are the only parent-child pair to win Pulitzer Prizes in the same category.



11/12/2019: updated to add author's middle name, and the name of his grandfather

Friday, April 07, 2017

Mitchell MacNaughton - An Artomatic Interview (updated)

by Mike Rhode

Mitchell MacNaughton's caricatures and cartoons recall the 1960s as well as today's issues. He's sharing a room at Artomatic in Crystal City and agreed to answer our usual questions.

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What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

Many people would label my work as political cartooning, although that’s not quite how I would describe it. Sure, for many pieces I use ink and my subject is political, but I think that there in a certain refinement that would put it closer to the art side rather than the cartooning side.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

If I’m solely creating a black and white piece, my tools include micron pens, black India ink, and either charcoal or a black colored pencil. If I’m creating a piece in color, it could range from gouache to watercolor with certain elements re-colored digitally.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born in 1989 on farmlands in Western New York, where I would live for 17 years until I left for Pittsburgh.

Why do you draw and comment on characters and events from the 1960s?

I find mid-century America fascinating because the dynamic of the country completely shifted in a handful of years. President Kennedy came to office on a wave of optimism as the U.S. came to terms with it’s post-war life, then his death is the first in a dark period that saw other assassinations along with riots and strife, and the decade comes to a close with the start of one of our lowest points of the modern century - The Vietnam War. It’s span of years that starts out on a high and bottoms out in a low, and for some reason that intrigues me.

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Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I had always wanted to live in DC, as it’s a natural fit for somebody with my artistic themes, and after years of plotting a planning I finally got my chance when I was offered a job at a political direct mail agency. While here, I have never lived in any neighborhood outside of Alexandria.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

While in studying for my degree in graphic design, I knew that my priority was becoming an illustrator. Thankfully for my perseverance, I had many teachers who insisted that I would fail or that the market was too crowded, so while I was in their classes I would look up artists and and search illustration advice websites out of spite. I took what I was learning in my design courses and let that influence certain facets of my drawing that created my current style.

Who are your influences?

Currently I am obsessed with Kukryniksy - a group of 3 artists who created work out in Russia during World War 2. In fact, I would say that the whole era of political art during World War 2 had a great effect on me. Artists used their astounding talent at a time when the world was witnessing pure evil, and the artwork was unyielding.


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If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

I would work up the confidence to promote myself much earlier. I am the only artist in my family, so I was (and to an extent still am) blindly wandering around trying to figure out what to do, and that creates a sense of never being good enough to compete with those who seem to have it figured out.

What work are you best-known for?

To the extent that I am known, it would probably be for my drawing style and political subject matter.

What work are you most proud of?

I am most proud of creating artwork that highlights certain news stories in the world that may not get as much attention, such as the human rights abuses of Bashar al-Assad or civilian casualties of drone strikes. When you are a political artist, it can be very easy to take the easy attack on a subject, suck as making Trump bright orange, and while that can be fun it should not be at the expense of using your skill to touch on other issues.

What would you like to do  or work on in the future?

One project that I have had on my mind is an animated story/documentary about my uncle’s time in Vietnam and his life after being exposed to Agent Orange, but that is a hefty project that requires many steps in the build-up. Another interest I have been wanting to purse is taking classic literature and spoofing/rewriting them to mock out current political climate.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

If I’m feeling the rust coming on then I have to get up and step away from my desk, because I know that if I don’t I will just end up on Youtube and destroy my entire night. Usually I can go play video games for an hour or so to refresh myself and get back in a work mode.


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What do you think will be the future of your field? 

That’s so hard to say. The illustration and art field feels like it is and has been going through such a rapid transformation with the shifting a mediums that they depend on, such as print media and the freelancing economy. All I can do is keep making my work and hoping that I can find new ways to keep it from becoming stale.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?

I have only attended Small Print Expo as a visitor, where I spent most of my time at the Fantagraphics’ tables.
What's your favorite thing about DC?

I absolutely love the amount of food choices. Possibly it’s because I’m originally a small-town rube, but I’ve become so much more adventurous in my eating here simply because the options are all present for you to try.

Least favorite?
Transportation as a whole. The Metro system only functions in various stages of broken, making a two station trip take upwards of 30 minutes. That isn’t to say that driving is any better, because the drivers here are absolutely wild. Trying to get out of D.C. on these roads with it’s drivers is like trying to escape from a Supermax prison. Nearly impossible.

What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?

My favorite without hesitation is the Presidential portrait room at the National Portrait Gallery.

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How about a favorite local restaurant?

Cape Banh Mi in Alexandria. The catfish is one of the best things I have eaten.


Do you have a website or blog?

macnaughtonillos.com for my art and artotunion.com for my blog.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

A Washington cartoon (presented without comment)




Courtesy of the Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/97511830/
  • Title: "To begin with, 'I'll paint the town red'" / Hamilton.
  • Creator(s): Hamilton, Grant E., artist
  • Date Created/Published: 1885 January 31.
  • Medium: 1 print (2 pages) : chromolithograph.
  • Summary: Cartoon showing "Democracy" portrayed as the devil holding a bucket labeled "Bourbon Principles" and a paintbrush (in which appears a profile caricature of Grover Cleveland), both dripping red paint with which he plans to "paint the town"; he is standing on a wall overlooking a view of Washington, D.C. showing mostly government buildings.
  • Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-ppmsca-10482 (digital file from original print) LC-USZC4-5418 (color film copy transparency)
  • Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.
  • Call Number: Illus. in AP101.J8 1884-1885 Case X [P&P]
  • Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
  • Notes:
    • Illus. in: Judge, v. 7, no. 172, 1885 January 31, pp. 8-9.



Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Resist! political cartoon newspaper coming to Arlington

Resist! and Magic Bullet in
Arlington's Central Library lobby



On Friday, January 20th, the Resist! political cartoon newspaper will be available at One More Page Books of Arlington, VA, Busboys and Poets of Shirlington, and in the lobby of the Central Library. The paper will also be handed out by volunteers at the L'Enfant and Federal Center SW subway stops during the Women's March.
 
And for one week, the Little Free Library of Alcova Heights, Arlington, VA on 7th Street will be solely carrying it too.















Sunday, May 29, 2016

Ann Telnaes wins Silver Reuben award for editorial cartooning

Ann Telnaes with her award, courtesy of Barbara Dale

Ann Telnaes has won the Silver Reuben award from the National Cartoonists Society in the editorial cartooning section. Ann does animated cartoons for the Post's website. This is the second big win for an political cartoon animator, as Mark Fiore just accepted his Herblock Prize this past week. While still doing ink on paper cartoons, Ann won the Pulitzer Prize in 2001, so she's still got it.

The other winners, all a worthy bunch, are detailed at -

2016 Reubens: Michael Ramirez, Anton Emdin are big winners at ‘the Golden Globes of comics’


Comic Riffs  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/05/29/2016-reubens-michael-ramirez-anton-emdin-are-big-winners-at-the-golden-globes-of-comics/

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Angelo Lopez wins cartooning award in the Annual Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards

Selections from the press release:

Cartoon Winner
"Editorial Cartoons," Angelo Lopez, Philippines Today

"Throughout his life, my father held a deep commitment to freedom of expression and freedom of the press." Observed Kerry Kennedy, President, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights "He would invite reporters and news crews to join him in the most impoverished city neighborhoods, to Indian reservations and communities in Appalachia, California's Central Valley or rural Indiana—places that often lacked electricity and plumbing—and he would ask the press corps why it wasn't covering those issues and these places. The Journalists who followed his '68 campaign created the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards in his name, to honor those who covered the issues most important to him."

This year's Book and Journalism Award winners were chosen from out of more than 300 submissions. Historian Michael Beschloss chaired the judges' panel for the 2016 Robert F. Kennedy Book Award.

The book award, now in its 36th year, will be presented by Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy at a ceremony featuring remarks by Kerry Kennedy and Michael Beschloss on Wednesday, May 25, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

The ceremony will also feature the presentation of the 2016 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, celebrating their 48th year. All honorees will receive a bust of Robert F. Kennedy in recognition of their award.

(as in the past few years, ComicsDC editor Mike Rhode was one of the judges)

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

PR: Winner of the 2016 Herblock Prize is Mark Fiore

[corrected 2nd paragraph]

For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON, DC, Wednesday, February 24th, 2016 – Mark Fiore has been named the winner of the 2016 Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning. Fiore is the first to win the Prize with all animated cartoon entries.

Mark Fiore, who the Wall Street Journal has called “the undisputed guru of the form,” creates animated political cartoons in San Francisco, one of the most fertile regions for creating political animation and cartoons. His work has appeared on the San Francisco Chronicle’s web site, Newsweek.com, Slate.com, CBSNews.com, MotherJones.com, NPR’s web site and is currently being featured on online news sites ranging from KQED and Truthdig.com to The Progressive and DailyKos.com. Fiore’s political animation has been featured on CNN, Frontline, BillMoyers.com, Salon.com and cable and broadcast outlets across the globe.

Beginning his professional life by drawing traditional political cartoons for newspapers, Fiore's work appeared in publications ranging from The Washington Post to the Los Angeles Times. In the late 1990s, he began to experiment with animating political cartoons and, after a short stint at the San Jose Mercury News as their staff cartoonist, Fiore devoted all his energies to animation.

Mark Fiore was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for political cartooning in 2010, a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in 2004 and has twice received an Online Journalism Award for commentary from the Online News Association (2002, 2008). Fiore has received two awards for his work in new media from the National Cartoonists Society (2001, 2002), and in 2006 received The James Madison Freedom of Information Award from The Society of Professional Journalists.

The Herblock Prize is awarded annually by The Herb Block Foundation for "distinguished examples of editorial cartooning that exemplify the courageous independent standard set by Herblock." The winner receives a $15,000 after-tax cash prize and a sterling silver Tiffany trophy. Mark Fiore will receive the Prize on May 24th in a ceremony held at the Library of Congress. Mark Shields, a nationally known political analyst, columnist and commentator, will deliver the annual Herblock Lecture at the awards ceremony.

Judges for this year's contest were Kevin Kallaugher (KAL), editorial cartoonist for The Baltimore Sun and The Economist, winner of the 2015 Herblock Prize; Michael Rhode, archivist and author, commentator on comics for the Washington City Paper and creator of the ComicsDC blog; and Peter Kuper, alternative cartoonist and illustrator best known for his autobiographical, political, and social observations is also a visiting professor at Harvard University.

Judge Kevin Kallaugher (Kal) commented, "Mark Fiore's entry contained an engaging and powerful collection of visual commentaries.  Fiore demonstrated a great use of parody, adept writing, great visualizations and solid journalism to deliver thought provoking editorials. Like a good Herblock cartoon, Mark's work displayed a consistent and determined passion to fight against societies' ills and absurdities. It is his skilled and masterful cartoon craftsmanship steeped with determined political convictions that make Fiore's animations worthy of the Herblock Prize."

Peter Kuper added, "From the numerous high quality entries to this year's Herblock Foundation award, Mark Fiore's animation entry rose to the top. Not because it was animated, but rather because he demonstrated a consistently strong handle on his subject matter with an ability to convey complex topics with great humor, rage and irony. Fiore produced a powerful body of work that addresses a range of current events and brilliantly serves them up with a smile and a kick in the gut, heart, and other body parts. His work honors the legacy of Herblock and expands the form."

This year's finalist is Ruben Bolling, pen name for Ken Fisher. He is the author of the weekly comic strip "Tom the Dancing Bug" and will receive a $5,000 after-tax cash prize.  Judge Peter Kuper stated "For decades Ruben Bolling has consistently produced full page comics that find new angles of attack on familiar subjects. With subtlety, yet tremendous humor, he constructs each comic without any wasted space to build to surprising conclusions. Many of his strips take on several topics at the same time and over the years he has honed his art to deliver these ideas with great verve."

The Herb Block Foundation seeks to further the recognition and support of editorial cartooning: www.HerblockFoundation.org.  

Tuesday, May 05, 2015

Meet Nik Kowsar, an Iranian-turned-American cartoonist

by Mike Rhode

Soon after the Charlie Hebdo massacre, the Cartoonists Rights Network International began a fundraising campaign. I reached out to Nikahang "Nik" Kowsar at the time, but for one reason or another, his interview stalled in cyberlimbo. Sadly, Nik's thoughts will remain relevant for the foreseeable future. Since this interview was conducted in February, we've seen American writers of PEN sharply disagree about whether to give a courage award for Charlie Hebdo's cartoonists and presumed attempted murders at a Mohammad cartoon contest in Texas.


What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
I do editorial cartoons, as well as running Toonistan.com, that's an online platform made for helping non-cartoonists making their own cartoons.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
I use felt tip pens, scan with my iPhone using Scanner Pro app, and color the work with Photoshop, so it's a combination of all.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
I was born in 1969 in Tehran, Iran. I'm technically Canadian, but a US resident. Canadian cartoonists helped me get out of Iran.

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I think Washington is the most relevant place on earth to work in relation with politics on Iran, and I've been running a Persian citizen journalism platform since 2009, and living in DC and the DC metro area since 2010. I'm now living not that far from JFK's "Eternal Flame" in Arlington.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
I studied Geology, and started drawing cartoons and caricature after buying a collection of David Levine's artwork when I was 21. A year later I was hired by Golagha Magazine, Iran's top satirical publication at the time and started working with professionals, that helped me get better with the trade. I also attended painting classes in Iran.I studied Journalism in Canada after leaving Iran.

Who are your influences?
I was in love with David Levine's lines and views, discovered Pat Oliphant and Kal through papers and magazine that reached the University library in Tehran. I also was influenced by Iranian cartoonists such as Iraj Zareh, Ahmad Arabani, Ahmad Sakhavarz and Afshin Sabouki. The last two are now residing in Canada.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
I would have started again by taking sketching courses and quitting Geology! I would have loved to study Journalism and  Design simultaneously and work harder. I would also get more sleep!

What work are you best-known for?
The Crocodile cartoon I drew in 2000, that lead to a National Security crisis in Iran and was the cause of a 4-day protest by the clergy in Qum, and hundreds of thousands of people attending Friday prayers chanting for my death. I had portrayed a crocodile, shedding "Crocodile Tears" strangling a journalist with its tale. Crocodile in Persian is "Temsah" that rhymed with the name of the cleric I had try to mock, who was Ayatollah Mesbah (aka Professor Mesbah). He was, and is, a pro-violence high ranking cleric who had made allegations against Iranian journalists. He also alleged that a CIA operative was in Tehran at the time, with a big suitcase full of US dollars to bribe Iranian journalists against Islam. This was a few weeks before the parliamentary elections in Iran. Many responded, and my response was that cartoon. I was arrested and spent 6 days at the notorious Evin prison, and was literally kicked out after the backlash of my arrest had become bigger than the parliamentary elections. I was on the covers of newspapers and a distraction for political parties for a week.Because of that single cartoon, the Ayatollah is called Professor Temsah (Crocodile), and I always wear Lacoste shirts to remind myself of the cartoon that totally changed my life.I have received death threats, and lived in exile as a refugee since 2003. Canada was my safe haven at that time, and my family joined me in 2007.

What work are you most proud of?
I was part of the group that founded the Iranian Cartoon House and we started the classes that became a center to discover talent. Many of those young kids are now seasoned and experienced artists; some are working as professional cartoonists and animators. It was great seeing two of them in San Francisco a few weeks ago.My work in the late 90's and after had impact on the newspaper readers and editorial became very popular in Iran, where I had to work for 3 different newspapers a day. I somehow became my own competition. We have very great cartoonists in Iran, and possibly I was a good communicator who was helpful in creating jobs for many of those highly talented but shy artists. Cartooning became a serious business in those years and politicians used to respond to this sort of critique. That also turned me into a target of the Islamist hardliners.At last, being with Cartoonists Rights Network International is something I'm really proud of. I was once their client, and now a member of the board, trying to find ways and means to support cartoonists who have experienced hard situations and need their voices to be heard.

What would you like to do  or work on in the future?
I love to find enough funds to turn Toonistan.com to a tool for masses, to give them a voice through cartoons, and help local and national campaigns against dictators. This cannot happen without technical help of brilliant cartoonists. I would also love to create a safer situation for my colleagues in Islamic countries to who are under threat and have to self censor themselves in fear of radical Islamist retribution.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I watch movies. I also have a Fibromyalgia block! Sometimes I can't even draw a line without pain. Fibromyalgia attacks or flares really block anything...mind, muscles, wrist...I think I can't take anything for granted anymore!

What do you think will be the future of your field?
It's been a really hard decade for editorial cartoonists, but I think millions of people have understood the impact of cartoons and I hope publishers learn from the masses as well and hire more cartoonists.In the digital age, we have to find a way to connect better and deeper and possibly mixing cartoons with applications that could also give audiences a chance to communicate with us and other people would give a new meaning to our profession.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
I usually attend meetings or events at the Newseum, National Press Club and sessions at a number of think tanks in DC.

What's your favorite thing about DC?
It's a beautiful place. I love the National Mall, museums, theaters, Georgetown,  National Airport, and the monuments. DC is not only a historical place, but you sense the history in the making.

Least favorite?
Ummm...some taxi drivers who expect you to be a devoted Radical Muslim and discuss matters that you hate! I'm a Muslim lite! I drink alcohol and love bacon and avoid people who tell me what I should do or be!I've met many cab drivers who were in love with Iran's former president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I told one that if he loves Mahmoud that much, he should leave DC immediately, go to Iran and work for him! He changed the subject after I made that suggestion!

What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?
I love Lincoln Memorial for many reasons. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Udvar-Hazy center near Dulles, remind me of the days I hoped to become a pilot! National History Museum gets me back to the days I studied mineralogy and  paleontology. And as a journalist, who could not love the Newseum? I've also taken friends to the Library of Congress and the Congress.

How about a favorite local restaurant?
For meat loving times, Ray's Hell Burger and Ruth's Chris Steak House.
For Pizza, Pupatella in Arlington.
And for Iranian cuisine, Amoo’s House of Kabob in McLean.
For fast food, I cannot love Moby Dick House of Kabob enough.

Do you have a website or blog?
I run Toonistan.com and I'm the editor in chief of khodnevis.org.
I'm not a journalist, but I should probably note that Nik recently turned the tables and interviewed me for the CRNI on “Supporting Mohammad Saba'aneh,” the Palestinian cartoonist  who also ran afoul of Islamic cartooning.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Supporting Mohammad Saba'aneh



Apr 17, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK0W8ttxND0

Palestinian cartoonist Mohammad Saba'aneh, talks about how global support can help cartoonists in distress. Kal, Mike Rhode, Ann Telnaes and Matt Wuerker talk about the importance of putting the spotlight on cartoonists like Mohammad.

Tuesday, March 03, 2015

Herblock's awards


A couple of weekends ago, I was lucky enough to spend some time at the Herb Block Foundation's offices. One room there is decorated with Herblock's awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Pulitzer Prize, the Reuben Award, the RFK Journalism Award, and others. Here's some pictures, and more are online here.










Thursday, January 08, 2015

JE SUIS CHARLIE vigil at the Newseum in DC

Guest post by Bruce Guthrie

The Wednesday attack on the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical weekly newspaper, set off a torrent of email traffic supporting the freedom of the press.  By 1pm, a vigil had been scheduled that night at the Newseum:

In light of the horrendous attack that killed 12 people in Paris today, let's get together to stand peacefully in support of Charlie Hebdo and for freedom of the press. Bring your pencils and pens. #jesuischarlie

It was a bitterly cold night here in DC and vigils are always held outside for some reason but sometimes you just gotta go.  So I did.

On the way, I ran into another vigil near the Navy Memorial Metro stop.  They said they were with the All Souls Church, a Unitarian community, but I wasn't really interested in a religious response to the violence so I moved on quickly.

I was early and initially only a few people including the lead organizers, mostly French, were there.  They handed "JE SUIS CHARLIE" -- "I am Charlie" -- papers to people as we showed up.  Among those filming were Newseum staff who said we were free to go into the museum for heat and bathrooms if we wanted to.  I heard their atrium jumbotron said "JE SUIS CHARLIE" and I wanted to film it so I went through security.  Pretty quickly, the rest of the folks started coming in too.


There, we warmed up and the organizers explained to the cameras why we were assembling -- to stand up for freedom of the press -- and that the Newseum -- which has the First Amendment emblazoned on its Pennsylvania Avenue side entrance -- was the ideal place to do it.  They had no idea how many people were going to show up but it was easily several hundred folks which I thought was pretty impressive for an instant event on a very cold night.

We then went back outside.  Once we had reassembled, the names of the terrorist victims were read.  The crowd chanted "JE SUIS CHARLIE" in solidarity with each name.



People continued to mingle, arrive, and depart.  I noticed Chistine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, had come to support her countrymen and the cause as well.



I was relieved that I never heard the word "Muslim" during the event.  The focus was on freedom of the press, not the repressive elements out there trying to suppress it.

I felt better having gone.

More pictures on http://www.bguthriephotos.com/graphlib.nsf/keys/2015_01_07_Je_Suis_Charlie

--
Bruce Guthrie
Photo obsessive
http://www.bguthriephotos.com










Wednesday, December 31, 2014

A Memorial to a Cartoonist Friend: a guest post by Kevin 'Kal' Kallaugher

a guest post by Kevin 'Kal' Kallaugher

The lessons from a fallen comrade…


Today, December 31, 2014, a memorial service is being held for a brother cartoonist in the tiny island of Bermuda. Though his name is not widely known in the international community of cartoonists and satirists, Peter Woolcock was certainly a legend to the 67,000 inhabitants of the island.

For three decades he lampooned with great dexterity, the foibles of the Bermudian political class. It was a sad shock to all when we learned last month that Peter had been hit by a car as he was delivering his weekly (and last) cartoon to the Royal Gazette newspaper.

This past summer I had the great honor of getting to know Peter during a 3-month sojourn as Artist-in-Residence at the Masterworks art Museum in Bermuda. Peter, then 88, was a sprite and engaging man with a robust curiosity and a boyish passion for the cartoon arts. We would chat for hours about the benefits of certain pen nibs and the magic of a peer's brushstrokes.

We also talked about the celebrated past and the challenging future of our profession, sharing an enormous sense of gratitude that we both managed, somehow, to eke out livings as cartoonists.

Peter would always note that cartoonists from big market countries like the USA and the UK had it very easy. Try being a cartoonist on an island, he would tell me.

He had to tread very carefully on the subject of the day because there would be a chance he might run into the very same subject (or her cousin) in the supermarket on Saturday or church on Sunday.

As I studied Peter's work, I realized how right he was. Bermuda is a beautiful and fascinating place to visit. Yet as a resident, you get a very different perspective on the island. What at first seems like a vacation paradise soon becomes a small village surrounded by a wall of water. In addition, Bermuda is one of the most densely populated jurisdictions on the planet…If peace is to be kept, everyone must find a way to coexist in a civilized fashion.  Boisterous satirical criticism may not always be welcome.

As you can imagine, this is not the natural habitat for your typical editorial cartoonist. But Peter was not your typical cartoonist. He understood the tolerance level of his audience. He opted to employ the needle rather that the hatchet in his work. Over the course of thirty years he knew an artfully aimed needle in the nether regions would certainly get his target's attention.

Today the island of Bermuda is celebrating the career and contributions of one of its unique and beloved citizens. Here in Maryland I am toasting him, as he would like, by hoisting an open bottle of India ink and a saying, with a smile:

For Peter Woolcock, a colleague whose needle was mightier than the sword.

KAL
Kevin Kallaugher