Ann Telnaes Releases Election-Themed App
Seattle, WA September 24, 2012 – As interest in the 2012 presidential election builds, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes releases "POTUS Pick."
Is POTUS Pick an editorial cartoon? Is it an app? Telnaes explains "It is an interactive editorial cartoon created exclusively as an app. So, it is an app cartoon." Telnaes believes that POTUS Pick is the first editorial cartoon created exclusively as an app.
Telnaes has been intrigued by how apps could allow cartoonists to approach editorial cartoons in new ways. "In print, users are passive – meaning that editors determine what they see." She adds "Online, readers have more content choice but it's still a passive experience. With apps, the evolution of the relationship between users and cartoons takes a big step forward due to the potential for interactive and non-linear content."
Telnaes created 24 original animation sequences for POTUS Pick. Users experience and navigate among the sequences using a combination of touching, dragging and shaking their devices. Telnaes notes that "the number of ways a user may proceed through the app cartoon is greater than the number of Romney gaffes."
Many of Telnaes' loyal readers may be surprised by how Telnaes treats both Romney and Obama in the app cartoon. Considered by many to be on the liberal end of the political spectrum, Telnaes structured the app so that each received the same number of segments. Telnaes notes "Romney may be the more well-known flip flopper but Obama has made his fair share." As a cartoonist, Telnaes has a point-of-view and she states "now users are able to interact with it."
Is the first of many app cartoons? She answers by noting that "while other cartoon apps help to reach new users with content that is available online, POTUS Pick goes in a different direction: this is all new content created for a specific environment." She adds "Hence the difference in cartoon app versus app cartoon." She plans to make a decision about next steps when her computer has a chance to cool down following the generation of so much material for POTUS Pick.
The Cartoonist Group worked with Telnaes to produce the app and was inspired to do so by the desire to see how an app could support its efforts to license leading comics and cartoons for reprints. Sara Thaves, Cartoonist Group's Founder, notes that "The links included in POTUS Pick take users to cartoons we know that they are interested in based on their purchase of the app." She concludes "So, it is a win-win: the links add value to the app and app helps us reach a targeted audience."
About Ann Telnaes: Ann Telnaes (Http://www.anntelnaes.com) is a Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist (2001) who now creates animated cartoons for the Washington Post. Telnaes attended California Institute of the Arts and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, specializing in character animation. Before beginning her career as an editorial cartoonist, Telnaes worked for several years as a designer for Walt Disney Imagineering. She has also animated and designed for various studios in Los Angeles, New York, London, and Taiwan. Her television and radio appearances include: - The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, C-Span, NPR, BBC radio, Sirius Radio, The Editors, World Affairs Television, Canada.
About the Cartoonist Group: The Cartoonist Group (http://www.cartoonistgroup.com) markets the reprints of over fifty leading creators of comic strips and editorial cartoons, including nine winners of Pulitzer Prize. In the process, the Cartoonist Group coordinates efforts with the cartoonists and with leading syndicates: Creators, King Features and the Washington Post Writers Group. The Cartoonist Group's inventory grows daily and now includes over 70,000 cartoons all of which are keyword-searchable as well as 14,000+ subject-specific pages accessible by web users. The Cartoonist Group operates two affiliated sites, both of which offer the same search capabilities and subject-specific pages: http://www.thecomicstrips.com and http://www.theeditorialcartoons.com/
App Summary: In POTUS Pick users pick Obama, then Romney, then Obama, then Romney – and in the process users may see the candidates flip-flop, hear them speak, make the candidates' noses grow, cause them to be buried under campaign cash and more. The Cartoonist Group's link takes users to 1,500+ 2012 election-related cartoons by fifty leading cartoonists.
POTUS Pick (http://www.potuspick.com) is sold at the iTunes store (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/potus-pick/id551868858?ls=1&mt=8) for .99$.
Raina Telgemeier will finally be here on Saturday for two signings, at our Vienna and College Park stores! Raina is the creator of Smile and her new book Drama, both with middle school/early high school protagonists but enjoyable by all! She also adapted 4 of the Babysitters Club books into graphic novels, and has done X-Men comics and more. Her Smile graphic novel just hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list for graphic novels!!! Her new story, Drama, is all about a young girl named Callie and her time with the drama club at her school, as they put on a new play, and she has to deal with new friends, old crushes, school stress, and more! It's really sweet and fun, you can listen to our review of it on our 
Raina Telgemeier, creator of the New York Times bestseller Smile, will be appearing at both our Vienna and College Park stores on Saturday, September 22, for her brand new book Drama!
