Cartooning Would-be Kings event photos (UPDATED)

Journalists and editorial cartoonists around the world are facing unprecedented attacks.

Please join us May 5, in Washington, DC, to celebrate World Press Freedom Day with a panel of legendary cartoonists out on the front lines of free speech — and for the announcement of the 2025 Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Award by Cartoonists Rights.

Katherine Jacobsen of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) will deliver a keynote address on the state of press freedom in the U.S. and share findings from CPJ's April 2025 U.S. Report.

Syracuse University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism & Citizenship

PARTICIPANTS:

• Barry Blitt, The New Yorker

• Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher, The Economist

• Joel Pett, Tribune Content Agency

• Signe Wilkinson, Philadelphia Inquirer

KEYNOTE:

Katherine Jacobsen, U.S., Canada, and Caribbean Program Coordinator, Committee to Protect Journalists

MODERATOR:

Roslyn Mazer, SU alumna and free expression champion

Sponsored by Cartoonists Rights,  Committee to Protect Journalists,  Freedom Cartoonists, The Herb Block Foundation

Pett, Bliss, Signe, KAL

Roslyn Mazer

Herblock foundation heads Marcy and Sarah, Joel Pett, and local NCS chapter head Carolyn Belefski.  

Bro Russell and KAL

Barry Blitt (left)

Nik Kowsar (right)

Barry Blitt drawing of Jeff Bezos

Joel Pett drawing of Mitch McConnell

Matt Wuerker drawing of Elon Musk

Nik Kowsar drawing

 

 

 

 

KAL drawing of Trump

 

 

 

Joe Sutliff and Matt Wuerker

Katherine Jacobsen, Committee to Protect Journalists

Introducing the 2025 Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Award

Zehra Ömeroğlu's pre-recorded speech accepting the award

Nik and KAL

Clay Jones snuck in

The Art of Political Cartooning (with Ann Telnaes and Scott Simon)

The Art of Political Cartooning

Scott Simon, Barry Blitt, Pia Guerra, and Ann Telnaes.

JFK Library October 13 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Yb0dqu1xnE

The New Yorker contributor Barry Blitt; cartoonist Pia Guerra; and Washington Post editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes explore the art of political cartooning with Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday.

Wash Post letters on Blitt's caricature

Uncovered by the New Yorker, Washington Post Monday, July 21, 2008; A14 features letters on Philip Kennicott's July 15th article, "It's Funny How Humor Is So Ticklish."

New York Times columnist on Blitt's Obama

The Times has run an op-ed piece which finally puts the Blitt caricature in the context of Daumier and George Grosz - see "We’re Not Laughing at You, or With You," By LEE SIEGEL, New York Times July 20, 2008.

Amusingly enough, Blitt regularly illustrates Frank Rich's column and today about two pages later, he had a nice caricature of McCain for an article about his economic ineptness.

Finally, the Business section has a good article on Conde Nast, the New Yorker's corporate parent.

Blitt's Obama caricature - more Post commentators

I guess the Obama caricature by Blitt is a Washington story by virtue of Obama's position, so the Post covered it pretty hard at least in their blogs. Here's more:

An article in the Post:

It's Funny How Humor Is So Ticklish
By Philip Kennicott
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 15, 2008; C01

and the following chat:

The New Yorker Cover and the Challenge of Satire
Philip Kennicott
Washington Post Culture Critic
Tuesday, July 15, 2008; 2:00 PM

A blog post by one of their 'futurist' type writers:

Achenbach, Joel. 2008.
New Yorker Cover Not So Funny
Washington Post's Achenblog (July 14):

- note Our Man Thompson's drawing for the blog header.

and their Media correspondent's chat (there are three relevant posts here):

Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Columnist
Media Backtalk blog Monday, July 14, 2008;

and Dave Horsey did a really funny cartoon that someone linked to in Weingarten's chat.

Weingarten opines on Blitt's Obama

Gene Weingarten, in his Tuesday chat, addressed the breaking 'story' of Barry Blitt's caricature of Obama for the New Yorker:

New Yorker: Isn't it disingenuous (at best) for the editor to say his mag is NOT written for the upper-west side? I love the mag and still feel at least that that socio-economic group is its target. Sure, WE don't need an explanation; plenty of others might.

Thoughts, o' arbiter o' humor?

Gene Weingarten: Yeah, I don't want to speak at enormous length about this, because you've already heard from Kurtz and Achenbach and today, a very thoughtful piece from Kennicott.

To be brief: Of course it was a mistake. A minor mistake, but a mistake nontheless. The New Yorker has no words on its cover, meaning the cover art alone must carry its message. Obviously, the devoted reader of this particular magazine is going to understand this is satire; but this is a magazine sold on newsstands, and a lot of eyes might look at it without the benefit of background.

I disagree with Achenbach on one point: I think the image is pretty funny, particularly the depiction of Michelle Obama as though she were Angela Davis. It actually took me a second to get that joke, and then I laughed.

Those who are trying to make this out as a big deal, a gigantic blunder, are political zealots trying to make a point. Once explained, The New Yorker's intent was clear, and benign.

and the new Comic Riffs blog was noticed:

Springfield, Va.: Have you "had your way" with the Comics Riff blog meister yet?

washingtonpost.com: Comic Riffs

Gene Weingarten: I am watching with interest. He has my support. I thought his first post, expressing exhaustion with meta-gats in strips, was a smart idea.

And Cavna's new Comics Riff blog got some notice:

_______________________

McLean, Va.: Gene, Did you have any role in the creation of the Comic Riffs blog?

Gene Weingarten: Nope. Not even a heads up. So I can't answer for it, but I'm happy it's there. Can't overcover the comics.

Blitt-zing Obama

Hah! Nice headline, heh?

I'm bored with this non-story about Barry Blitt's caricature of Obama and his wife, but here's the Post and NY Times on it.

"It's Funny How Humor Is So Ticklish," By Philip Kennicott, Washington Post Staff Writer, Tuesday, July 15, 2008; C01.

"Want Obama in a Punch Line? First, Find a Joke," By BILL CARTER, New York Times July 15, 2008.

I will say that I would think a lot more of Obama if he had looked at it and said, "hey, that's funny!"

Post blogs on Blitt's Obama, the Joker and strip navel gazing

On the Trail - "'Tasteless and Offensive' New Yorker Cover Riles Obama Camp," By Perry Bacon Jr. One should read this for the comments as the blog post adds nothing to the story.

On the new Comics Riffs blog, even before the day's over - "Let the Countdown to "Dark Knight" Begin..." by guest blogger David Betancourt.

And, as noted here last Saturday, comic strips are getting more self-referential. Cavna's take - "The Morning Line: Meta? Meh." See today's Family Circus as I mentioned earlier, and also Tom Inge did a book on this - Anything Can Happen in a Comic Strip - which is still available from Ohio State U's Cartoon Art Collection

Blitt cartoon of Obama on New Yorker becomes controversial

Politico cartoonist Matt Wuerker sent along this article about Barry Blitt's cover of the New Yorker showing the Obamas as radicals and the controversy it's generating, at least in the hermetic media world - "'Scare tactic' — Obama slams Muslim portrayal," By MIKE ALLEN, 7/13/08.

Personally, I can't believe editor David Remnick had to tell anyone it was satire. Or that anyone had to ask.

Matt was responding to a discussion we had with Warren Bernard about Dutch cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot. See "Why Islam Is Unfunny for a Cartoonist: The arrest of a controversial Dutch cartoonist has set off a wave of protests. The case is raising questions for a changing Europe about free speech, religion and art," By ANDREW HIGGINS, Wall Street Journal July 12, 2008; Page W1.

OT: Barry Blitt's Fantastic Four parody in NY Times

This is off-topic, but it's an amusing caricature of the self-declared presidential candidates.

A few bits and pieces from the papers

Catching up with some from the holidays, in the Washington Post we found:

Thursday's Holiday Issue magazine, which in addition to having food photos by my friend Lisa Cherkasky, also had an article illustrated by Kevin Pope. Pope became familiar to us DC types last year when he did a series of illustration ads for an IT firm that ran regularly in the Express. Barry Blitt had a political cartoon on the last page, "All I Want for Christmas: Young Elites and Their Holiday Wishes" that poked fun at some of the politicians and chattering classes. This was reminiscent of his work for Entertainment Weekly of a few years ago. Neither of these appear to be online.

The Examiner had the free Spider-Man reprint comic book today, although it was hard to find the paper. Reprinting a bit of Amazing Spider-Man #7, it features a new cover by Olivier and Morales. Yesterday, the paper ran a couple of articles on comics. One was a review of the videogame based on Avatar the Last Airbender cartoon, and the second was an AP article "Too Many 'Toons?" which strikes me as stupid. Nobody complains about too many sitcoms.

Upon reading the Post it appears Richard Thompson is on vacation (in any event the website is weeks behind). "Cartoonist Held After Siege at Miami Paper" details José Varela's inappropriate attempts to reform publishing. And they mention an exhibit at the Postal Museum that I'll post separately on.

While out of our purvey officially, the NY Times has been going gangbusters with comics articles. Yesterday they had a review of the new exhibit of African comics in Harlem and today, articles on DC Comics' new line for girls and an another article on the editorial cartoonist in FL going crazy and occupying a newsroom. Skipping past that last one quickly, they also ran one of James Stevenson's excellent "Lost and Found New York" pieces of cartoon journalism - this time burlesque.