Political cartoonists on navigating a changing media landscape

Political cartoonists on navigating a changing media landscape
Jeffrey Brown:
PBS News Hour's CANVAS Art in Action, Apr 25, 2025 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/political-cartoonists-on-navigating-a-changing-media-landscape 

Marty Two Bulls, Sr. is the 2025 Herblock Prize winner!

WASHINGTON, DC, Thursday, April 10, 2025 – Marty Two Bulls, Sr. has been named the winner of the 2025 Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning. Marty Two Bulls, Sr. is a freelance artist and graphic designer who has been creating cartoons for the Lakota Times since December 2001.

Marty Two Bulls Sr. is an Oglala Lakota originally from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He has worked as a graphic designer in television, commercial printing, daily newspapers and new media. His work has also appeared in the newspapers like Indian Country Today (Martin, SD), Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Times (New Town, ND), Cherokee One Feather (Cherokee, NC), and News from Indian Country (Hayward, WI).

Two Bulls started his editorial cartooning in his high school newspaper where he learned the fundamentals of cartooning, layout and design. This interest would lead him to pursue studies at the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver Colorado and later to earn a BFA at The Institute of American Indian Arts. His 'editoons' started out as a hobby but within a few years the hobby turned into a career. He has produced over six hundred editorial cartoons and continues to produce work week after week.

Two Bulls began as a journalist in weekly newspapers and then moved on to dailies. He accepted a position at the Rapid City Journal as a graphics editor and he served on the editorial board for seven years before moving on to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader where he continued as graphics editor for six more years. Two Bulls eventually left newspapers to pursue a fine art career and freelance as a cartoonist.

 

Marty Two Bulls, Sr.'s work focuses on issues of political interest to Native peoples, a vital niche market. Native Americans have been historically persecuted and marginalized by the dominant culture, which has reduced them to a minority in their own lands. Two Bulls creates his cartoons for his people; if non-Natives are touched by his work, all the better. It is important to him that the message of the editorial is made known to all peoples.

Two Bulls, Sr. currently works as a senior freelance artist, college art professor and graphic designer. Marty works and studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He enjoys teaching, painting, sculpting and designing jewelry. His website is m2bulls.com.

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 $20,000 net cash prize and a sterling silver Tiffany trophy. Marty Two Bulls will receive the Prize on May 28th in a ceremony held at the Library of Congress. Dolores Huerta, renowned American labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers union alongside Cesar Chavez , will deliver the annual Herblock Lecture at the awards ceremony. She is Founder & President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

Judges for this year's contest stated "Marty Two-Bulls, Sr.'s bold and assertive cartoons, drawn in a style distinctly influenced by underground cartoonists, demonstrate courageous and independent thinking. Two-Bulls' commentary from his unique perspective as one of America's few Native American political cartoonists addresses local, national and international issues in a powerful and incisive way." His work reflects the quote from Herblock engraved on the trophy which states "Political cartoons, unlike sundials, do not show the brightest hours. They often show the darkest ones, in the hope of helping us move on to brighter times."

The Herblock finalist for 2025 is Peter Kuper. He will receive a $7,500 net cash prize. The judges said "Peter Kuper's long-standing commitment to cartooning about climate change and the causative role of multinational corporations stands out even more vividly in today's political environment. His multi-panel silent cartoons convey a wealth of information and commentary in a visually striking manner. "

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

 

Sarah Alex

Co-President

The Herb Block Foundation

salex@herbblock.org

 

Edith Pritchett is back in WaPo

Edith Pritchett returned to the print pages of the Washington Post today with a cartoon about 23andMe's bankruptcy.

I apologize for my mistaken assumption that she'd been let go when the Post's editorial page editor resigned. Hopefully she was just enjoying 2-week vacation. ComicsDC regrets the error and will be retracting, or rather correcting, our original post.

Group Chat by Daniel Boris UPDATED

Daniel Boris writes in to say,  "This is by far my most shared and liked cartoon. Ever. The Daily Cartoonist published it. An Influencer with 420k+ followers showed it in a video he made. Anonymous posted it on their Twitter page (currently has 128,000 views, 5.5k likes, and 1000 shares), and lots of love on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Reddit. And today it was also selected as Cartoon Movement's "Editor's Choice", which comes with it a one time payment of 75 Euros. 

Boris' blog can be seen at https://danielboris.blogspot.com/  and there's plenty of stories about him, and cartoons by him here on ComicsDC.

In Solidarity with Ann Telnaes by Daniel Boris

Michael Ramirez finally addresses WaPo spineless non-endorsement in the WaPo

Guess which side he comes down on?

You're right! What a shock!

My initial blog post on this has now been updated 10x.  

MAGA Memes and Momala: Political Cartoonists Take on 2024 and More! Bruce Guthrie's event pics posted

My pictures from the "MAGA Memes and Momala: Political Cartoonists Take on 2024 and More!" event are finally posted!  The direct link is:

http://www.bguthriephotos.com/graphlib.nsf/keys/2024_10_21D1_MAGA_Memes

--

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

MAGA, Memes and Momala: Political Cartoonists take on 2024 part 2 (updated)

According to Matt Wuerker, CNN filmed this presentation.

Pedro X. Molina, Counterpoint Media and Confidencial, Nicaragua, and Rachita Taneja (India) via recorded video.

Wuerker and Molina

Rachita Taneja and her stick figure cartoons.

Molina was forced to flee Nicaragua when it's autocratic president stacked the Supreme Court, made his wife the vice president, and arrested journalists.

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "What If He Loses?"

"What If He Loses?"
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=3942

For the past month or so, MSNBC has been clutching every available 
pearl over how Donald Trump and his deformed minions will handle the 
possibility of losing the "election". Will they pitch a fit, scream 
"fraud" and try to lay siege to Capitol Hill to disrupt the electoral 
vote count and stage a putsch as they did in '21?

Personally, I can't help asking the same question about the 
Donkeycrats: how will THEY handle losing to a dude who resembles a 
villain from an old "Columbo" episode and whose followers are some of 
the most intensely stupid beings walking upright on Earth; how will 
THEY roll with a well-deserved ass-paddling at the polls after 
spitting in the faces of every Muslim-American and every American who 
actually cares about piddling shit like genocide.

Will the Democrats, on facing defeat, do some institutional 
soul-searching, self-examination and self-evaluation, accept 
responsibility and get to work on solutions or — as they've always 
done — pitch a fit, scream "fraud", blame the Left, blame Russia, 
create a climate of good old-fashioned McCarthyist bullying, fear, 
suspicion and suppression and try to litigate and investigate their 
way into power, as they did in '17?

Bwah ha ha ha ha ha hah, d'ahh, hell, man; who are we kidding?


---------

"Trump's planned visit to Springfield, Ohio: An incitement to 
violence", Patrick Martin at World Socialists Web Site 09.20.2024 
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/09/20/nypv-s20.html

"As protests mount, Cornell University VP of Student Life rejects 
Momodou Taal's appeal of suspension", Kevin Reed at World Socialists 
Web Site 09.26.2024 
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/09/27/zwlq-s27.html

"Happy Putsch-aversary!" editorial cartoon by Mike Flugennock, 
01.04.2022 http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=3369

"The Democrats' Baggage" editorial cartoon by Mike Flugennock, 
11.10.2016 http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=2107

_______________________________________________
Mike Flugennock, Political Cartoons: http://www.sinkers.org/stage
Mike's press kit: http://sinkers.org/stage/?page_id=2

On belatedly discovering Walt Carr

 Today I happened to check the Little Free Library in front of my house, and there was a political cartoon book in it. I wasn't familiar with it, so I took it in the house to take a look. African-American* cartoonist Walt Carr's self-published Just Us! is full of fantastic cartoons. Carr is from the Baltimore area, and is living (I hope) in Columbia, MD. A gag cartoonist turned political cartoonist in his old age (literally, he was born in 1932), these are hard-hitting cartoons of the type you'd expect in a Keith Knight publication. I'm very grateful to whomever put it in my LFL as I didn't pay much attention to the Washington Post article (citation below) on him that came out during the pandemic. I don't know how you can buy his book now - the Amazon link on his website says they don't have it in stock. The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum is the only library in WorldCat that claims to have a copy.

Here's some cartoons that struck me as I'm reading the book. Sadly, they're still relevant.

Here's a list of material that I found on him that I will be adding into the Comics Research Bibliography. I've sent an email asking for an interview - as you can see below, he was still active last year. 

Walt Carr’s website CARRtoons plus - http://carrtoonsplus.com/index.html

Just us!
Walt Carr
 [Uptown Press], [Baltimore, Maryland], 2019

Carr releases collection of his legendary cartoons
by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire
    New Pittsburgh Courier September 30, 2019
https://newpittsburghcourier.com/2019/09/30/carr-releases-collection-of-his-legendary-cartoons/

Walt Carr Cartoons for “Just Us”
D. D. Degg   
https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2019/09/27/walt-carr-cartoons-for-just-us/

Aunt Jemima cartoon causing ruckus in Ohio [Walt Carr]
Alan Gardner   
https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2009/12/03/aunt-jemima-cartoon-causing-ruckus-in-ohio/

Political cartoonist Walt Carr
Doug Kapustin (photos)
Baltimore Sun October 15, 2019
https://www.baltimoresun.com/2019/10/15/political-cartoonist-walt-carr/

Columbia political cartoonist’s book ‘JUST US!’ showcases a black perspective on current events
By Jess Nocera

October 16, 2019
https://www.baltimoresun.com/2019/10/16/columbia-political-cartoonists-book-just-us-showcases-a-black-perspective-on-current-events/

‘Just Us!’ Should Have Everyone ‘Laughin,’ ‘Signifyin’
  by Stacy M. Brown
Washington Informer July 25, 2019
https://www.washingtoninformer.com/just-us-should-have-everyone-laughin-signifyin/

Howard resident, author Pamela Woolford tells the untold stories of black Columbia [Walt Carr]
By Capital Gazette February 19, 2020
https://www.capitalgazette.com/2020/02/19/howard-resident-author-pamela-woolford-tells-the-untold-stories-of-black-columbia/

Walt Carr Follow-Up
By Sean Kleefeld
Kleefeld on Comics February 11, 2021
http://www.kleefeldoncomics.com/2021/02/walt-carr-follow-up.html

A Black political cartoonist’s new book pokes and provokes. He’s planning another [in print as A veteran Black cartoonist takes setback in stride].
Courtland Milloy
Washington Post September 30, 2020, p. B1, 3
online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/black-political-cartoonist/2020/09/29/43fc8dc8-0270-11eb-897d-3a6201d6643f_story.html

Columbia cartoonist among first to highlight struggles of Black Americans [Walt Carr; online as Cartoonist highlights struggles of Black Americans in mainstream publications]
WBAL Feb 16, 2021
Lisa Robinson
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/cartoonist-walt-carr-highlights-struggles-of-black-americans/35521322 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMwcPM2ntSw

Avery, Jaha N. 2023. Those Who Saw the Sun: African American Oral Histories from the Jim Crow South [Walt Carr oral history]. United States: Levine Querido.

A Talk With Cartoonists Ray Billingsley, Walt Carr and Angelo Lopez
Angelo Lopez
 Apr 2, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=J2w9ZbErZ88

*"Black" really isn't helpful when it comes to search engines finding an article, hence I'm using the older term.

That darn Michael Ramirez

the May 7 editorial cartoon (Michael Ramirez/Las Vegas Review-Journal for The Washington Post)

Another reason to be up in arms

Bruce Krebs, Arlington

Washington Post May 25 2024.

online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/05/24/jackson-state-killings-kent-state-massacre/

Michael Ramirez's May 7 editorial cartoon, "A never-ending cycle," copied M.C. Escher's artwork "Drawing Hands" (with "apologies" to Escher as a credit). Escher emphatically rejected a letter from the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, requesting a drawing for an album cover. My opinion is he would not appreciate Ramirez's use of his work, either. But what was Ramirez's point?

I am unaware of President Biden making a dramatic increase in civil service employees. I guess Ramirez was satirizing aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. As most of that money buys weapons and ammunition made in the United States to send to foreign destinations, this circle provides profit for U.S. arms manufacturers and jobs for Americans, which I thought were conservative ideals. What's not to like, Mr. Ramirez?

Michael de Adder on former WaPo job at X/Twitter

Michael de Adder

@deAdder

Don't have much to say. I took the job because I was supposed to be the main cartoonist. Now I find myself without a job. And that's all I have to say. I'd like to get a job at another newspaper. Ha like it's easy. But I have a plan I want to try first. Something different. Coming soon I guess.

11:07 PM · Feb 8, 2024

91 Views

https://twitter.com/deAdder/status/1755805540473565422

Jerry Buckley cartoon donated to Library of Congress

This Jerry Buckley political cartoon was batched with an influenza cartoon that I wanted. My loss is the nation's gain.

WaPo's Lily Lines and The Nib both end today

From the last LL newsletter (500 comics!) -

For six years, it's been our pleasure to deliver essential stories about gender and identity to your inbox with Lily Lines. During this time, the Lily team made an award-winning documentary, published nearly 500 comics, read dozens of books together and shared plenty of Your Takes. More recently, one of our former team members, Caroline Kitchener, won a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting on abortion — stories that were always a priority for the Lily and its readers.

As the team takes on new roles at The Post dedicated to this coverage, this is the final issue of the Lily Lines newsletter. You can still find our reporting and perspectives on gender and identity across the site, but especially in our reimagined Style section, which launches soon.

The corresponding Style Memo newsletter will cover the personalities, conversations and cultural trends that shape American life. Lily Lines readers have been signed up to receive it in their inbox starting Sept. 8.

Until next time,
Team Lily 🖤

and Cavna on the Nib:

An era ends: How the Nib lifted the art of political comics journalism

By Michael Cavna

August 31, 2023

https://www.washingtonpost.com/comics/2023/08/31/the-nib-closing/

free to read link: https://wapo.st/3OVm39D

and the final Lily newsletter comic:

Am I paranoid — or just prepared? How true crime made me more alert.

Being a true crime "fan" is complicated because you're often wrestling with consuming it as a form of entertainment and as a form of self preservation

Perspective by Fabiola Lara

August 27, 2023

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/08/27/am-i-paranoid-or-just-prepared-how-true-crime-made-me-more-alert/

ComicsTN: Some cartoon content in Knoxville's East Tennessee History Museum

 

an uncredited editorial cartoonist in the Knoxville newspaper in their temporary exhibit on movies

 

 

 

Al Capp;s Little Abner's Kickapoo juice in a section on hillbilly stereotypes

 

 

Beverly Hillbillies comic book in a section on stereotypes

 

WaPo columnist vs editorial cartoonist

As originally reported in the Daily Cartoonist, cited here for the record:

Is This Cartoon Racist? [by Matt Daniel]

Bacon's Rebellion May 16, 2023 by James A. Bacon

https://www.baconsrebellion.com/wp/is-this-cartoon-racist/

2 editorial cartoons by Daniel Boris

 Sex Offender On Board

My Hat's Bigger 

Joel Pett wins RFK cartoon award for 2023

 The online-only award ceremony is here. Pett is around minute 20.

Here's D. D. Degg's coverage - https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2023/05/03/joel-pett-wins-2023-rfk-cartoon-award/

I was a judge for this again this year.

Reporting to His Keeper by Daniel Boris

 

Mission Accomplished by Daniel Boris

 Taking a pause from the current GOP spectacle unfolding on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to comment on a broader issue in American politics: Our political party system simply needs to... go away.