Back at the dawn of time, when I was in college, there was a mynah at the Kresge’s department store in South Bend with a fairly large vocabulary. In addition to saying “I’m a pretty bird,” and “I can talk. Can you fly?” he had absorbed a number of phrases from the customers who stopped […]
Some of Steve Benson‘s friends have written about him on the occasion of his passing. From editorial cartoonist Jack Ohman, like Steve a former president of the AAEC: I heard Steve Benson died yesterday, in the late afternoon, as I was about to go into the grocery store—the banal things we all do. The news […]
Twelve cartoonist and free speech organizations have signed a letter protesting the arrest of four individuals associated with publishing a caricature in LeMan magazine officials have interpreted as depicting Moses and Mohammed fraternizing in heaven. According to Reporters Without Borders, the Istanbul prosecutor’s office opened a judicial investigation on June 30 against cartoonist Dogan Pehlivan, editor-in-chief Zafer […]
I don’t know that things seem quite as grim from the inside as Wuerker suggests, though those on the outside have long questioned whether Dear Leader was genuinely accomplishing anything. A Cult of Personality, on the other hand, tends to be fairly steadfast and myopic. The term originated with Stalin and while the Hungarians and […]
In the world of comic art, artists are often dubbed ink-slingers based upon not only the volume of ink used, but the activity in which that ink is slung. Grin and Bear It! “Lichty works fast. His style is apparently slapdash; he pencils in outlines and features, and then brushes on tones or color. (He […]
A recent cartoon by Adam Zyglis involving natural disasters and the MAGA philosophy has right wing voices objecting to the “rules for thee, not for me” hypocrisy hitting home. “Now is not the time.” From Carlos Garcia for The Blaze Media: ‘Twisted, vile, and shameful’ The Buffalo News published a political cartoon appearing to mock […]
Dear Leader has announced another set of tariffs, which he claims will likely be modified once he has concluded trade deals with the nations involved, which is most of them, or possibly more than all of them, since he once said “There’s 200 countries. You can’t talk to all of them.’’ You certainly can’t, because […]
Seven Days Cartoon Issue; The Duckton Weekly #12; Alley Oop new and old; all-new Bloom County; where, oh where, has my Zoolies gone; Ed Steckley caricatures the Reuben Award nominees. Seven Days Cartoon Issue Seven Days has published their annual Cartoon Issue for 2025 with a charming When Harry Met Ali jam cover by Harry […]
Editorial cartoonist Steve Benson has passed away. Stephen Reed (Steve) Benson January 2, 1954 – July 8, 2025 The Arizona Mirror is reporting the death of Steve Benson: Steve Benson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist known for his sharp wit and incisive commentary on American politics, has died at the age of 71. After being […]
Sorensen reframes matters in current, rather than traditional, terms, and it’s hard to disagree with her suggestion that we stop pretending things are the same as they’ve always been. It seems time to, as Howard Cosell put it, “Tell it like it is.” It’s hard to avoid knowing that things have changed, and if for […]
Joe Wos and Alice in Wonderland; Dan O’Neill and The Air Pirates; Krazy Kat and Comics Kingdom; The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and vertical comics; Garry Trudeau, Doonesbury, and Trump; Spongebob Squarepants and the United States Postal Service. Let’s kick this off with a couple Kickstarters. Chère Noble and Joe Wos are teaming […]
Another of those “Where to begin?” days, as we look into things said and unsaid, implied, inferred and wise and idiotic. Mostly, for today, the latter. Let’s start in Texas, where it remains unclear what part cuts to NOAA and the NWS played in the tragedy, and what part is due to lack of a […]
At the 79th Annual Reuben Awards in Boston on August 15, 2025, the National Cartoonists Society will posthumously award the NCS Medal of Honor to Robert “Chance” Browne and Christopher “Chris” Browne, in recognition of their career excellence and enduring contributions to the art of cartooning. The National Cartoonists Society will honor cartooning brothers Chance […]
Portugal, I am led to believe, has a sizable community of American expatriates. Editorial cartoonist Pat Bagley has increased that number. From Pat’s Facebook page (also posted to Bluesky): In a few hours I will fly out of Salt Lake City to begin a new chapter in Portugal. One doesn’t just suddenly wake up and […]
Between commentary on a holiday now past and pending legislation now passed, the political folks need to do some catching up. Meanwhile, the funny people have done fairly well lately. I’ve somewhat given up on chopsticks, though I got good with them in the 70s when authenticity seemed important and we were eating short-grained brown […]