San Diego Union-Tribune editorial cartoonist Steve Breen wanted to create a series of cartoons on the topic of the BP gulf oil spill. To take the art to a higher level,
The cartoonist contacted two AP reporters in the Gulf, Brian Skoloff and Cain Burdeau, and asked them to direct him to a location where the oil could easily be found. They directed him to fly into New Orleans and then drive east to Alabama and Pensacola, Fla., Breen said, where beaches were getting hit hard. He also asked for guidance from Dr. Ping Wang, an associate professor and geologist at University of South Florida, who suggested traveling east or west of Pensacola Beach if he wanted to strike oil.
On July 3 Breen arrived in Santa Rosa Island, west of Pensacola, where one of Dr. Ping?s graduate students, 55-year-old Rip Kirby, met him packing a UV lantern. There, said Breen, ?My fears of not finding any tar balls were unfounded.? Scattered across the sand were ?tar balls and tar patties everywhere. Some were the size of the floor mats in your car.?
In total, he’s drawn five cartoons with the oil that he mixed with gasoline to create a media that would flow onto paper. You can see the cartoons over on Creators Syndicate’s website.
Those are beautiful. I can’t imagine the smell though, whew.
Brilliant and beautiful.
I would like to know how he intends to archive them, though.
Nice idea and nice cartoons.
No smoking in that work area.
They’re the same color as the next pulitzer he’ll probably win for them