A reader of the Press & Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, NY) took issue with a story-line in Mike Peter’s Mother Goose and Grimm regarding a Chernobyl Amusement Park. The story line ran February 8 through the 12th.
Today, in 2011, the statistics and the continued nuclear radiation poisoning from the disaster will continue to affect the people in the area of Kiev and the region of Ukraine and neighboring Belarus for generations. Also, for the past 24 years, a fund has been established to help the victims of the Chernobyl disaster to deal with genetic and other health problems at which the cartoon comic strip pokes fun.
There is absolutely no comedy and fun in the pain, suffering and the agonizing death of thousands of people in Ukraine and Belarus since 1986.
Mike responds a couple of days later:
I did these strips because I was outraged that the government of Ukraine was asking tourists to come to Chernobyl for vacation. When a nuclear power plant implodes like Chernobyl, it takes a lot more than 30 years (maybe 300) to become safe enough to bring kids.
I was hoping that the strips would interest my readers enough to talk about it and learn that this story is true ? just Google “holiday in Chernobyl Ukraine” and find out more. It’s hard to make these things up.
The comics in question can be found on Mike’s site. Jump back to the 8th of February and work your way forward.
If I ever get syndicated, I’ll get complaints on a daily basis… Probably why I am not syndicated yet!!!! I am 100% behind Mike. AWESOME talent… and mighty funny joke. It was at no one’s expense as Mike explains. I’ll have to remember the “just sending a message” excuse next time I get in trouble for a post…
Kidding Mike! Keep up the good work!!!! I’ve been a fan since day one of your run in the Houston Chronicle YEARS ago!!!!!!!
…..entertainment and mass appeal are the goal of a comic strip artist,and enlightenment can be entertaining, one reader , is not the masses, and drawing attention to something can enlighten a lot of folks…so if we are scared, don’t draw comic strips..”.letz keep practicing kindness and love”; Jonathan Livingston Seagull / 1970