Lexington Herald-Leader editorial cartoonist Joel Pett was invited by the State Department to tour China and give lectures and presentations on editorial cartooning in America. He’s written four briefs of his activities and impressions while traveling there. This one from his last one dated June 14:
The Shanghai schedule has been packed with EXTREMELY IMPORTANT diplomatic activities. After meeting the consulate staff yesterday morning, I was interviewed by a young Chinese newspaper reporter.
He spoke beautiful English and asked very intelligent questions about such topics as the Danish cartoonists drawing Muhammad, the upcoming U.S. election, and why I have nothing nice to say about the Chinese in my cartoons.
I explained that editorial cartoons generally have nothing nice to say about anyone, and reminded him that criticism of their government doesn?t necessarily translate to negative ideas about the Chinese people, who seem to be among the kindest and most helpful denizens of the entire planet, unless they are faking it as part of a communist plot to lull us into borrowing more money from their banks and spending it on Chinese-made consumer electronics.
Here are links to all the summaries:
I can’t think of any other editorial cartoonist I’d rather have as our cartoonist emissary to China (or just about anywhere else, for that matter) than Joel.