Political Cartoons That Got People Fired
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Political cartoons are just the coolest. You get to make fun of people in power in a funny way, plus you get get big ups for your art if you do it right. Even people who don’t read the news might check out your comic. Who wouldn’t want that job?
But the gig is also extremely dangerous. Your publication can receive angry letters, people can disagree with you for stupid reasons, and there’s always the question of what “too far” really means. Can you make fun of the president of your country? How about the rich mucky-mucks who own the paper that publishes your cartoons?
This list is full of the people who lost their jobs because of their political cartoons. They’re the ones that got off easy [emphasis added]—depending on the government’s laws surrounding free speech, cartoonists can be attacked or thrown in prison for their work. The Comics Code Authority isn’t a thing, but visual media is still heavily scrutinized. People tend not to forget it when someone who demands their respect is drawn like a giant on a toilet.
Some names are familiar and recent – Rogers, Chappatte, de Adder. But they are only a few of the dozen cartoonists, editors, and teachers from the U.S. and around the world noted by Brit McGinnis who lost their job because of political cartoons.
Grunge.com carries the historical perspective.
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