Bors Blog
Archive for February, 2008
Bad Cartoonist
Over the last few years, more and more editorial cartoonists are ridiculing their own profession. I’m not sure if this happens in many other communities, but we specialize in wielding brickbats so why not on ourselves? The best example is Ward Sutton’s weekly cartoons in the Onion, which parody a hack cartoonist.
The latest critic is an anonymous editorial cartoonist that started a blog called Bad Cartoonist ripping on work, sometimes with some personal attacks thrown in. He (it’s almost certainly a man) is definitely a professional cartoonist with personal knowledge of the people he’s attacking so it’s whipping up a firestorm of speculation. The Daily Cartoonist has an interview with the unknown blogger and a growing comment thread with a lot of pros responding. Justin Bilicki already has a comic about it.
Internal criticism is sometimes hard to take, but editorial cartooning desperately needs it. The artist should have started the blog with their name on it, but whatever. I guess it’s more exciting this way. Everyone gets to call each other and rampantly speculate! Maybe we can out him like Larry Craig.
I’ve been told that some artists have floated my name as a possibility. It’s not me.
I have been critical of the state of political cartoons though. The first time a lot of people saw my work was when Cagle posted this cartoon on his blog on 2005.
It’s the fault of the artists as well as their editors. The decades-long drive to get an editorial cartoon that appeals to all readers has lead to safe, homogenized, and uninspiring cartoons that most everyday people can’t even differentiate. Many editors are fearful of any cartoon that takes a partisan position and instead reprint safe political gag cartoons (as exemplified by the cartoons run three inches wide in Newsweek).
I just don’t see the excessive labeling and holiday metaphors (cupid shooting arrows at whomever is in the news near Valentine’s Day) as resonating with people in 2008. It’s time to move on from that.
The anonymous criticism within our ranks may spawn resentment and paranoia but hopefully it will embarrass some people to do better work.
Standards
I think the New York Times made a mistake placing so much emphasis on McCain’s possible romantic relationship with a lobbyist. It looks like he very well may have been messin’ around, but there just wasn’t enough solid evidence for such an explosive allegation. The real issue, his longstanding hypocrisy in dealing with lobbyists, became overshadowed as we recoiled in horror at the thought of having sex with John McCain.
It’s funny to see people like Sean Hannity denouncing the Times for their lack of evidence and anonymous sourcing while still peddling conspiracy theories about Vince Foster. That level of cognitive dissonance should be studied.
The muslim smear on Obama is here to stay and hopefully will only affect morons who wouldn’t have voted Democratic in the first place. My dad told me a coworker of his pulled him over and showed him the photo of Obama in Kenyan tribal gear. “He’s wearing what the enemy wears!” he said. Yes, these people are real.
Monday: Ralph Nader
contact
I just found out the e-mail I have on this site hasn’t been working since I switched over to a new server. I’ll switch the info when I get a chance, but if you’d like to contact me use: comics -at- mattbors -dot- com
Go Postal
The USPS announced another rate increase.
A First-Class Mail stamp will be 42¢. Customers can continue to use the Forever Stamps that they purchased prior to May 12 at 41¢, even after the price change. We will have 5 billion Forever Stamps in stock to meet increased demand before the price change.
It’s only going to get worse as time goes on. Just remember what I told you.
Gitmo Graves
Sorry for the late update. My head was sore after watching Tim Russert be an asshole during last night’s debates and thus needed to go immediately to bed without updating. Why was Russert so obsessed with linking Obama to Louis Farrakhan?
The comic is basically what I posted about last week. We’re going to bury detainees there in a muslim-friendly grave. I’m sure they’ll be pleased by the hospitality.
Speaking of Wasting Money…
The New York Times, horserace style, on donuts:
Among the Republicans, John McCain trailed Mitt Romney $923.70 to $992.91 in Dunkin Donuts bills, but spent $116.79 on Krispy Kremes in Reno, Nev., to put him ahead. Ron Pauls doughnut bills totaled $108.07. Rudolph W. Giulianis campaign didnt itemize doughnuts, but listed a $5,100 bill at Bouchon Bakery in Las Vegas.
Madrassa Veterans For Truth Strike!
Now they are “circulating” this picture of Obama in the muslim terror garb of his rancid relatives. See my Madrassa Veterans For Truth comics here and here where I lay out the blueprints for this attack that the Clinton campaign technocrats have shamelessly stolen and used, without attribution or approval, for their partisan political purposes.
Shame on you, Hillary Clinton. Shame on you.
Cartoons…good/bad
The best two cartoons I spotted this morning over at the AAEC site are from Jen Sorensen and Ann Telnaes–two of the best political cartoonists working today. (And some of the only females). Why don’t they have staff jobs?
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Ann Telnaes
Cartoonists & Writers Feb 25, 2008 |
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Jen Sorensen
Village Voice, C-VILLE Weekly Feb 25, 2008 |
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Mike Luckovich
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Feb 25, 2008 |
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Jimmy Margulies
The Record Feb 25, 2008 |
Joe on Torture
Joe Lieberman is a despicable little turd of a man. Like his close friend John McCain, he recently voted against banning waterboarding, saying "It is not like putting burning coals on people’s bodies. The person is in no real danger. The impact is psychological."
First, Joe judges the severity of torture programs against the practice melting people’s flesh off with white hot coals. So there’s that.
Then there’s the notion that psychological torture isn’t a big deal, which reflects are country’s lack of understanding and caring for mental health. Destroying someone’s mind and personality is crime and violation of human rights. And you can do it without being violent. After years of isolation, sensory deprivation and mind games, Jose Padilla–an American citizen that was held as an “enemy combatant” and denied a trial for years–is said to behave “like a piece of furniture.” Lieberman isn’t just a traitor to his party, but to the Constitution.
I’m looking forward to him doing a Zell Miller this year at the Republican Convention.
Duct Tape Power
Most city dwellers can’t stand the practice and understand the absurdity in staking a claim to public space.
