DMA#35: Drawing on the Edge of the Abyss (Ann Telnaes & Patrick Chappatte)
Save the Date: Wednesday, February 18th @ 12:00 PM EST
Remember that essay I wrote recently, The F-Word and the End of the Joke? The one where I stopped treating the word “fascism” like a pair of ill-fitting pants and admitted that things are getting... well, serious?
We talked about how satire is becoming a dangerous occupation. We talked about how the line between “leader” and “dictator” is getting blurrier than my vision after pulling an all-nighter on deadline.
Well, this Wednesday at noon, I am bringing in the heavy artillery.
I am joined by two of the most formidable political cartoonists on the planet: My old pal, two-time Pulitzer prize-winner Ann Telnaes and Patrick Chappatte of The Boston Globe, as well as le Canard enchaîné and La Tribune Dimanche (France), Le Temps and NZZ am Sonntag. He’s worked for basically every major publication you could name. (And then some you can’t even pronounce.)
Ann is a brilliant cartoonist who draws with a line so sharp it could cut glass. She’s been documenting the erosion of democratic norms with a tenacity that makes me want to lie down in a dark room with a wet cloth on my forehead.
Patrick is the Chair of the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation. He is the guy who literally gave the TED talk on the importance of satire when the New York Times decided to stop running political cartoons. He has been on the front lines of this fight for decades, championing the idea that a free world needs satire to breathe. (And as if there wasn’t enough to love about him, he’s also a comedian…)
We will cover a lot, including:
The reality of drawing authoritarianism in 2026.
The themes I touched on in our previous chat: Talking Elon Musk v Donald Trump. Specifically, how the intersection of tech oligarchy and political power is changing the landscape for critics.
How to keep drawing when the subjects of your drawings would very much prefer you didn’t.
And much, much more…
Add it to your calendar now!
Wednesday, February 18th @ 12:00 PM EST.
This isn’t just a drawing session; it’s a war room!
’til then,
Your pal,
PS: In the meantime… catch up on the required reading: