The arrival of HRC, BHO, WOKE and DJT coincided w/ the cancelation of ed. cartooning. Comedians experienced same thing on college campus's.My liberal counterparts openly lobbied I be censored and cancelled. Then in 2021 the Pulitzer committee and one-note repetitive liberal cartooning killed the ed. cartooning award. Today the conservatives who're still working are so afraid you can't tell Ramirez from Ohman. Most days the ed. cartoons published are Trump is Hitler and the right are nazi's. Ed. cartooning has become nothing more than a "your president is so fat, orange and fat" jokes. That's not OP/ED. That's unserious tribal bellowing. Today there are probably less than ten of us left working in a sea of liberals who no doubt look around, wonder what happened and then blame the right. Yes, editorial cartooning is dead and has been for some time. -ML
I risk sounding like a broken record here, again, but really, editorial cartoons are cartoons not politics, entertainment not advocacy. No politician changes course because he got mocked by a cartoonist. You are not speaking to power. You are speaking about power at best.
I admit, editorial cartoons can reinforce viewpoints, contribute to building popular opinion, but that's a tricky place to occupy. You assume as a creator that the people get what you are up to, they catch your drift, but if they don't and don't want to go that way, you are suddenly out in the cold.
Lastly, cartoonists have no special purchase on truth. If they are smarter than the average bear, they should know how to read the room.
So We’re just going to ignore Thomas Nast taking down Boss Tweed? Or Daumier facilitating regime change after King Louis-Philippe? Or David Low being responsible for Britain’s eventual rejection of appeasement? Or Herb Block turning the tide against McCarthyism? (A term he coined) Or Zunar turning the tide against Malaysian corruption and leading a reform of the government? Or Nadia Khiari leading the charge on galvanising Tunisians during the Arab Spring?
Why would cartoonists be jailed, and often worse —tortured and killed— if they were just drawing silly pictures that were simply entertainment? Why would masked gunmen drag Syria's best-known political cartoonist from his car, beat him severely and break both his hands as a warning to stop drawing, just days after he did a cartoon comparing Syria's president to Moammar Gadhafi?
Thank you for taking time. I was aware of Nast, Daumier, the others not so much, so the info is much appreciated.
Still, there’s something that doesn’t fit comparing then to now. I don’t know what it is, the authority of the press (the 4th estate) compromised by the rise of digital media (the 5th), or the mad polarization induced by you know who.
Professor Danesi, whom I have written about, tells me he has a new book coming out this fall. Perhaps he has cracked the puzzle.
I agree that the old 4th estate model doesn’t hold anymore, but don’t agree that it has diminished the power of the image itself.
My point remains— no matter where these images are published, they hold weight. They have the capacity to move needles, even if slowly. One could argue that the ability for an image to go globally viral now gives it even more capacity.
You can’t tell me the latest cartoon satirising you know who by the South Park creators hasn’t dominated the conversation past the usual ninety minute news cycle.
I should apologise for the snark:
My passion from this doesn’t just stem from being a cartoonist and from having to personally bear the brunt of backlash from powerful people, but also having to defend fellow cartoonists in an official capacity as President of two cartoonist orgs for the majority of my adult life. This is an issue with which I’m deeply familiar.
Thanks again for taking time. You're a real prince. I mean that sincerely.
I have spent a lot of time in the arts, bucking trends, speaking out, mixing it up, also skewering no. 47. I'm tired I suppose, but not just tired.
Ridiculous Man's super power is invincibility to criticism. It leaves everyone astounded and confused. Perhaps that means critics must just keep on firing their best sane, sensible, witty, irreverent, pointed barbs hoping against hope that one will finally penetrate the force field. But, you know how futile it can feel.
I honestly believe that if the entire liberal press could just ignore that pompous ass for just 24 hrs. he would crumble to dust.
Love your work but I don't buy the argument that editorial cartooning is dying because of censorship or the cowardice of gatekeepers. Seems to me the real problem is the hubris and complacency of the legacy media.
No cartoonist is entitled to an audience. Nowadays any attention has to be earned. Every cartoonist can post online for free and speak as much truth to power as they want. If they do it well it will get likes and shares. The real problem isn't censorship, it's that media consumption has evolved. The competition nowadays is extremely fierce because literally anybody can make a meme. Cartoonists no longer have a monopoly on clever images, and we have to figure out how to adapt.
Yeah, it's a struggle. I wish it were different. But blaming it on the editors of newspapers that nobody reads seems to me like outdated thinking.
To narrow the point, so as not to be as broad as “all political cartooning is dying, wholesale” — I believe the reason we don’t see editorial cartoons in traditional media is for the reason outlined above.
To offend is to now risk the loss of an ever dwindling pool of subscribers who are keeping whatever is left of the newsroom afloat. Traditional newsrooms have become museums, monuments to a bygone era.
I worked in a traditional newsroom from the age of 19 and continued doing editorial cartoons for years. I had a front row seat to the slow (and then very steady) simultaneous decline in readership and attention spans, and the head-in-the-sand approach editors had to the evolution of media consumption you mention.
Instead of adapting, they just continued doing the same things. Only this time they tiptoed on editorial opinion content so as not to rock the boat, sometimes doing away with their entire opinion sections altogether. (This trend has continued).
You’re not going to get any argument from me that traditional media ought to have been paying more attention to the evolution of media consumption — I’m also in complete agreement that no Cartoonist is entitled to an audience. If their work is good enough, indeed, they will find an audience.
While, personally, I’m bullish on Substack as a means to find that audience, I know there are other platforms and avenues springing up for cartoonists to try and seek out/attract their readers.
I gave up on traditional news media outlets to make a living years ago. Because, as Keef Knight says, “They gave up on us a long time ago.”
YES! Come hang at Porchlight :)
Thanks for the shoutout! Appreciate it.
Always!
Lol!
The arrival of HRC, BHO, WOKE and DJT coincided w/ the cancelation of ed. cartooning. Comedians experienced same thing on college campus's.My liberal counterparts openly lobbied I be censored and cancelled. Then in 2021 the Pulitzer committee and one-note repetitive liberal cartooning killed the ed. cartooning award. Today the conservatives who're still working are so afraid you can't tell Ramirez from Ohman. Most days the ed. cartoons published are Trump is Hitler and the right are nazi's. Ed. cartooning has become nothing more than a "your president is so fat, orange and fat" jokes. That's not OP/ED. That's unserious tribal bellowing. Today there are probably less than ten of us left working in a sea of liberals who no doubt look around, wonder what happened and then blame the right. Yes, editorial cartooning is dead and has been for some time. -ML
There are Jesters.
There are Protesters.
There are Fools.
And there are Tools.
As the Dictator you suk grows fatter,
Methinks you Sir are the latter.
I risk sounding like a broken record here, again, but really, editorial cartoons are cartoons not politics, entertainment not advocacy. No politician changes course because he got mocked by a cartoonist. You are not speaking to power. You are speaking about power at best.
I admit, editorial cartoons can reinforce viewpoints, contribute to building popular opinion, but that's a tricky place to occupy. You assume as a creator that the people get what you are up to, they catch your drift, but if they don't and don't want to go that way, you are suddenly out in the cold.
Lastly, cartoonists have no special purchase on truth. If they are smarter than the average bear, they should know how to read the room.
Right..
So We’re just going to ignore Thomas Nast taking down Boss Tweed? Or Daumier facilitating regime change after King Louis-Philippe? Or David Low being responsible for Britain’s eventual rejection of appeasement? Or Herb Block turning the tide against McCarthyism? (A term he coined) Or Zunar turning the tide against Malaysian corruption and leading a reform of the government? Or Nadia Khiari leading the charge on galvanising Tunisians during the Arab Spring?
Why would cartoonists be jailed, and often worse —tortured and killed— if they were just drawing silly pictures that were simply entertainment? Why would masked gunmen drag Syria's best-known political cartoonist from his car, beat him severely and break both his hands as a warning to stop drawing, just days after he did a cartoon comparing Syria's president to Moammar Gadhafi?
Respectfully, your take on this one is way off.
Do some research.
Ouch. Uncle! Uncle!
Thank you for taking time. I was aware of Nast, Daumier, the others not so much, so the info is much appreciated.
Still, there’s something that doesn’t fit comparing then to now. I don’t know what it is, the authority of the press (the 4th estate) compromised by the rise of digital media (the 5th), or the mad polarization induced by you know who.
Professor Danesi, whom I have written about, tells me he has a new book coming out this fall. Perhaps he has cracked the puzzle.
I agree that the old 4th estate model doesn’t hold anymore, but don’t agree that it has diminished the power of the image itself.
My point remains— no matter where these images are published, they hold weight. They have the capacity to move needles, even if slowly. One could argue that the ability for an image to go globally viral now gives it even more capacity.
You can’t tell me the latest cartoon satirising you know who by the South Park creators hasn’t dominated the conversation past the usual ninety minute news cycle.
I should apologise for the snark:
My passion from this doesn’t just stem from being a cartoonist and from having to personally bear the brunt of backlash from powerful people, but also having to defend fellow cartoonists in an official capacity as President of two cartoonist orgs for the majority of my adult life. This is an issue with which I’m deeply familiar.
Thanks again for taking time. You're a real prince. I mean that sincerely.
I have spent a lot of time in the arts, bucking trends, speaking out, mixing it up, also skewering no. 47. I'm tired I suppose, but not just tired.
Ridiculous Man's super power is invincibility to criticism. It leaves everyone astounded and confused. Perhaps that means critics must just keep on firing their best sane, sensible, witty, irreverent, pointed barbs hoping against hope that one will finally penetrate the force field. But, you know how futile it can feel.
I honestly believe that if the entire liberal press could just ignore that pompous ass for just 24 hrs. he would crumble to dust.
One can only dream 😊
Love your work but I don't buy the argument that editorial cartooning is dying because of censorship or the cowardice of gatekeepers. Seems to me the real problem is the hubris and complacency of the legacy media.
No cartoonist is entitled to an audience. Nowadays any attention has to be earned. Every cartoonist can post online for free and speak as much truth to power as they want. If they do it well it will get likes and shares. The real problem isn't censorship, it's that media consumption has evolved. The competition nowadays is extremely fierce because literally anybody can make a meme. Cartoonists no longer have a monopoly on clever images, and we have to figure out how to adapt.
Yeah, it's a struggle. I wish it were different. But blaming it on the editors of newspapers that nobody reads seems to me like outdated thinking.
To narrow the point, so as not to be as broad as “all political cartooning is dying, wholesale” — I believe the reason we don’t see editorial cartoons in traditional media is for the reason outlined above.
To offend is to now risk the loss of an ever dwindling pool of subscribers who are keeping whatever is left of the newsroom afloat. Traditional newsrooms have become museums, monuments to a bygone era.
I worked in a traditional newsroom from the age of 19 and continued doing editorial cartoons for years. I had a front row seat to the slow (and then very steady) simultaneous decline in readership and attention spans, and the head-in-the-sand approach editors had to the evolution of media consumption you mention.
Instead of adapting, they just continued doing the same things. Only this time they tiptoed on editorial opinion content so as not to rock the boat, sometimes doing away with their entire opinion sections altogether. (This trend has continued).
You’re not going to get any argument from me that traditional media ought to have been paying more attention to the evolution of media consumption — I’m also in complete agreement that no Cartoonist is entitled to an audience. If their work is good enough, indeed, they will find an audience.
While, personally, I’m bullish on Substack as a means to find that audience, I know there are other platforms and avenues springing up for cartoonists to try and seek out/attract their readers.
I gave up on traditional news media outlets to make a living years ago. Because, as Keef Knight says, “They gave up on us a long time ago.”