21 replies to this topic

[Jacques Cadé]

Strangely enough, it seems there hasn't been a thread on VV about political cartoons. Now there is.

And just in time. One of the tragic side-effects of the economic meltdown is that many alternative weeklies (like Monday Magazine) are slashing their comic strips. If you don't think this is a big deal, remember that Matt Groening ("The Simpsons") got his start doing his "Life In Hell" strip for The Los Angeles Reader, an alt-weekly.

Jules Feiffer in the Village Voice, Bill Griffith's "Zippy The Pinhead", Lynda Barry's "Ernie Pook's Comeek", Tom Tomorrow's "This Modern World" – some of the best political cartoonists of the last 40 years have earned their bread from alt-weeklies, and they're all going under the knife.

For more about this disaster, read Max Cannon's blog: http://www.redmeat.c...apocalypse.html

To get a sense of what we may be about to lose, consider the latest from Ruben Bolling's "Tom The Dancing Bug", one of the best strips around. No other form of communication could explain the mortgage crisis so economically, so to speak.



If you have any other great political cartoons to share, please do!

[VicHockeyFan]

The Times-Colonist has stated many times that the most reader complaints they get is when they screw up the comics/cartoons or the TV listings.

[yodsaker]

For political cartoons in the US its hard to beat Pat Oliphant and Tom Toles, both can be hilarious and merciless where it counts.
In Canada Aislin (Terry Mosher) of the Montreal Gazette hits the nail on the head most times. I love political cartoons because they can convey thoughts in ways words simply can't.

[Jacques Cadé]

Just came across this. Simon Fraser University has a searchable online collection of cartoons from B.C. newspapers, at
http://edocs.lib.sfu.ca/projects/Cartoons/

Some good ones relating to Victoria:

[victorian fan]

"For quoting the Prime Minister."........May 6, 1977 Trudeau ref.

[mat]

I always find Steve Bell on the mark...

[yodsaker]

I'd love to post some cartoons as attachments but it says I'm not allowed. How can I do this? H-E-L-P, please!

[Caramia]

Rather than trying to attach them, upload them to http://photobucket.com/ (it is free to join) then link to them from there.

[yodsaker]

Thanks Caramia!

[Rob Randall]

My dad and I were both cartoonists. He was one of the first cartoonists for the new UVic Martlet in 1963 (as opposed to the old Victoria College Martlet). I was the cartoonist for the old Victoria Star.

[yodsaker]

A couple of Toles' efforts, one from the other day the other the day after Obama's election....

[Rob Randall]

UVic Martlet, Nov 28, 1963:



Dec 12, 1963; Santa encounters the Berlin Wall:

[Rob Randall]

More from the Martlet, created by Bob Randall and someone last name Scott:



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After the new Clearihue building floods, precautions are taken with the new S.U.B.:



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[victorian fan]

1964 Flag Debate

[mat]

It's not a political cartoon (well, maybe?), but this made me laugh at it's social relevance.

[Jacques Cadé]

Good Raeside today. Also not political, but relevant:

[mat]

This is from The New Yorker - political, with a twist of economic angst thrown in.

[Rob Randall]

^While that page was loading I only needed to see the top half of that cartoon to know it was a Lee Lorenz. I recognize his style right away. He's been doing cartoons for the New Yorker since the late 50s.

It's a shame Victoria doesn't have many good full-time editorial cartoonists. OJ Heggen does some good ones for the local Black Press. Raeside has been doing them for years for the TC but he never really does much local topics. He doesn't live in Victoria and does a lot a strip and panel cartoons with non-local content which is much more lucrative because you can't syndicate local topic cartoons to other newspapers.

[mat]

^While that page was loading I only needed to see the top half of that cartoon to know it was a Lee Lorenz. I recognize his style right away. He's been doing cartoons for the New Yorker since the late 50s.

It's a shame Victoria doesn't have many good full-time editorial cartoonists. OJ Heggen does some good ones for the local Black Press. Raeside has been doing them for years for the TC but he never really does much local topics. He doesn't live in Victoria and does a lot a strip and panel cartoons with non-local content which is much more lucrative because you can't syndicate local topic cartoons to other newspapers.

Interesting you noted that, however as an artist you have a better eye than most. The New Yorker will be one to watch in the current media shakeup - I do hope they survive both in print and online. The format does not really lend itself to online - articles are mostly far too long for North American audiences, but the content and journalism, writing and topics covered (not to mention the 'odd' front page) beat the best of UK (which is still my benchmark)

The New Yorker still rules for cartoons...

[mat]

Vibrant Victoria has made a new section for Media - and we will be moving this wonderful thread on online cartoons over soon.

In the mean time...