"Now, that doesn't mean that questions of Taiwan, Tibet, human rights, the whole range of challenges that we often engage on with the Chinese, are not part of the agenda. But we pretty much know what they are going to say. We have to continue to press them but our pressing on those issues can't interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis, and the security crises. ~ Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (February 20, 2009)
The news appeared in cyberspace on Friday, February 20, 2009. As Yogi Berra once elucidated, it was as déjà vu, all over again. International and domestic activists have come to realize, once again, America is a democracy dependent on dollars. Amnesty International advocates shook their heads, wondered, and worried of what might be. Students for a Free Tibet collectively shrugged their shoulders and expressed a shared distress. Citizens at home, in America, barely blinked. An avid Obama supporter, was resigned to realities that, only weeks ago, she might not have thought she would willingly accept. Moneybag democracy lives. Hillary Clinton serves the President, the precedent past, present, and perhaps, future.
On November 8, 2004, Artist and Political Essayist Andrew Wahl, penned his thoughts on "Might." Then, the current war in Iraq may have been on his mind. Fiscal policies that ruled in favor of the wealthy could have evoked his visual essay. Way back then, religious factions, each of which was ready to deem the others wrong, were engaged in combat. That thought, coupled with the rest, may have brought this toon to be. Today, all these realities remain true.
Today, just as every Saturday, at a local intersection, I stood vigil for war veterans, civilians and soldiers. As I held a sign which reads "Love. Not War. Love," I contemplated the combat overseas, the recent tragedy in Mumbai, India, the protracted wars in Iraq, Afghanistan. The situations in Israel and Iran, were not far from my consciousness. Threats and acts of terrorism, nations in turmoil; thoughts of a desired global tranquility filled my mind. I imagined, as I do daily, a transition, and a hopeful worldwide transformation towards peace.
As I pondered the profound, a man in a very large Sports Utility Vehicle stopped near me. He rolled down his car window. The gent was perhaps in his forties, well-groomed, and thankfully polite. Calmly, concerned, and a bit critical of what he seemed to think my naivety. this anonymous chap announced, "What would you do if they came on to our shores and attacked us."
Without a thought I said, "Violence begets violence." He repeated his query and expanded the thought. "Would you not fight back?" I reflected on what I observe to be true. People kill other people in the name of peace. Christians, Muslims, Jews proclaim a love of the Lord and all mankind, except when they define another as the enemy. I stated, "I would wonder of their reasons. Might they believe we had done them harm." Agitated, the stranger shrieked, "Do you mean to say that we, Americans are to blame?" Without hesitation I responded, "No." I than shared, "I believe as my grandfather taught me, 'Two wrongs do not make a right.'" Seemingly in a huff, the man quickly sped away.
As an afterthought, I realized I might have asked as Andrew Wahl had more than two years ago; "Does It Matter?" (Archive No. 0626a) Does it matter who assaulted whom first or last. For me, it does not. Jew, Muslim, Christian, no matter the race or creed; a life is a life.
I thank you Andrew for the illustration that speaks more than a thousand words might.
"Free speech, exercised both individually and through a free press,?
is a necessity in any country where people are themselves free." ~ Theodore Roosevelt, 1918
I'm afraid I've got some bad news this week: This will be the last Weekly Editorial Cartoon E-mail, at least for a while. After much soul-searching, I've decided it's time to take an extended sabbatical from editorial cartooning. Several factors went into this decision, from financial (it was never really about money, but, in these tough economic times, my toons aren't even supporting my comic-book habit anymore) to practical (the progressive media outlets that have supported my work are going to be less hungry for toons critical of the Obama administration) to inspirational (I'm sure Obama will make his share of mistakes, but I doubt he'll ever fuel my fire like W.) All considered, it seemed like the right time to make a clean break.
I'm not sure exactly what's next. I'm hoping to publish a collection of my Bush-era toons. There's also a graphic novel or two on the backburner, as well as a couple of kids' books. And I would never rule out a return to editorial cartooning, if the right opportunity arises. I'm going to spend the rest of the year finishing up my current semester of grad school and enjoying the holidays. Then I'll turn my attention to the hard question of "What's next?"
Before signing off, I pass along a hearty "thank you" to all of you: the readers of this e-mail and the editors who have supported my work. It has been a pleasure!
With overwhelming voice, Americans have voted to move beyond the dark times of the past eight years. "Yes We Did" (Archive No. 0838). Now, if the nation can just survive the next two months, 17 days, 19 hours, 59 minutes and 42 seconds.
Quick note: I'll be out of town so no new cartoon next week. Back November 19.
With less than a week until Election Day, it's starting to look more and more likely that the GOP will be cast "Back to the Wilderness" (Archive No. 0837) by voters. But beware: The last time Republicans were banished, they came back strong, first with their "Contract With America," then with a scary brand of neoconservatism implanted on the born-again blank slate of George W. Bush. Lord only knows what they might come up with this time.
Back in seven with my post-Election Day toon.
Andrew toon@offthewahl.com
Yes, I'm sorry, but I had to dig into the archive this week. As much as I hate to go with a rerun this close to the election, I'm in the middle of grad school midterms and, well, the history of the Vietnam War trumps everything for a few days. I'll return to Election 2008 soon, but, in the meantime, enjoy "All Tricks, No Treats" (color version) (Archive No. 0639b) from 2006; it's as accurate today as it was then (unless you happen to live on Wall Street).
No, I don't think John McCain had any racial intent when he oddly referred to Barack Obama as "that one" during last night's debate. But it was dismissive and a poor choice of words, especially in light of McCain's nasty anti-Obama ad, "The One," from earlier this year. In debates, it's often the little things that stick, and "That one" just might be that thing for this one. My latest toon, "What's in an Article?," (Archive 0835) reflects on the moment.
I understand that deregulation, greed, and mismanagement are major factors in the current economic crisis. But why are so few of the "experts" talking about a war, fought on credit, that's already cost hundreds of billions - and that some believe will have a total economic impact of more than $3 TRILLION? It's insane. This week's toon, "Dollar Wise," (Archive 0833) pokes at that question.
It's not the actual destruction that makes us fear terrorists, it's the chaos they introduce into the system. So imagine what the rest of the world thinks of the "First-World Terrorist," (Archive 0832) who, driven by a radical faith in greed, lays waste to financial markets and threatens prosperity everywhere. Too bad Bush and his cronies didn't launch a preemptive strike against those bastards.
Sarah Palin must be the final insult to poor Hillary. To be so close to breaking the ultimate glass ceiling, and to feel you were mistreated by the media, and then to see some gun-tottin', Bible-thumpin' hottie hockey mom, with even less experience than that punk you were supposed to have crushed, strut in using a ready-made "the media is sexist" defense. Every time Palin evokes her name on the campaign trail, Hillary must die a thousand deaths.
When I first sketched this toon, I had Hillary saying something like "What have I begot?" But as I was looking at it on the art board, the final caption wrote itself. It's the unspoken word that's been in the background this entire whole campaign (and notice that it's still unspoken). It seemed pretty obvious that's "What Hillary Must Be Thinking." (Archive 0831)
That's all for this week. Back in seven.
Cheers,
Andrew toon@offthewahl.com
Post Script . . . Please peruse the news share just a journey away. Click the "There's More" phrase at the bottom of this treatise and travel further into times and toons.
Man, not even a week in, and the Palin family is a gift that won't stop giving. This Alaskan crew comes with more baggage than the Clintons (but hopefully not with as much political skill!) So many scandals, so little cartoon space: I decided to go with "Having It Both Ways" [Archive No. 0830], an angle on the McCain campaign and the Right's deliberate attempt to reignite the culture wars. I'm sure there will be plenty of future chances to come back and visit the colorful (though not in skin tone) Palin clan.
Speaking of the future, I'm back at my art board and settled in to deliver weekly toons for the Election '08 homestretch. The hand is pretty much healed; thanks for all the kind e-mails!
A year ago, Andrew Wahl addressed the economic issue that confronts every American. A lack of income causes the average American great angst. Today, just as a year later, citizens of this country clamor. Money is tight. Some may say, "The more things change the more they stay the same." Perchance, economically, the situation is worse. As people are laid off, jobs are shipped overseas, and businesses here at home go bankrupt, we collect coins. In a desire to pay our mounting bills, the people of this prosperous nation ask for change that amounts to dollars and sense.
Andrew extends his apology for a delayed return to novel toons.
Hand Injury Delays Toon Return Till Next Week
Hey, all:
A quick note to let you know my editorial cartoons won't be returning from hiatus until next week. During the first week of my vacation, I slipped and landed on a barnacle-encrusted rock, resulting in several cuts on my drawing hand and a trip to the ER. It's all healing remarkably well, but I'm still finding it tough to do brushwork. So I'm going to have to pass on the Democratic National Convention, but should be back in the saddle for next week's GOP brouhaha.
Till then,
Andrew toon@offthewahl.com
Until then, please enjoy the Labor Day holiday and a thought on the subject of work, wages, and survival in America.
My cartoons have been drawing heat lately in the letters section of my home newspaper, The Wenatchee World. One writer accused me of "defeatism," while another wrote that my cartoons "embolden our enemies." "Despicable" was the word from another letter writer, along with "hateful," "insulting" and "reprehensible."
Working where I do, it's really not a surprise that no one has written in to mount a public defense of my cartoons. The Wenatchee Valley is red territory - really red; for perspective, 63 percent of voters in North Central Washington's Chelan County and 67 in Douglas County voted for Bush in 2004, compared to 66 percent of voters in the president's home county of McLennan in Texas. So I thought I'd go ahead and defend myself with this week's toon, ."Shhh" [Archive No. 0721]
The result? Another "fan" letter - along with a subscription cancellation - within hours of the paper coming off the press.
I know nastygrams are supposed to be a sign of a job well done in this field, but sheesh ...
As Americans await the action in Denver, as the people look forward to the Democratic Convention, citizens are reminded of what was once thought inevitable. Hillary Clinton will be on center stage. The "juggernaut's" name will be placed into nomination. Barack Obama continues to run.
I ran into one of my co-workers in the break room at The Wenatchee World today, shortly after my latest cartoon came off the press.
"I don't understand your cartoon today," he said.
I asked him what he didn't understand. He wanted to know if I was trying to say Hillary is cold and emotionless - almost robotic - in her pursuit of the presidency, or was it that the Clinton campaign was an unstoppable juggernaut racing toward the nomination.
"Yes," I said.
"The Clinton Machine" has been a marvel to behold this primary season. And my co-worker understood this cartoon just fine.
Has there ever been a more politically tone-deaf administration than this one? I can understand Bush's need to score points with the base. But if you're going to veto legislation to take a stand against "big government," couldn't you pick something more palatable than quashing healthcare for poor children? And to say we can't afford $35 billion for sick kids, at the same time you're asking for around $190 billion - that's $190,000,000,000! - in additional war spending?
How did this numbskull ever get to be president? No, really.
As I was sitting down to tackle this week's toon, I was looking to do something with that notion of tone deafness. But as I brainstormed symbols that spoke to children paying the price for America's war machine, I kept coming back to the same image: Jules Feiffer's Munro.
For those not familiar with Feiffer, the guy is on the top rung in my pantheon of creative heroes. Pulitzer-winning editorial cartoonist. Obie-winning playwright. And, in 1961, he was the writer of an Academy-Award-winning animated short called "Munro."
"Munro" started life as a short story in Feiffer's 1957 cartoon collection, "Passionella." The story revolves around a four-year-old boy named Munro who is drafted into the U.S. Army and can't seem to convince anyone that there's been a mistake. It's a brilliant piece of work, one that still has wonderful resonance today. (If you haven't seen the animated version, treat yourself on YouTube.)
Feiffer retired from editorial cartooning on a regular basis in 2000.
With our young again being victimized by a misguided military effort, it seemed a good time to pay homage to one of my greatest influences. "Munro, 2007," below, is the result. I think it works fine with no knowledge of the "Munro" back-story, and offers deeper meaning for those in the know (which now includes everyone reading this). I'm pretty tickled with this one.
I was planning to write a lengthy commentary piece to go with this week's toon, pointing out several other "blast from the recent past" headlines that were in the news these last few days. But then I went to the dentist today. I was expecting a root canal but ended up getting something called a pulp cap. The upside is that it leaves the nerve alive, which is good for the tooth in the long run. The downside is that it leaves the nerve alive, which is bad for me tonight. That's one pissed off nerve. Oww.
So check out my latest, circa October 1, 2007, toon, "Reruns," [Archive 0732] and let me know what you think. Me? I'm going to try to get some sleep.
Earlier this week, The White House announced it's expecting the 2009 budget deficit to hit a record $482 billion. Worse still, this total doesn't factor in an additional $80 billion in expected war costs (despite a mandate from Congress that they be included). All told, then, the deficit will top a half trillion dollars. That's TRILLION. In one year. Thanks largely to a president from the party that touts fiscal restraint, and who inherited a budget SURPLUS. Consider it a parting gift from "The Digger" [Archive No. 0829] (see toon above).
Before signing off, Several Bits of Off the Wahl Perspective News . . .
- One of my editorial cartoons has been selected by toonpool.com for its ongoing "Underground Exhibition" in Europe. On Aug. 3, "Checking the Gauge" [Archive No. 0617] will be broadcast 40 times a day on 4,000 video screens in Berlin's subways, and should be seen by approximately 1.5 million passengers.
- Three of my toons can be found in new books chronicling the recent primaries. "Marathon Coverage" [Archive No. 0801] is included in "The Race for the 2008 Democratic Nomination," while "Mitt on Change" [Archive No. 0802] and "Fresh Face of the GOP" [Archive No. 0804] made the cut for "The Race for the 2008 Republican Nomination." I won't be selling copies in the OtWP Store, but, if you're interested, you can use the links below and I'll get a kickback from Amazon.
Buy "The Race for the 2008 Democratic Nomination":
- Finally, the time has come for a summer break. I plan to take the next three weeks off for family travel, backburner cartoon projects and just to generally recharge my battery. Expect my next toon Aug. 27, just in time to comment on the Democratic convention.
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