It's ironic that John McCain, once a media favorite, finds himself on the short end of increasingly lopsided news coverage. Barack Obama has proved a master of modern political stagecraft, and the U.S. media seems content to lap up his spoon-fed goodness. While such unquestioning acceptance might make good television, the media is failing to play its critical role in the political process. Similar just-swallow-the-message behavior helped lead this nation into an unjustified war. Obama is no Bush, but the press owes the public more than the fawning adoration they're passing off as "The New 'Objective'" [Archive No. 0828].
Before signing off, a reminder that I'm offering a limited-edition portfolio to help cover the cost of books for my upcoming semester of grad school. Since sales were tepid on the selections I made, I've tweaked the portfolio offer so you can pick out your favorite toons. For only $20, you get reproductions of your five favorites, professionally printed on 8x10 photo stock, along with an original pen sketch of George W. Bush. Order soon, as this offer only lasts until 20 sets are sold:
Back in seven . . .
Cheers . . .
Andrew toon@offthewahl.com
A new toon, a new outlet and a limited-edition portfolio Three bits of business to take care of this week:
1. This week's new toon, "American Values," brings attention to our national shame at Guantánamo Bay. It's back in the news this week, and I still find it shocking and sad that Americans have largely turned a blind eye to this human-rights blemish, year after year.
2. I've started posting my work on toonpool.com, a European-based social-networking site for cartoonists. One of my toons, "Checking the Gauge," was selected as their "Cartoon of the Day" earlier this week. There's some pretty cool stuff over there, so check it out.
3. My second semester of grad school is just around the corner and I've decided to put out a limited-edition portfolio to help raise money for my books. The portfolio features reproductions of five of my recent favorites - Archives Nos. 0530, 0536, 0617, 0718 and 0725 - professionally printed on 8×10 photo stock with a lustre finish, suitable for framing. In addition, each portfolio will include an ORIGINAL pen sketch of one of my favorite foils, George W. Bush, drawn on 60 lb. card stock. This portfolio will be strictly limited to 20 sets. If interested, you can pick one up now on eBay, or save $2 in shipping by buying directly from the OtWP Store.
In his mad dash to the middle, Barack Obama joins John McCain and George W. Bush as a trampler of American privacy rights. It looks like "The Further Adventures of Big Brother Sam" (Archive No. 0826a and 0826b) will continue, regardless of who takes the White House.
I've never been a big backer of gun rights, especially when it comes to handguns. I don't like them personally, and, in the America I grew up in, didn't see the need for the average citizen to have them. Still, I've known lots of people who enjoy hunting, or who get the same warm fuzzy going to a gun show that I get at a comic-book convention. To each there own, I thought.
But my views have started to evolve during the Bush reign, and I found myself having a different reaction to last week's Supreme Court decision than I think I would have seven years ago. As this week's toon makes clear, I'm having "Second Amendment Second Thoughts" [Archive No. 0825].
This week's toon, "The Human Footprint," is a bit of a departure from my normal issue-of-the-day approach. It was conceived while camping on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille in the Idaho Panhandle last weekend.
The sad reality of politics-as-usual seems to make the development of a sustainable energy policy almost impossible. We need bold leadership right now, both to retool our economy and reverse the terrible damage we're doing to the global ecosystem. Instead, we get . . . offshore drilling? That's obviously not the answer to "The Oil Problem," short- or long-term.
At this point, we need to face the fact that change is inevitable. The only question is what that inevitability will be: a quick transition to a post-fossil-fuel economy, or the devastating effects of our refusal to do so.
The alternate caption was "I'd like to thank Hillary Clinton ... ," but that didn't seem to capture the Obama tone during last night's historic victory. The general election should be a hoot to cover. "Onward" [Archive No. 0821], indeed!
I'm of mixed mind about the recent surge in gas prices. Part of me realizes that pocketbook pain is the only thing that will get many Americans to reassess our gas-guzzling lifestyle. Cutting back on fossil fuels would be good news, both for the environment and our national security. But, on the other hand, our economy has been fueled by cheap gas prices for decades, and I fear it is an already-strapped working class that will disproportionately bear this pain. My latest toon, "Hitting the Road (Summer 2008)" [Archive No. 0820], tries to capture the current mood.
As promised, I'm back at it with a new toon this week, "This Protracted Primary." I've still got one more grad-school final to go, so I'll keep this post short. Next new toon is seven.
In August 2007, Artist and Essayist Andrew Wahl asked us to look at our life. Today, as he endeavors to better his circumstance and being, the rest of us might reflect on our state of being.
No New Toon Till Next Week
I had every intention of cartooning this week - especially given last night's political drama. But it's finals week for my first quarter of grad school and compromises had to be made. Back in seven, I promise.
We're at war and our economy is a mess - and our leaders don't seem to realize there is a connection between the two. Mainstream media reports now put the cost of the war in Iraq at around $5,000 per second. That's per second! And unlike previous wars, there's been no attempt to pay for at least part of this boondoggle as we go. In fact, current leaders have gone to the opposite extreme with massive tax cuts for the rich and a pair of tax-rebate pittances for us working folk. This week's toon, "Stimulating a War Economy" [Archive No. 0817], pokes at this issue.
I'm starting to get worried about the Democratic race - and about the increasingly nasty tone of both candidates. At the end of the day, this election isn't really about them. This week's toon, "A Word From the Middle Class," tries to put that in focus.
How do you make an "elitist" charge stick against someone with Barack Obama's background? The whole line of attack - which is the subject of this week's toon, "Who's Out of Touch" - just seems disingenuous to me.
This week's concept was actually last week's runner-up in the sketchbook. While it would have been timelier right on the heels of the Congressional hearings, our insatiable oil addiction isn't going anywhere soon. It's also an underlying cause for so many of our problems, from our entanglements in the Middle East to global warming. So I went ahead with "The Hunger." It's not the most sophisticated metaphor, but I also wanted a simple, striking visual after last week's text-heavy toon.
I'm sending out my cartoon a day early this week to commemorate another grim milestone in the war in Iraq. Late Sunday, U.S. military fatalities in Iraq hit 4,000. That news barely made a ripple with the media, which seems to have again lost its way when it comes to watch-dogging this fiasco.
President Bush and leaders in Congress: Support our troops by getting them the hell out of harm's way.
A few weeks back I did a cartoon asking why the war in Iraq had fallen off the table as a campaign issue. The real question should have been: "Why is the war in Iraq still an issue at all?" The answer to that question prompted this week's toon, "Disappointing Donkey Tales!"
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