As some areas of the country already flirt with record snowfall amounts, a monster new winter storm threatens to bring a potentially deadly mix of snow, sleet and ice to nearly 30 states, and could affect upwards of 100 million people. Well, at least it gives cartoonists a good excuse to draw funny snow cartoons!
Dave Granlund / PoliticalCartoons.com
Click here to view our collection of Wild Winter Weather cartoons.
As the Egyptian protests continue to grow, cartoonists from all over the world are weighing in on this immensely important story.
The main difference between American cartoonists and our foreign counterparts is the use of dialogue. American cartoonists tend to be more dialogue heavy and rely on donkey and elephant metaphors, while foreign cartoonists attempt to convey their opinions with imagery and as little dialogue as possible.
Here are some interesting foreign cartoons that have come in over the last day.
Norwegian cartoonist Herbjørn Skogstad uses the missing nose of the Sphinx as a way to slam Egpyitan President Hosni Mubarak.
Jordanian cartoonist Emad Hajjaj also uses the Sphinx imagery in his cartoon, just in a different way.
Manny Francisco, a cartoonist from The Philippines, chooses a comparison between protesters and the Egyptian army.
Dutch cartoonist Hajo de Reijger sees the outcome of the protests as a gamble.
While French cartoonist Frederick Deligne uses Tienanmen Square imagery in his cartoon.
Here are some terrific cartoons about the protests taking place in Egypt by Emad Hajjaj, a Jordanian cartoonist that draws for the Alghad newspaper.
As protests continue in Egypt against President Hosni Mubarak and his political regime, cartoonists from across the globe have begun to weigh in. What are their thoughts about this wave of demonstrations making their way through the streets of Cairo? Check out our Egypt Under Siege cartoon slideshow to find out.
Click here to view our Egypt Under Siege cartoon slideshow.
Sherif Arafa / Alittihad, Egypt, Cagle.com
As Egyptians continue to protest and call for the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, the government has responded by cracking down on the media and shutting down the nation's internet.
This crackdown hasn't stopped Sherif Arafa, the cartoonist who was working for the state-run Rosa Elyoussef magazine in Egypt (click here to view his cartoon archive), from filing new cartoons about the demonstrations. On a normal day Sherif struggles to voice his criticism without triggering the censors in a country where free speech is too often trampled upon.
Working for a government-run newspaper, Sherif is not allowed to draw about specific politicians, such as President Mubarak, or criticize religion. As a way around that, he created a character called “The Responsible” so he could say what he wanted.
Here are some of his most recent cartoons about the protests in Egypt that threaten to topple the Mubarak government:
Here is a video of Sherif Arafa talking about the obstacles to drawing cartoons for a state-run newspaper:
More than any other media, cartoons have the ability to sum up important events into one single, powerful image, and tap into the collective mood of the country.
Some perfect examples of this are a couple of cartoons drawn in light of today's anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger disaster, which happened 25 years ago today.
The first is drawn by Jeff Parker, the staff cartoonist at Florida Today. His paper is based on the Space Coast, and one of their main beats is covering NASA, so when it came time to remember the astranauts that were killed during this tragedy, Jeff had to feel for the collective pulse of not only the community he works and lives in, but the country at large. His tribute cartoon is simple, powerful and captures the mood of the country when thinking back on this tragic event.
The second cartoon comes from Dave Granlund, and touches on the impact teacher turned astronaut Christa McAuliffe continues to have on students across the country. The Challenger accident dealt a harsh blow to America in large part because Christa inspired millions of teachers and students to tune into the launch to see her become NASA's first teacher in space.
Cartoons can do more than entertain us. They can give us insight into world events, hold politicians accountable and as these cartoons show, tap into the mood of the country to not only remember important events, but place them into the proper historical context. All in one image.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Peter Broelman, the brilliant Australian cartoonist who has contributed to Cagle.com for years.
Australia is one of the great cartooning countries of the world. In fact, their cartooning association, the Australian Cartoonists’ Association, was formed in 1924 and is the oldest in the world.
I’ve always noticed that there’s a level of nastiness in Australian cartoons that well exceeds what we see in American cartoons, so I was curious what Peter thought about the difference.
“It’s a great place to cartoon,” Peter told me. “We just need more newspapers.”
Check out the interview here:
Here are some of Peter’s recent cartoons. View more of Peter’s fantastic cartoons here.
Gas prices continues to rise at a time when most people's wallets are stuck on empty. What do cartoonists think? Check out our Rising Gas Prices cartoon slideshow to find out.
Click to view our Rising Gas Prices cartoon slideshow.
Jeff Parker / Florida Today
Over at my newspaper syndicate Cagle Cartoons, I syndicate the humor columns of the funny Will Durst.
Planning on watching tonight's State of the Union Address? If so, try out his hilarious SOTU drinking game and let me know how it all turns out:
The Barack Hussein Obama 2011 State of the Union Drinking Game!
NEEDED TO PLAY:
• Four taxpayers of any sex: One rich, white banker- type wearing dark suit with loosened tie. Two ordinary folks wearing jeans; one in a blue or flannel work shirt, the other in a white shirt, sleeves rolled up. One poor, bedraggled person wearing clothes that look like they were retrieved from the bottom of a rodeo dumpster behind the animal-performer stalls.
• One living room with a TV tuned to the State of the Union Address.
• One shot glass per person. Everybody brings own, scattering array on coffee table in front of TV. Banker gets first choice for use during game. White shirt picks next, then work shirt. Banker pockets last shot glass as well, and Rags either rents it from him, steals a replacement from the kitchen or drinks out of own cupped hands.
• Ante up 25 bucks. Cash. Except Banker, who tosses in an I.O.U., and Rags who everybody just avoids eye contact with.
• Three packages of steamed Vienna Beef Chicago-style hot dogs in the middle of table with butter-grilled buns, tomatoes, onions, and some of that weird, neon-green relish on the side.
• One bottle of bourbon.
• A large stash of beer in cans on ice. Rags gets whatever is on sale, like Heileman’s Old Style Ice Light Dry. Banker gets import of choice. Jeans get whatever they want, but have to buy all the beer, bourbon, hot dogs, condiments, and carry the groceries by themselves.
RULES OF THE GAME:
• Every time Barack H. Obama mentions bipartisanship, everybody has to drink two shots of beer. If he talks about the lessons of Tucson, the last person to throw their arms in the air, fall to their knees and shout “Hallelujah!” has to drink one entire beer.
• Everybody has to drink two shots of beer whenever John Boehner appears to cry. One shot of bourbon if he breaks down sobbing, and disappears entirely from view.
• Every time Barack H. Obama says “Democratic leadership,” the first person to stop laughing is exempt from drinking two shots of beer.
• If either Vice President Biden or the Speaker of the House Boehner is seen nodding off on camera, last person to start singing “Wake Up, Little Susie” has to drink three shots of beer.
• If the president says the state of the union is good, but could be better, the last person to eat a fully accoutered hot dog has to drink one shot of bourbon.
• Whenever the president defends ObamaCare, everybody drinks two shots of beer. If he mentions Congress voting to repeal it, everyone drinks a whole beer and throws hot dogs at the television. The first person to hit Nancy Pelosi in the head is exempt from having to drink two shots of bourbon.
• If the president relates a touching, heartfelt story of a supporter who was denied a decent education, Rags gets to kick everybody else once. Twice, if the subject of the anecdote is in the audience. Three times, if he/she is sitting next to a two-star general.
• Every time President Barack Obama talks about his resolve and adopts a frowny look with his brow all furrowed and stuff, drink one shot of beer.
• If the chief executive winks at or points at Michelle, all four players swordfight with hot dogs. Whoever is left with an intact weenie does not have to eat an entire shot glass full of that weird green relish.
• If the president mentions the Chinese president by name, the last person to ask “Hu Dat?” has to drink two shots of beer.
EXTRAS:
• Optional: Have all players drink with left hand. Unless left-handed. If they are caught drinking with dominant hand, they must watch the entire Republican response and no drinking allowed.
• If the Dancing Baby from Ally McBeal appears on the screen at any time, stop drinking immediately.
• Banker takes home money, shot glasses and bourbon. The I.O.U. is discarded.
• Leftover beer and hot dogs go home with Rags after he/she finishes washing the dishes.
Tonight, political civility will be on show as Republicans and Democrats sit side-by-side to watch President Obama's State of the Union address. Check out what the nation's best cartoonists think about how the night will go.
David Fitzsimmons / Arizona Daily Star, PoliticalCartoons.com
Click to view our State of the Union cartoon slideshow.
Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, who has spent the last 25 years in exile in France, made a surprise return to Haiti, telling journalists and citizens, "I've come to help." What do cartoonists think about his return? Check out our Baby Doc cartoon slideshow to find out.
Click to view the Baby Doc Returns to Haiti cartoon slideshow.
The world watched closely last week as Chinese President Hu Jintao visited the United States. Did cartoonists think substantive issues were raised by the visit? Check out our cartoon collection to find out.
Brian Fairrington / PoliticalCartoons.com
Click here to view our Jintao's U.S. Visit cartoon collection.
As the Pittsburgh Steelers face off against the New York Jets for the right to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, it seems we can't escape from prognosticators and pundits weighing in on even the most insignificant event involving the game.
For some original coverage of the Steelers, fans should look no further than the sports cartoons drawn by Pittsburgh Tribune-Review cartoonist Randy Bish. From the Roethlisberger saga to chronicling the Steelers' playoff victories, Bish's cartoons are worth more than 1,000 words will ever be.
Here are some of Bish's recent Steelers cartoons:
The Republicans in the House were able to repeal Obama's health care reform, but there's little chance of it proceeding any further. Check out what cartoonists think about the largely symbolic vote that passed almost entirely along party lines.
Nate Beeler / Washington Examiner, PoliticalCartoons.com
Click to view our Health Care Repeal cartoon slideshow.
It's part of the job description of the editorial cartoonist to tackle the controversial issues of the day, and no debate is more heated following the tragic shooting in Tuscon than gun control and the second amendment.
John Cole, the cartoonist at the Scranton Times-Tribune, weighed in on the issue with the cartoon below, featuring an imagined NRA Memorial in Washington D.C.
Reactions to the cartoons have run the gamut of political thought. Here is a sampling of what we've heard so far from our readers:
MRK: A cartoon that really illuminates the darkness of imagination of the cartoonist. Also his hatred and narrow mindedness.
TRoyal: Oh, I’m sure he’s sorry, gun nuts. What’s so narrow minded about having a statue that shoots bullets? Or is every representation of guns except bathed in the Holy Light examples of “hatred”?
Bosco43: Don’t you go knocking the Glock 33 round clip. It comes in very handy when the 15 round clip just will not get the job done. The founding fathers certainly had such clips in mind when they gave us the right to bear arms.
James II: Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. But if you want to take out a crowd, a semi-automatic pistol makes your task far easier than using a pointy stick.
Cornflake: The amount of rounds are really irrelevant. This first one fired by that wacko is too many. It was his behavior that killed and maimed. If he was unable to to acquire the extended clip he would have made due with the standard clip.
Take our poll and comment below to let us know your thoughts about this cartoon and your views on gun ownership and second amendment rights.
Riots in Tunisia started back in December when a young salesman set himself on fire after police confiscated his produce cart. So far, they have led to scores of deaths and injuries and the resignation of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Cartoonists from across the world have begun to weigh in on what has become the most dramatic wave of social and political unrest in Tunisia in three decades. Check out some of their cartoons about Turmoil in Tunisia.
Patrick Chappatte / The International Herald Tribune, Politicalcartoons.com
Click to view our Turmoil in Tunisia cartoon slideshow.
In the wake of the Tuscon shooting, will new-found calls for renewed civility in Congress be successful? Judging by the cartoons in our new Civility in Congress slideshow, I think we have a long way to go.
Pat Bagley / Salt Lake Tribune, PoliticalCartoons.com
Click to view the Civility in Congress cartoon slideshow.
Rivers in Australia continue to swell, and many areas have seen once-a-century floods and it could wind up being the country's costliest natural disaster ever. Flooding in the Australian state of Queensland has covered an area the size of France and Germany combined.
Cartoonists from across the globe have drawn cartoons about these terrible floods. Here are some of the best so far:
Martin Sutovec / Slovakia, PoliticalCartoons.com
Petar Pismestrovic / Kleine Zeitung, Austria
Riber Hansson / Sweden, PoliticalCartoons.com
Frederick Deligne / Nice-Matin, France
Manny Francisco / Manila, The Phillippines
Deng Coy Miel / Singapore, PoliticalCartoons.com
In the wake of the Tuscon shooting rampage that left six dead, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day comes at a perfect time for all of us to remember Dr. King's non-violent approach to political change. As the cartoon below by Dave Granlund suggests, King's goals remain unfinished.
Click to view our collection of Martin Luther King, Jr. cartoons.
Cartoonists remember the victims of the tragic Arizona shooting in our newest sideshow of poignant and thought-provoking cartoons.
John Cole / Scranton Times-Tribune
Click here to view the cartoon slideshow.
Nate Beeler / Washington Examiner
On the O’Reilly Factor, host Bill O’Reilly spotlighted this cartoon about the aftermath of the Arizona shooting by Washington Examiner cartoonist Nate Beeler, and asked viewers if they thought it was drawn too soon after the tragedy.
Here’s the clip:
What do you think - Pinhead or Patriot? Sound off on our Facebook page.
The week's news has been dominated by the tragic shooting in Arizona that seriously injured Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and killed six people. In a split-second, Arizona Daily Star cartoonist David Fitzsimmons found his hometown thrust into the spotlight.
From speaking on CNN during the breaking moments of the tragedy to defending Sheriff Clarence Dupnik's comments, Fitzsimmons has covered this story from all angles from the place he's best suited: his drafting table.
Here is Fitzsimmons' week in cartoons, in chronological order:
We just post our big round-up of the best cartoons this week. Obviously, the Arizona shooting dominated the news, so come check out how cartoonists interpreted this week's events, and what they think about our political environment moving forward.
Nate Beeler / Washington Examiner
Click here to view This Week in Political Cartoons slideshow
We've had a lot of interesting comments on this cartoon by Mike Lester of the Rome News-Tribune (view more of Lester's cartoon here). In the wake of the AZ shooing, some members of Congress have called for a renewed need for more gun control, something Lester is very opposed to.
Mike Lester / Rome News-Tribune
Geoff: This is awful. Some Rambo wannabe’s wetdream. As somebody pointed out, even cops with all their training often bring down a whole lot of innocent bystanders, and the myth of someone with a gun somehow saving the day is… dangerous.
Dan T: Any individual, having proper training, equipment and mindset, is unlikely to be in a situation such as this. That is one very good reason more such individuals are needed… to increase the likelihood of “right place, right time” happening. Training and equipment are available, mindset can be developed.
Beth Cravens: Just because you’re packing heat doesn’t mean that you can come to the rescue. Even if you can get the gun out of concealment in time do you know who you are supposed to be shooting at? Sure it’s obvious in a one on one situation, but in a crowded room full of panicky people… I don’t know. I feel like the people who subdued the gunman did the right thing that took a lot of guts.
Felicia Price: How much do you think criminals would second guess themselves about robbing or breaking into someone's home if they knew that person would not be in trouble for using their weapon to defend themselves?
Colin: This cartoon is great in theory. I heard an interview the other day with the guest insisting that if only there had been more guns in the crowd the guy would have died in a “hail of gunfire”. Just what you need in the middle of a crowd, a hail of gunfire.
Dennis Walker: 2nd amendment written in an era of expansion and firearms were single shot weapons! Hell, a bow and arrow coud deliver faster in those days. When the law allows single shot weapons only I will support gun ownership as defied by the Constitution. Right to bear arms is so abused in this country and it is abused for profit. Armed citizens usually end up killing innocent cvilians as they have no training and HELLO…most bullets pass thru the body and hit something else!
Alexander Thorburn Hoffman: More guns mean less crime. Sane people d o not go on rampages, or attempt to assassinate leaders or public figures. Criminals and those with criminal intent will always find a way to get a gun, no matter what controls exist. The majority of all gun crimes involve illegally acquired guns. Laws preventing law abiding citizens from getting guns for their protection will just leave them unarmed in response to a criminal act.
What do you think?
Sarah Palin has gotten into hot water in some circles for her infamous 'crosshairs' map, which targeted legislators who voted for Obama's health care bill. Her people claim that they are merely "surveyor symbols." Regardless, cartoonists have formed their own opinions, and you can check out what they think in our new Palin's Target cartoon slideshow.
Taylor Jones / PoliticalCartoons.com
Click to view the Palin's Target cartoon slideshow.
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