Being a cartoonist is fun, 99.99% of the time. I’ve said, in the past, that the best kind of cartoons are the toons that strike a chord, hit a vein or are the perfect inside joke. These are the ones that readers tape to their computers, tack up on their cubicles and even magnetize to the fridges.

 

Then, there are the political and editorial cartoonists, who are in a league of their own. I have always admired these guys because they have to do a lot more home work, than a regular cartoonist. They have to stay on top of current events and read the newspapers and watch CNN almost 24/7. Now, their job is to poke fun at different politicians and political groups. That’s basically it. Sounds easy, but it is quite strenuous to be funny all of the time, and also difficult to pick on big shots in our Capitol who could do a lot more damage to us. Ah, but the pen is mightier than t he sword, right?

 

Readers should know that these political cartoonists are humorous illustrators, so their drawings should be caricatures of the politicians. Very much like the topical comedians, who take jabs at our ridiculous leaders, the political satirists are quite particular with whom they target. If there are any cartoonists that have to go back to the drawing board a lot more than often, it’s our editorial cartoonists. They have to walk a fine line, but it’s fun to cross it every once and a while. Besides, it’s America, and we can do it.

 

Yep, it’s America, and so much of this country has survived on a sense of humor and the first amendment. Did you know that sometimes, a political cartoonist will sometimes redo a comic 7 or 8 times, have it proofed by his editor, and then go back and fine tune it 3 or 4 more times before it hits the press? Sure sir, and even then, we still, at times tick someone off….even if we didn’t intentionally mean to do it. It’s T’wue!

 

About 13 years ago, I drew a cartoon that was joking about one subject I drew in the foreground, but I sketched a cowboy and Indian in the background, doing what cowboys and Indians do ‘shooting their pistols and launching their bows and arrows’. My publisher thought it was hilarious, and published it. About a week later, I got 'hate mail' from a Native American tribe chief that was offended about my interpretation of Indians. Didn't see that one coming.  Come on! Everyone Looney Tunes fan knows that ‘Ingin Joe is ticklish.’ 

 

I thought it was great that I got feedback and posted that letter up on my refrigerator. My publisher called me and said, he was sorry, and would back me up on whatever I wanted to do about the situation. I told him that I would send a letter of apology. And I sent this Chief a card that I drew, and on the front it said, PEACE and on the inside it read …AND HOW! I never heard back from him, but I am sure he went tribal on me at the local pow wow.

 

Two things that you should not talk about on the first date are politics and religion. However, they are the best and worst topics for a satirist to zoom in on. Even at mascot training camps, some still preach the cliché, “if you see something you think you shouldn’t do….by all means, do it”. But, and I say again the almighty ‘but’ a good humorist and entertainer knows their audience, knows their delivery and most of all has a keen sense of  timing. "Timing is everything," an old guy with a Smokey the Bear hat and a cane preached to me long ago.

 

Of course, there are cartoonists out there who are harsh, and DJs who are cruel, and we, as viewers, have the choice of not reading, watching nor listening to them.  Some of the different audiences will moan and groan that these entertainers should not be this famous and should not be receiving these high of ratings for being bullies. On the other end of peace pipe, there are others that need to laugh or they will cry, and a way of dealing with stress is to read the funnies or go and see a comedian.

 

A colleague of mine recently drew an editorial cartoon that apparently stirred up some buzz. I actually didn’t see it, but he explained it to me, and the ‘group’ who was offended needs to do a couple of things. One, chill out and two, take a pill. It actually bothered my friend so much, that he lost some sleep over it. The cartoon really wasn’t anything to get ones diapers in a rash. Well, that depends....ha! Depends?

 

So, I wrote the following to my cartooning chum.

 

 If anyone reads this article and laughs, please let me know, because I will then tell you the story about  'the day I told the president of a local stars wars chapter he was a bantha fodder.'