Just dumb idea that came to me

be sure to wear it with a bandanna, stocking cap, feed, seed or trucker cap.

Historieta Política

¡Viva Posada!

I've been on the phone with the editor of La Prensa, Iowa the Spanish language newspaper. They publish in, Carroll, Storm Lake, Spencer, Perry, Ames, and Des Moines. If she likes my calaveras cartoon, this could be a bigger market than the Mapleton PRESS was. Of course, I barely know much "Spanglish," so I'll need her help translating, but that may force me to use far fewer words so that the images carry the joke. Who knows. We'll see how this goes.

This one has been corrected for better Spanish.

Here is the English:
The Mexican skeleton asks, "We're all the same under the skin, right Mr. King?"
Rep. Steve King replies, "Get away from me with your drugs and diseases!* We should've kept you out with electric fences like cattle!"

*April 27, 2006, the Des Moines Register published an op-ed piece by Steve King regarding the planned May 1 "Day Without an Immigrant" rallies.

King said "(without immigrants) Our hospital emergency rooms would not be flooded with everything from gunshot wounds, to anchor babies, to imported diseases to hangnails..."

Happy Editorial Cartoonist's Day y Feliz Dia de los Muertos.

Don't mind me

I was teaching 7th graders about complimentary colors and how they can both contrast and neutralize. Thus an oil pastel self portrait. I think I kind of look a little like David Alfaro Siqueiros- but I have been researching Mexican art for a special Dia de los Muertos lesson this week.

Happy Holidays

Maybe they're macabre, or secretly in league with the Devil, maybe they're all huge fans of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," maybe it has something to do with Mexican revolutionary editorial cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada who's famous skeletons of rich dandies make Ddia de los muertos so much fun- whatever the reason, this great American combination of cynicism, satire and silly pictures should be celebrated and remembered on Oct. 31 each year.

I suggest writing your local newspaper editor and demanding that they hire one. If they have one, write them and demand that they keep him/her. Perhaps write a letter to an editorial cartoonist and let them know that you enjoy and appreciate what they do- even when you disagree with them. The best thing you can do is to send them a card or some cookies!

Seeing as these days, everyone with a keyboard thinks of themselves as a reporter and everyone with a cell phone thinks of themselves as a photojournalist- what the hell, if you have a scanner, why not try some political cartooning for yourself?

Not sure you're up for it? Whatever, the very LEAST you can do is to buy a newspaper just for the editorial cartoons. Maybe clip one out that you like a post it on your door/cubical/bulletin board/fridge. If nothing else, you may as well explore some great editorial/political cartoons. Use these links to help you find some.

Editorial Cartooning

• Ted's Political Cartoons

• Alex Raffi, Southern Nevada's very own
  
• American Assoc. of Ed. Cartoonists
• American Political Cartoons: an Introduction
• Ann Telnaes, animated editorial cartooning goddess
• Comics on Slate
• Daryl Cagle's Pro Cartoonist Index
• Dirksen Center Collection
• Jose Guadalupe Posada, Mexican hero
  
• Keith Tucker, Tabloid Liberal
• Mark Fiore's animated editorial cartoons
• Mike Luckovich, one of my all time favorites
  
• Mr. Fish, of Harpers (a certifiable genius in my humble opinion)
• Neal Obermeyer, Of Lincoln, NE and San Diego, CA
• Pulitzer Prize Winners
• Stars of Political Cartooning
• Tim Eagan, another Genius
• Tribune Media Services
• Walt Handelsman, Chicago Tribune
• Washington Post Writer's Group

Mal•Adjusted; Happy Holiday!

October Surprise

I think I'm about finally to a point where I don't really miss writing a weekly column. But if YOU still miss reading my weekly column- HERE ARE SOME HALLOWEEN RE-RUNS from years gone by, Halloween, Reformation and Dia de Los Muertes columns, some spooky pictures, and even some surreal Lutheran images!

Have fun but 'don't eat so much candy that you go into a diabetic coma!

Happy Holiday!