People no want think when read comics.

Fellow Attitude 3-er and damn good political cartoonist Eric Millikin points to a review of the "new" Blondie, now penned by a cartoonist named John Marshall:

Marshall calls Blondie a bit of Americana whose lasting appeal stems from the fact that it takes a humorous look at everyday problems. Dagwood overeats and goes to work every day, facing a demanding boss. Blondie is the all-American wife and mother, although she joined the work force in 1991 as the proud owner of Blondie's Catering.

...

Young agrees that the strip's humor relates to the world going on around us and purposefully shies away from politics and controversy.

"My dad told me a long time ago, "we want to win friends, not make enemies.' Our job is to make people laugh," he says.

Eric's dead-on reaction: "That’s right: Blondie relates to the world around us by purposefully shying away from politics and controversy."

Personally, I just feel like a complete jackass. For the 3+ years I've been doing this, I had no idea that truly great satire about "the world around us" means just looking at the insular lives of white suburbanites who obey gender and class roles rooted in 1930's "Americana."

Boy do I have egg on my face.

C.W.A. book to check out...

C.W.A.-ers are leading a revolution in the world of editorial cartooning, and it all starts with releases of high-quality collections of subversive cartoon madness.

Mikhaela's is out soon, and Masheka's is below. I can vouch, this is good stuff:

Deep Doodle by Masheka Wood (Preview)

More on... movies...

Not much to say about this week's 'toon for my weekly "More On..." post (or as some might call it, my "Moron" post... ha-ha-ha... ahhhh). Just me making a few cracks about the spectacular pile of crap coming out of Hollywood this summer. Other people have done better cartoons on this subject than I, but I thought I'd put my two cents in because... well, that's all I could pull out of my ass this week.

It does bother me, though. Why exactly is it that every movie that is slightly popular these days has to turn into a trilogy? I probably should've thrown Shrek 3 and Rush Hour 3 into this week's 'toon. Seriously, Rush Hour 3? Why? Did anybody like Rush Hour 2? But what really, seriously drives me batshit insane is the seemingly endless parade of identical pop-"horror" turds that the viewing public is subjected to. My question is: does anybody really care if the hysterical idiots in these movies get killed? Can you imagine if, say, Bruce Lee were in one of these movies, and when the "scary part" comes, he screams like a little girl and runs out of the room with his arms flailing in the air?

OK, back to important stuff next week...

Fighting Words: 5/28/07 Cartoon

"Stuff I'd Rather Do Than Watch That Movie, #4"...

Previous episodes:

Glory be...

You can close the book on my wavering on this cartoon from a couple weeks ago.

Either I'm totally friggin' psychic, or I'm the smartest man alive, or the "opposition party" in this country is just that predictably lily-livered and worthless. I can assure you the first two ain't true, if you didn't already know...

Pathetic.

More on abortion, Gonzales v. Carhart...

Very quick list of articles and sources for this week's 'toon, cuz I'm swamped:

• For analysis of the Court's surprise ruling (to me, anyway), check out Lyle Denniston. David Crary predicts the decision will open the floodgates for our more back-assward states to start passing legislation against abortion without any regard for women's health. And, Patrick O'Connor has President Jello-head's quote regarding possible congressional legislation allowing federal funding for abortion-rights or family planning organizations: "I will veto any legislation that... allows taxpayer dollars to be used for the destruction of human life" (except... y'know... if it's used for killin' brown people in Iraq... heh-heh).


• For some excellent commentary on the decision, see Dalia Lithwick, Bonnie Scott Jones, Denniston, Yifat Susskind, and Joanna Grossman and Linda McClain (part one and part two).


• Also, make sure you read Ruth Bader Ginsburg's incredible dissent in this case. It will be referred to in future cases.

Fighting Words: 5/21/07 Cartoon

"The Truth About the Opposite Sex"...

Similar previous 'toon:

Kick-ass cartoons...

...from CWA-ers.

Matt Bors out-Tinky-Winkies them all.

Also, the dialogue in this week's Slowpoke just clicks for me.

I love dialogue that makes a meaningful argument and still comes off with just the right rhythm, so it reads almost like music. That's what I strive for every week in my 'toon. More often than not, I miss the mark... but that's what keeps me coming back to try it again.

More on Iraq withdrawal...

I wanted this week's 'toon to be more of a comment on the appropriateness of withdrawal from Iraq given the current situation there, as opposed to yet another diatribe on the dubious morality of the war in general or how dumb it was for us to go there in the first place.

Here's some articles:

• Check out this astounding report from Gareth Porter of Inter Press Service, which says that Democratic timetables for withdrawal have contained huge loopholes allowing for the indefinite continuation of military operations in Iraq in an effort to fight al-Qaeda (an idea supported by Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton). More importantly, it claims that the Sunni insurgents are a much more effective force against al-Qaeda in Iraq than the U.S. military. Apparently, the Sunni insurgents and al-Qaeda have some significant differences in their agendas, which has culminated in hostilities between the two groups. Of course, the administration has known this for a while, but has refused to pursue this option because it would take away their ability to blame Democrats for being "defeatist."
  
  Ned Parker agrees that supporting the Sunni insurgents is indeed a viable option, but he also seems to think that the administration is actually pursuing this now. However, Carpetbagger noted as recently as December of '06 that Dick Cheney was vigorously supporting the "80 percent solution," which essentially involved the U.S. supporting the Shiite majority's efforts to wipe out the Sunnis (which apparently is bordering on ethnic cleansing in some areas).


• Here's something I wanted to work into the 'toon, but it was kind of off the subject a little. Lewis Seiler and Dan Hamburg answer the question of why there was no exit plan from Iraq: obviously, cuz we never planned on leaving. They quote Jimmy Carter, who agrees that "there are people in Washington... who never intend to withdraw military forces from Iraq... the reason that we went into Iraq was to establish a permanent military base in the Gulf region."
  
  As we know, President Dipshit has made it clear that we will not withdraw from Iraq "so long as ah'm the prez-uh-dint." Why is anybody buying this crap about "evaluating the surge in September?" David Peck wonders what "standard of failure" they're going to use when they do this evaluation. Also, Noam Chomsky (in a rare joint-interview with Howard Zinn) says: sure we can "win" in Iraq... if by "winning" you mean wiping out the entire country.
  
  See also a column by the great Helen Thomas on Bush's efforts to "run out the clock and pass the war on to his successor at the White House."


• Check out Joseph Galloway on the damn Democrats trying to substitute their opinions for the judgment of the decider-guy.
  
  Also, Yossi Melman gives a bit of a schizophrenic assessment of the situation in Iraq, which tends to be the case with many such assessments. He argues that our withdrawal from Iraq will create a "domino" effect (nice choice of words, dude) that will totally destabilize the region. However, he also says that "to remain in Iraq is the worst decision possible."

Fighting Words: 5/14/07 Cartoon

"The World Cup of Poker"...

More on Bush's veto, Democratic response...

This is one of those cartoons on which I may very well have gone too far. It's hard to tell at this point exactly where the Dems are going with this whole "bringing the war to an end" thing they swear they're gonna do... but their history and some ominous rumblings tell me that they're already looking for a way to chicken out.

Let's call it a "premonition"...

• Are the Democrats backing down on the timetable for withdrawal? Jonathan Weisman and Shailagh Murray say yes, and quote Pelosi as saying "We made our position clear. He made his position clear. Now it is time for us to try to work together." However, Weisman also produced a rather snotty piece of journalism in which he maintains that the Dems will be courting disaster if they try to confront Bush.
  
  Greg Sargent calls him on this, and correctly points out that the polls clearly show that the public is aching for someone to stand up to Bush on the war. Sargent also seems to think that it's too early to pass judgment on the Dems quite yet, as he reports that Pelosi is denying that they are backing down on the withdrawal language.
  
  Noam N. Levey and Janet Hook note that Republicans are starting to peel away from Bush on the war, but also say that the Dems will indeed drop the withdrawal timelines from the next spending bill.
  
  Jonathan Singer doesn't like the noises he's hearing from Democrats. Dick Pohlman also thinks they may have peaked.


• Here's a good one: the first Weisman article above says that White House officials may be willing to accede to "benchmarks" instead of a "timetable," but that "they want them to be tied to rewards for achievement, not penalties for failure [my emphasis]." This is extremely funny to me... the Bush administration is like a bratty teenager who habitually brings home F's on his report card, but if he barely passes with a D, he wants a new car.


• OK, so what exactly should the Democrats do on the supplemental spending bill? Send that sucker back to him. If he vetoes it, send it back to him again. Make little technical adjustments if you have to, but do not weaken it.
  
  David Sirota argues that "each volley will drive Bush further into isolation and consequently bring the war closer to an end. The less power a pro-war president has, the more we will be able to end the war."


• Marcus Mabry has more on Bush's showing of 28% in the Newsweek poll, and Sheryl Gay Stolberg has Bush's "Commander Guy" quote. Eric Kleefeld also has these two stories, but points out that Dana Perino claims that President Numbnuts never called himself "The Commander Guy," only "A Commander Guy" (according to a revised White House transcript).
  
  How unfair. I'm sure he sounded much less stupid than he is being portrayed...

Fighting Words: 5/7/07 Cartoon

"The W-Files"...

Some more T.V. parodies:

Dear God, I Hate the Yankees

And Clemens...

That is all.

More on VA Tech, Gun Control...

Articles for this week's 'toon:

• Personally, I respect the opinions of responsible, sensible hunters and gun owners, but it is logically clear to me that the "right to bear arms" is not a vital constitutional right... on par with, say, the right to free speech. It is a serious public safety issue, and guns are extremely dangerous tools that need to be heavily regulated.
  
  The Brady Campaign's Dennis Henigan debates gun control online, and makes an obvious point:
  

  The innocent victims at Va. Tech. did not die because a young person was deranged. They died because a deranged young person had access to guns. If he had been armed with a knife, or baseball bat, or shampoo bottle, 32 people would not have died.

  See also Alex Koppelman in Salon on why the Democrats dumped gun control from their agenda.


• The 'toon was partially inspired by a quote from an early West Wing episode, my favorite argument that I've ever heard on the gun control debate. It comes after the first season, when white supremacists try to kill Charlie Young and end up hitting Bartlett, and press secretary C.J. is giving a briefing to the White House Press Corps. It underscores perfectly just how preposterous that aspect of the pro-gun argument is:

  There were 36 homicides last night. 480 sexual assaults. 3411 robberies. 3685 aggravated assaults, all at gun point. And if anyone thinks those crimes could have been prevented if the victims themselves had been carrying guns, I only remind you that the President of the United States was shot last night while surrounded by the best-trained armed guards in the history of the world.



• A lot of the rhetoric in the 'toon was drawn from the "Facts" pages for the Brady Campaign and the NRA... the Brady page makes this excellent point:

  Ironically, the NRA forbids its own members from carrying guns into the NRA's national convention, but they want to force the rest of us to let those people carry guns into our schools, restaurants, parks, sports stadiums, streets, and anywhere else they want.

  However, the most valuable thing I read was this priceless "editorial" on the CNN site by Ted Nugent. Reads like it was written by a 5 year-old...

Fighting Words: 4/30/07 Cartoon

"History Machine 2: The N.R.A.'s Moments That Would've Turned Out Differently"...

See the previous episode:

That's Good Coffee...

Every now and then I'll come across a product that I just have to gush about. While in San Francisco for A.P.E. last weekend, I grabbed a bag of coffee beans at a local co-op to take home with me. Didn't even really look at the bag, just noticed a sticker that said "Fair Trade" and "Organic Columbia Dark."

Best freakin' coffee I've ever had. Even the beans smell good enough to make you weak in the knees. Vasquez Coffee Co.... check 'em out.

More on Rove, various scandals...

Some articles that inspired Rove Ninja:

• On Rove's role in the email scandal, check out Dan Eggen, Michael Abramowitz, Daniel Schulman, and Michael Isikoff. As you probably know, Rove's "role" was pretty cut-and-dried: he intentionally deleted about four years' worth of emails, probably containing information on his role in such schemes as the outing of an undercover CIA agent and the firing of U.S. attorneys for political reasons. Apparently, he was using an RNC email system to evade legal requirements for document retention and to avoid having to turn the material over to Congress. Rove's deleting got so out of hand during the Plame investigation that the RNC had to take away his "erasing privileges"... after which, they probably made him stay after class for a half-hour to clean the blackboards.
  
  Patrick Martin also suggests that the White House is preparing to sacrifice Alberto in order to save Rove's ninja ass. Any day now... maybe...


• Can you spot all the contemporary movie references in this week's 'toon? Rove's teacher, of course, was based on Pai Mei from Kill Bill. I also just re-watched Batman Begins the other night... so that's in there. I think there's a Spiderman reference or two in there, too...

Fighting Words: 4/23/07 Cartoon

"Rove Ninja: Master of Deception"...

Fighting Words News: Commercial Art...

Personally, my output of actual artwork is a bit lower than some other cartoonists (they're machines, I tells ya!). However, I have been doing a bit of extra commercial artwork lately in an effort to make ends meet. Here's a sneak preview of some of my work (please excuse the watermarks):

• Here's a T-Shirt design I did for a coffee shop chain and maker of handmade chocolates in Seattle, Chocolati (owned by a friend of mine). Not sure when these are going to be available, but I believe all profits will be going to charity... also they make the best damn truffles on the planet:
  
  (Click on thumbnails)


• I did a couple of shirt designs for another coffee shop in Kingston, WA... not sure when these will be available either, but it's a cool little joint, if you ever find yourself in Kitsap County:
  
  
  Here's a company logo I did for Coastal:
  
  


• I'm doing a whole line of shirts for my pals at Not A Number in Seattle (1905 N. 45th) featuring some of the possible and confirmed Democratic candidates for President in '08. This may be a much bigger line (including some shirts making fun of Republicans), but it looks like we're going to start with a couple out of these:
  
  
  Here's another design for Not A Number, for Hempfest in Seattle:
  


• Here's a couple versions of a highly customized design I did for a gift shop in the Pike Place Market:
  


• I did a shirt design for a big summer seminar hosted by my Aikido dojo. Here are some different backs and fronts:
  


• Some designs I did for a contest held by Robert Greenwald's Brave New Films:
  



• Here's a logo and street sign design that I did for a new restaurant in Kingston, WA called "The Grub Hut":
  



• I'm doing Flash slideshows for clients of my dad, a wedding photographer. These shows are perfect for freelance photographers looking to add a new product or promotional item:
  
  


• MARCH 2009 -- I've moved my design work postings to my website... check them out here from now on!
  

More on detainees, torture...

Quick list of articles for this week's 'toon, as I'm getting ready for a trip to San Francisco on Friday for Alternative Press Expo (more on that later).

If only for a diversion from CNN's increasingly bad coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings:

• The cartoon was mostly brought on by reports that perpetual detainee and U.S. citizen Jose Padilla has been tortured to the point where he can no longer assist his attorneys in his defense. George Monbiot reports that "his mind is no longer there," and that he "appears to have been lobotomized: not medically, but socially." Monbiot also makes an excellent point that I've seen echoed elsewhere:
  

  This has nothing to do with obtaining information: torture of all kinds - physical or mental - produces the result that people will say anything to make it end. It is about power, and the thrilling discovery that in the right conditions one man's power over another is unlimited.

  Every other citizen of this country should be in absolute horror that our own government has done this.


• A funny note on the Wikipedia entry for Padilla that I had never heard before, that Glenn Beck and other right-wing commentators subscribe to a conspiracy theory that Padilla was involved in the Oklahoma City bombing, based almost solely on the fact that Padilla sorta looks like a police sketch of an alleged associate of Timothy McVeigh.
  
  It occurs to me that Padilla also bears a striking resemblance to Detroit Tigers' catcher Ivan Rodriguez... last I heard, though, Beck et al. have not implicated Pudge in the Oklahoma City bombing.


• Sidney Blumenthal gives a good summary of Bush's use of torture and his "Quest For Unfettered Power," and Scott Horton writes about the nationalization of "Texas Justice."


• Check out a particularly interesting article by Stephen Soldz on the use of psychologists by the government to assist in interrogations of detainees, and the resulting split between the professions of psychiatry and psychology. He says that the activities at Guantanamo and other detention centers have effectively turned them into "intentional experimental facilities designed to develop and test new behavior manipulation techniques... designed to break people down, to destroy them, whether they are innocent or guilty, whether they have any intelligence value or not. "