Beyond words in the world of editorial cartoonists

Sometimes sanity comes in creative sketches of heart-stopping moments.

Ann Telnaes is now on Substack

The learning curve is steep in this new world. I’m learning things I didn’t really want to know … racism is much deeper than I ever conceived … grown men in responsible positions sometimes act like feral teenagers … money and power may be the deadliest drug cocktail … and, the word “Christian” no longer seems related to the Sunday School days of my childhood.

At the same time, I’m awed by the strength and dedication of people who actually live by the oaths they’ve taken, risking their own safety and well-being to do what’s right. So many Democracy Heroes are emerging, standing up to a regime hell-bent on destroying everything that stands between privileged white people and their ego need to feel superior.

After a day of watching the clash of Titan toddlers airing their dirty laundry for all to see, I’m too weary to further contemplate their fetid navels and am going to delve into something that has turned out to be a pleasant surprise on this roller coaster ride.

When I decided to make a bi-weekly graphic review of this political era, I started to truly appreciate editorial cartoons which could have such instant impact in so small a space. Review Week 20 will be sent out Sunday, however, today I want to shout out my thanks to the legion of cartoonists who watch the daily twists and turns and help us grasp the complicated shifting sands of today’s political world.

As I’ve curated these Review issues, I’ve recognized my own bias for cartoons that deliver a bit of a shock using a few sharp words without being mean. Here are a few of my favorites … there isn’t enough room here to do justice to these interpreters of the world.. (If you send me your favorites, I will consider them for the Review.)

Just a few editorial cartoonists …

Christian Adams is one of Britain's leading and multi-award winning political cartoonists and I am amazed at how people in other countries have such clear insight into our tangled web … especially since I have such a shallow understanding of politics around the world.

Dennis Goris has spent a career in messaging and branding for national and international nonprofits and institutions in Washington DC. He still consults with progressive organizations and individuals but is happiest producing daily cartoons designed to afflict the comfortable.

Dave Granlund’s cartoons have been published in daily newspapers since 1977 and in weekly papers since the 6Os.

Michael de Adder is an internationally renowned, award-winning cartoonist, living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This is such a simple image conveying the hazard of a weak link in a hazardous environment.

Bruce MacKinnon is an award-winning Editorial Cartoonist for The Chronicle Herald sharing his interpretation of local and world events from Nova Scotia, Canada. This one … OMG!

Chad R. McDonald … this one might be mean and have a lot of words, but it so resonated.

Pedro X. Molina, Cartooning for Peace, is a cartoonist and illustrator from Nicaragua with more than 20 years of experience working for media in Nicaragua and worldwide.

Mark Murphy … perhaps the most chilling story about the imagination of political cartoonists …. this cartoon was drawn 6 years ago. It was rejected and called unfair and alarmist.

In all the images I’ve collected in the past several months, this one sticks in my head and it’s not even from a cartoonist. I’m not sure who created the image but Trump shared it. In a blackened street with no people, a man walks … determined, invincible … alone. My guess is that a psychologist might find this self-posted image deeply revealing. I find it rather sad … as if this is his vision of himself … as a serious hero bringing salvation to a dark world … but also destined to be betrayed by the uncomprehending masses. Rather sounds familiar.

Sorry, Donald, somewhere along the way, your ego went off the rails. Your legacy will be as dark as this image and the “what” that's coming is your reckoning. There isn’t enough money from all your grifting to shield you from the harsh judgment you’ve earned.