There is a lot emotions one can go through when they’re assaulted for their views. Most of the time I blow it off. I know I can be a real burr in someone’s side. I can also be a real liberal asshole.  Most of the time people mis-characterize me, but do it in such a ridiculous manner, I usually just laugh it off.

But not this time.

As you know, I have done political cartoons for the Argus Leader and the Rapid City Journal. The Argus has even paid me for one illustration, but most of the work I have done was for FREE, but I do retain copyright on my work.

As you also know several other cartoonists fill the pages including Hector, Tim Benson and their regular Jason Folkerts. Folkerts has ‘accused’ me in the past as being a ‘pot stirrer’ and up until this point I have kinda of ignored him in the public forum, but after reading this on his blog today, I have to respond:

‘This toon was submitted to the Argus Leader this morning but I had it withdrawn. After some review I realized that this is below the belt. I know that in editorial cartooning one has to be very careful with the line you walk (draw). I don’t want to step over the point where your work is just cynical for cynical sake, and this toon is that. I’m also primarily a local guy with my content, Sioux Falls is growing but we still rub shoulders and that means something. Some cartoonists just want to be mean in order to get attention, their work is neither funny, fair, or productive. I think every serious Editorial Cartoonist has to have a personal gauge on what is within range or over the pail. For me I have two perceptive gauges, my wife and my Mom, especially my Mother. If Mom ain’t liking it – then I stop and think a bit. Mom has a very strong gut feeling on things like this, a pulse on what the SF public likes and dislikes. I’ve learned to respect that. It’s to my benefit. Mom didn’t really like this one. So I yanked it. Hopefully my substitute for tomorrow musters the cut.’

I’m not saying the line, “Some cartoonists just want to be mean in order to get attention, their work is neither funny, fair, or productive.” was directed at me, but, in correspondence with Jason and the Argus Leader I have been accused of being too ‘direct’. Sorry I tried to get to the point!?

Political or Editorial cartoons are sometimes SUPPPOSED to be non PC, that’s what makes them funny. Do you get it? We live in a community that is so fucking worried about offending people we have a newspaper that will take a bird hunting list fiasco to the SD Supreme Court but would prefer to print cartoons that are PC, colorful and well-drawn, but not funny. That’s right. They are not funny. And when you have to print a two-paragraph explanation on your blog, you are not achieving your goal – being direct, to the point, simple, easy to understand, and occasionally funny. That’s what a successful political cartoon does. It’s supposed to be cynical, sarcastic, and sometimes ‘mean’. The truth hurts – that’s life – deal.

Happy Cartooning.

BTW, my favorite political cartoonist is Lloyd Dangle, he does Troubletown:

http://www.troubletown.com/

NOTE: Next week I’ll explain why landscape painters never get laid.