| Shapiro Receives 'Courage in Editorial Cartooning' Prize -- Will Durst Speaks David Astor -- Editor and Publisher July 7, 2007 |
WASHINGTON Jonathan Shapiro of South Africa received the "Courage in
Editorial Cartooning Award" Friday night at the annual Cartoonists Rights
Network International dinner.
The CRNI event was held during the Association of American Editorial
Cartoonists convention, and many AAECers came to the National Press Club
to see Shapiro receive the honor.
"Freedom of expression is something I treasure more than anything else,"
said Shapiro, whose work is distributed by the U.S.-based Cartoonists &
Writers Syndicate (CWS).
The honoree, who draws under the pen name "Zapiro," was slapped with a
$2-million lawsuit by South African politician Jacob Zuma afer doing cartoons
critical of Zuma. Shapiro responded to the suit -- and to late-night threatening
phone calls -- by doing more cartoons critical of Zuma.
Ironically, Shapiro told the audience, he used to admire Zuma. Both the
cartoonist and the politician were anti-apartheid activists in the 1980s, and
Shapiro was harassed by police and eventually jailed for opposing South
Africa's racist government of the time.
Shapiro thanked CRNI Founder/Executive Director Robert Russell for his
organization's work helping threatened cartoonists around the world. And
Shapiro thanked Russell for mentioning (while presenting the award) the
sacrifices his wife has had to make living with a cartoonist facing the wrath of
government officials.
"I've received other awards," he said, "but no one has ever acknowledged the
role of my wife Karina" who was in the audience.
Russell noted: "Violence works. If it didn't work, we wouldn't have it. But most
of the cartoonists who win this award and who are our clients are taken
unawares. Suddenly, the full weight of a government comes down on their
shoulders. A minister, a head of state, or a goon squad wants you dead and
you're absolutely helpless. That's why CRNI exists."
Indeed, Shapiro said there are cartoonists in various parts of the world who
have it much worse than he does.
After Shapiro described some of the dangers he's faced, CRNI President Joel
Pett of the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader and CWS/New York Times Syndicate
quipped: "That's impressive. But I want to point out that we [American
cartoonists] did some great Paris Hilton stuff."
There were also plenty of laughs from Will Durst, the political humorist and
syndicated Cagle Cartoons columnist, who performed at the end of the event.
"It's going to be hard to say goodbye to George W. Bush," he said. "Satirizing
him was like slam-dunking from a stepladder." Durst noted that Bush seems
like the child of Ronald Reagan and Dan Quayle.
Just repeating some of Bush's actual statements can be hilarious, said Durst,
citing gems such as "I think we can all agree the past is over" and "More and
more of our imports are coming from overseas."
One reason some people still support Bush is they consider him a
"God-fearing" man. "As well he should be," Durst said wryly.
Durst said Republicans lost the election in 2006 more than Democrats won it.
"Bush had a 29% approval rating, Cheney had 22%, and Mark Foley was
'dipping into the teens,'" deadpanned Durst.
"What's the difference between Paris Hilton and "Scooter" Libby?" the
speaker asked. "Twenty-three days!"
"The most important man in the Supreme Court? John Paul Stevens' doctor,"
added Durst, referring to the liberal Supreme Court justice who's in his 80s.
Durst said the court might not outlaw abortion completely, but will continue to
whittle it down. "Soon, you might need a 10-month waiting period," he said.
The humorist also slammed Democrats, quipping that they support stem-cell
research because they need to "grow themselves a spine."
Durst reported that Monica Lewinsky of Clinton White House fame is now 34.
"It seems like only yesterday that she was crawling around the Oval Office,"
he said. "They grow up so quick."
Michael Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, once said he
needed the votes of "every thinking American." But, noted Durst, "you need a
majority -- and sometimes that's not enough."
Another dinner speaker was Flemming Rose, the Danish newspaper editor
who published the Muhammad cartoons that sparked riots about 18 months
ago.
Rose, who previously spoke Thursday at the AAEC convention, said
"cartoons can be offensive but so can the truth.
Also speaking at the dinner was Michael Wilson, Canadian ambassador to the
U.S., who praised CRNI for the "very important job" it does.
Editorial Cartooning Award" Friday night at the annual Cartoonists Rights
Network International dinner.
The CRNI event was held during the Association of American Editorial
Cartoonists convention, and many AAECers came to the National Press Club
to see Shapiro receive the honor.
"Freedom of expression is something I treasure more than anything else,"
said Shapiro, whose work is distributed by the U.S.-based Cartoonists &
Writers Syndicate (CWS).
The honoree, who draws under the pen name "Zapiro," was slapped with a
$2-million lawsuit by South African politician Jacob Zuma afer doing cartoons
critical of Zuma. Shapiro responded to the suit -- and to late-night threatening
phone calls -- by doing more cartoons critical of Zuma.
Ironically, Shapiro told the audience, he used to admire Zuma. Both the
cartoonist and the politician were anti-apartheid activists in the 1980s, and
Shapiro was harassed by police and eventually jailed for opposing South
Africa's racist government of the time.
Shapiro thanked CRNI Founder/Executive Director Robert Russell for his
organization's work helping threatened cartoonists around the world. And
Shapiro thanked Russell for mentioning (while presenting the award) the
sacrifices his wife has had to make living with a cartoonist facing the wrath of
government officials.
"I've received other awards," he said, "but no one has ever acknowledged the
role of my wife Karina" who was in the audience.
Russell noted: "Violence works. If it didn't work, we wouldn't have it. But most
of the cartoonists who win this award and who are our clients are taken
unawares. Suddenly, the full weight of a government comes down on their
shoulders. A minister, a head of state, or a goon squad wants you dead and
you're absolutely helpless. That's why CRNI exists."
Indeed, Shapiro said there are cartoonists in various parts of the world who
have it much worse than he does.
After Shapiro described some of the dangers he's faced, CRNI President Joel
Pett of the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader and CWS/New York Times Syndicate
quipped: "That's impressive. But I want to point out that we [American
cartoonists] did some great Paris Hilton stuff."
There were also plenty of laughs from Will Durst, the political humorist and
syndicated Cagle Cartoons columnist, who performed at the end of the event.
"It's going to be hard to say goodbye to George W. Bush," he said. "Satirizing
him was like slam-dunking from a stepladder." Durst noted that Bush seems
like the child of Ronald Reagan and Dan Quayle.
Just repeating some of Bush's actual statements can be hilarious, said Durst,
citing gems such as "I think we can all agree the past is over" and "More and
more of our imports are coming from overseas."
One reason some people still support Bush is they consider him a
"God-fearing" man. "As well he should be," Durst said wryly.
Durst said Republicans lost the election in 2006 more than Democrats won it.
"Bush had a 29% approval rating, Cheney had 22%, and Mark Foley was
'dipping into the teens,'" deadpanned Durst.
"What's the difference between Paris Hilton and "Scooter" Libby?" the
speaker asked. "Twenty-three days!"
"The most important man in the Supreme Court? John Paul Stevens' doctor,"
added Durst, referring to the liberal Supreme Court justice who's in his 80s.
Durst said the court might not outlaw abortion completely, but will continue to
whittle it down. "Soon, you might need a 10-month waiting period," he said.
The humorist also slammed Democrats, quipping that they support stem-cell
research because they need to "grow themselves a spine."
Durst reported that Monica Lewinsky of Clinton White House fame is now 34.
"It seems like only yesterday that she was crawling around the Oval Office,"
he said. "They grow up so quick."
Michael Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, once said he
needed the votes of "every thinking American." But, noted Durst, "you need a
majority -- and sometimes that's not enough."
Another dinner speaker was Flemming Rose, the Danish newspaper editor
who published the Muhammad cartoons that sparked riots about 18 months
ago.
Rose, who previously spoke Thursday at the AAEC convention, said
"cartoons can be offensive but so can the truth.
Also speaking at the dinner was Michael Wilson, Canadian ambassador to the
U.S., who praised CRNI for the "very important job" it does.
Flemming Rose, Editor of the Danish newspaper,
Jylands-Posten, is introduced by Nikahang Kowsar
of the Cartoonists Rights Network to a gathering at
the National Press Club in Washington D.C.
Jylands-Posten, is introduced by Nikahang Kowsar
of the Cartoonists Rights Network to a gathering at
the National Press Club in Washington D.C.