In the midst of the Muslim riots in Europe last February over drawings of the prophet Muhammad
published in a Danish newspaper, I drew a cartoon showing myself (loosely represented) obliviously
walking into the Citizen newsroom with my latest cartoon, and the editorial department is seen diving for
cover, yelling "INCOMING!" (The cartoon is on the top of the opposite page.)
Within minutes of e-mailing this cartoon to the Citizen, editorial pages editor Leonard Stern fired a note
back telling me I had no idea how close I was to the truth.
Most editorial cartoonists I know are a shy, retiring lot. We prefer to toil in obscurity rather than in the
limelight. We feel that most of the cartoons we draw are but a pregnant pause between the underwear ads.
If we're lucky, besides the exorbitant remuneration we receive for drawing people with big noses, we get
an occasional kudos or some other reader response. It's very rare that a cartoon sets off an international
incident, replete with threats of holy war -- but in retrospect, not surprising.
What we call the "editorial cartoon" is one of the best examples of free speech in action. Editorial cartoons
must seem absolutely bizarre to those who live in oppressive religious societies where mocking authority
often leads to death. But in the democratic West, satire is a sacred right, bought with the blood of our
forefathers in countless wars. We esteem it and pay homage to it every time we turn on This Hour Has 22
Minutes or read an editorial cartoon.
Even had my profession not sparked threats of holy war, 2006 will still go down as a good year for editorial
cartoons. As a caricaturist, I certainly can be thankful for this year's new crop of politicians and important
actors on the world stage. I was kind of hoping Larry O'Brien would win Ottawa's mayoralty election, simply
because he's more fun to draw than are those he ran against. Similarly, drawing Stephen Harper is more
satisfying than Paul Martin (and that big Harper belly just adds to the fun factor).
Speaking of the world stage, every good drama needs an evil mastermind. The award for this year goes to
the maniacal president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. All he needs is a Darth Vader costume. Now if you
add Kim Jong Il, you get that comic sidekick character. The two of them might as well have been ordered
up from central casting. On behalf of cartoonists everywhere, I thank the two gentlemen for generously
playing to type.
As good as the new guys are, my favorite target remains George Bush. I know that his critics see him as
malevolence incarnate, but in fact he is more a bumbler than a bad guy. You can tell how little a politician is
respected by how young a cartoonist draws him. Most cartoonists drew him as a seven-year-old a couple of
years ago; now we draw him as a five-year-old. You get the idea.
I look forward to 2007.
Cam Cardow is Editorial Cartoonist with the Ottawa Citizen. His cartoons are distributed through the Cagle
Cartoon Syndicate.
published in a Danish newspaper, I drew a cartoon showing myself (loosely represented) obliviously
walking into the Citizen newsroom with my latest cartoon, and the editorial department is seen diving for
cover, yelling "INCOMING!" (The cartoon is on the top of the opposite page.)
Within minutes of e-mailing this cartoon to the Citizen, editorial pages editor Leonard Stern fired a note
back telling me I had no idea how close I was to the truth.
Most editorial cartoonists I know are a shy, retiring lot. We prefer to toil in obscurity rather than in the
limelight. We feel that most of the cartoons we draw are but a pregnant pause between the underwear ads.
If we're lucky, besides the exorbitant remuneration we receive for drawing people with big noses, we get
an occasional kudos or some other reader response. It's very rare that a cartoon sets off an international
incident, replete with threats of holy war -- but in retrospect, not surprising.
What we call the "editorial cartoon" is one of the best examples of free speech in action. Editorial cartoons
must seem absolutely bizarre to those who live in oppressive religious societies where mocking authority
often leads to death. But in the democratic West, satire is a sacred right, bought with the blood of our
forefathers in countless wars. We esteem it and pay homage to it every time we turn on This Hour Has 22
Minutes or read an editorial cartoon.
Even had my profession not sparked threats of holy war, 2006 will still go down as a good year for editorial
cartoons. As a caricaturist, I certainly can be thankful for this year's new crop of politicians and important
actors on the world stage. I was kind of hoping Larry O'Brien would win Ottawa's mayoralty election, simply
because he's more fun to draw than are those he ran against. Similarly, drawing Stephen Harper is more
satisfying than Paul Martin (and that big Harper belly just adds to the fun factor).
Speaking of the world stage, every good drama needs an evil mastermind. The award for this year goes to
the maniacal president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. All he needs is a Darth Vader costume. Now if you
add Kim Jong Il, you get that comic sidekick character. The two of them might as well have been ordered
up from central casting. On behalf of cartoonists everywhere, I thank the two gentlemen for generously
playing to type.
As good as the new guys are, my favorite target remains George Bush. I know that his critics see him as
malevolence incarnate, but in fact he is more a bumbler than a bad guy. You can tell how little a politician is
respected by how young a cartoonist draws him. Most cartoonists drew him as a seven-year-old a couple of
years ago; now we draw him as a five-year-old. You get the idea.
I look forward to 2007.
Cam Cardow is Editorial Cartoonist with the Ottawa Citizen. His cartoons are distributed through the Cagle
Cartoon Syndicate.
| Free speech in action Editorial cartoons are potent symbols of democratic expression, writes Ottawa Citizen cartoonist BY Cam Cardow -- The Ottawa Citizen December 30, 2006 |