DALLAS - The ears have it.
That's the consensus of America's editorial cartoonists as they look at President Bush.
"You can always measure Bush's standing in a cartoon by his ears," said Mike Luckovich of the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Leader Bush may have normal ears. A petty Bush may have tiny ears. A goofy Bush will have -
begging the Democrats' pardon - donkey ears. At first you're after a likeness, said Jim Morin of the
Miami Herald, but then cartoonists tend to seize on a particular feature and "let the character, the
soul as you see it, start shining though."
"Bush is great," said Eric Devericks of the Seattle Times. "And my Bush has definitely changed
over time. The more recognizable a person becomes, the more abstract their caricature can be. In
the case of George W. Bush, his ears got bigger and he seemed to shrink."
The president has been a fixture on cartoonists' drawing boards for a while now - four years for
the national artists and twice that long in Texas, where he was governor before striding into the
White House.
"Before 2000, I think we were all more serious about him," said Bill DeOre of The Dallas Morning
News. "He was solid and businesslike, a good governor.
"But you're not going to get into a job like being president and not screw up," he said, "and that
changes the way you're perceived, by cartoonists and everybody else."
Now, DeOre sees the president as a man who is less than comfortable "living in a glass bubble,
and that makes him seem like a more vulnerable man, more human now."
Steve Nease, cartoonist for the Oakville Beaver in Ontario, said being based in Canada means he
has a less partisan perspective on American politicians. He draws Bush, he said, based on how
people see him as a man.
"He's gone through very distinct stages," said Nease. "When he was first elected, cartoonists in
Canada portrayed him as something of a Junior. ... He came across as something of a little kid,
inexperience, riding Daddy's coattails. We drew him small."
But the big turning point, Nease said, was Sept. 11.
"Everything took a real twist," he said. "Everybody felt America's grief - and strength. All of a
sudden, Bush went from being insignificant and small to a strong leader. And he was the good
guy, standing tall against what we all saw as the enemy."
Recently, though, his perceptions have changed again.
"Canadians were always skeptical about attacking Iraq," Nease said, "and so Bush started looking
more manipulative."
Matt Davies, who won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning this year, said that when Bush first
hit the scene, "I started with his dad - looking for the ink DNA of the guy. They were kind of the
same."
The president evolved on his drawing board at the Journal News in Westchester, N.Y.
"For me, he's become a little smaller, his ears pointier," said Davies. "I draw him with his eyes
closed a lot. That just seems to fit. And whistling a lot - he doesn't seem to care much about
anything."
That's the consensus of America's editorial cartoonists as they look at President Bush.
"You can always measure Bush's standing in a cartoon by his ears," said Mike Luckovich of the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Leader Bush may have normal ears. A petty Bush may have tiny ears. A goofy Bush will have -
begging the Democrats' pardon - donkey ears. At first you're after a likeness, said Jim Morin of the
Miami Herald, but then cartoonists tend to seize on a particular feature and "let the character, the
soul as you see it, start shining though."
"Bush is great," said Eric Devericks of the Seattle Times. "And my Bush has definitely changed
over time. The more recognizable a person becomes, the more abstract their caricature can be. In
the case of George W. Bush, his ears got bigger and he seemed to shrink."
The president has been a fixture on cartoonists' drawing boards for a while now - four years for
the national artists and twice that long in Texas, where he was governor before striding into the
White House.
"Before 2000, I think we were all more serious about him," said Bill DeOre of The Dallas Morning
News. "He was solid and businesslike, a good governor.
"But you're not going to get into a job like being president and not screw up," he said, "and that
changes the way you're perceived, by cartoonists and everybody else."
Now, DeOre sees the president as a man who is less than comfortable "living in a glass bubble,
and that makes him seem like a more vulnerable man, more human now."
Steve Nease, cartoonist for the Oakville Beaver in Ontario, said being based in Canada means he
has a less partisan perspective on American politicians. He draws Bush, he said, based on how
people see him as a man.
"He's gone through very distinct stages," said Nease. "When he was first elected, cartoonists in
Canada portrayed him as something of a Junior. ... He came across as something of a little kid,
inexperience, riding Daddy's coattails. We drew him small."
But the big turning point, Nease said, was Sept. 11.
"Everything took a real twist," he said. "Everybody felt America's grief - and strength. All of a
sudden, Bush went from being insignificant and small to a strong leader. And he was the good
guy, standing tall against what we all saw as the enemy."
Recently, though, his perceptions have changed again.
"Canadians were always skeptical about attacking Iraq," Nease said, "and so Bush started looking
more manipulative."
Matt Davies, who won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning this year, said that when Bush first
hit the scene, "I started with his dad - looking for the ink DNA of the guy. They were kind of the
same."
The president evolved on his drawing board at the Journal News in Westchester, N.Y.
"For me, he's become a little smaller, his ears pointier," said Davies. "I draw him with his eyes
closed a lot. That just seems to fit. And whistling a lot - he doesn't seem to care much about
anything."
| Cartoonists say President Bush is all ears As Bush presidency ages, his ears have grown in editorial cartoons By Mike Peters - The Dallas Morning News August 30, 2004 |
