From Graeme MacKay - political cartoonist

I’m off this week enjoying the July sunshine, but well aware of the kicking editorial cartooning has gotten recently with the sacking of my good friend Michael de Adder at New Brunswick Publishing. I don’t know whether it had to with his Trump cartoons, or Irving oil pressures, or simple cost cutting. Whatever the case, a hugely talented, internationally renowned New Brunswick son has just been shut out of all New Brunswick newspapers, which is a huge cause for concern and a clear sign that print editorial cartoonist positions are on the verge of extinction. #deaddergate

Ted Rall writes a piece that accurately chronicles in point form the genre’s demise through the link below. One point resonated with me, because, like every editorial cartoonist, I’ve been on the receiving end of this trend:

“Twitter and Facebook make it easy for six angry dorks to look like thousands of angry readers ready to burn down a newspaper over a cartoon. Cowardly editors comply and sack their artist at the request of people who don’t subscribe to the paper.”

Shrill, overly outraged declarations of offence over images, words, and opinion from all sides of the political spectrum are having an effect. Consequently, it’s leading to a dumbing down of editorial cartooning where satire and political commentary is being replaced by Hallmark card sentiment and tired gags about the weather, construction, and bored kids during Summer break.

That is also pointed out in this Ted Rall piece which is a very worthwhile read:

Political Cartooning Was Murdered. Here’s the Autopsy.

http://rall.com/…/death-of-editorial-political-cartooning-m…