Cartoon of the Day: 'Goodbye' or 'ila-laqaa,' either way, it's hard to say

The Press & Guide - July 16

Ten years is a long time and I was fortunate to have spent part of the past 10 years writing and drawing editorial cartoons for The Dearborn Press & Guide - or, more accurately, for our readers in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. I had a great time, I met many, many wonderful people and I grew to feel like I was a part of the community. (... thanks, primarily, to all those wonderful people!) The newspaper business is very different now than it was nearly 40 years ago, when I first started working in a newsroom.

Publishers and editors today are faced with the realities of shrinking space and tightening budgets, which force them to make tough decisions. Coverage of community news is the primary responsibility of any local paper - it is, after all, the reason that readers pick them up off their porch or pull them out of a coin box. So, readers in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, rest assured - you'll still learn the latest about city council and the school board, and you'll get news about the business community and the scoop on all the high school sports. There just won't be a few pen strokes on the opinion page giving that news a little twist.

And, honestly, I'll probably miss that more than you will.
That's the Point!

Cartoon of the Day: Walk on Through the Storm, Detroit!

Crain's Detroit Business - June 16

The outpouring of emotion, from so many sources, in the effort to help Detroit and its people recover from bankruptcy is overwhelming and gratifying (especially to someone like me, who grew up and went to school in Detroit). As the pledges of support were counted and totaled over the past two weeks, I felt the same sort of rush that I did as a kid, watching Jerry Lewis in the waning moments of his annual telethon for Muscular Dystrophy, so I say to Detroit ... "Walk on, walk on, walk on through the storm - you'll never walk alone!"
That's the Point!

Off the Drawing Board: This idea started with the pledges by the Detroit Three automakers, the Mellon and Getty pledges came while I was refining the idea and made it even stronger. Collaborating with my editor at Crain's Detroit Business, we refined the punch line and enhanced the message. (The idea below the rough at the right is one of those that you just have to get out of your system, groan and move on! *grin*)

Cartoon of the Day: The Judge Ruled This One Out

Crain's Detroit Business - (scheduled to run) May 26

Sometimes breaking news breaks a cartoonist's heart.A couple of weeks ago, it looked like congressional veteran John Conyers was going to be disallowed from the August primary ballot due to an issue with his nominating signatures. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to have some "write-in fun" with a couple of local political icons. Alas, after deadline - and too late to make any changes - a federal judge ruled in Mr. Conyers' favor, putting him on the ballot after all. In the old days, my cartoon would have been pulled, in today's desktop publishing environment, it was simply deleted. The judge, in effect, ruled in favor of Mr. Conyers and against my cartoon idea. Nonetheless, I wanted to share it here because I enjoyed writing/drawing this one so much!
That's the Point!

Cartoons of the Day: Memorial Day Reminds Us of the Price of Freedom and Safety

The Press & Guide - May 21

The News-Herald - May 25

Our freedom was never free. Memorial Day gives us the opportunity to pay our respect to those in our Armed Forces who - throughout history - paid the ultimate price for our gifts of freedom and safety. Honor their sacrifice by appreciating those gifts and using them wisely.
That's the Point!

Cartoon of the Day: Super Weakly?

Crain's Detroit Business - May 12

When Metro Times purchased Real Detroit, the merger was billed as the creation of a "super weekly" alternative newspaper for the metro area. I'm a long-time reader and fan of Metro Times, but I wonder if even this new super weekly might be threatened by the same "Kryptonite" that's putting all print journalism at risk, alternative and mainstream alike.
That's the Point!

Off the Drawing Board: This idea started very differently before the superhero theme evolved with the help of my editor, Jennette Smith. After I decided on the look of the cartoon, in the process of inking the final, we agreed that the "transformation" needed to be depicted a little more directly, so I added the "secret identity" panel on the lower left side of the panel.

Cartoon of the Day: There's No 'Bad' Spring Weather

The News-Herald - May 4

After the winter we survived in metro Detroit, friends and readers, there's no such thing as "bad" spring weather! Wind? We'll pick up the downed limbs and right the patio furniture. Flooding? We'll dry everything out in the spring sunshine. At least we don't have to shovel rain.
That's the Point!

Cartoon of the Day: Draw Pardner

The News-Herald - April 27

Each of our rights is something to be valued, and some are appropriately celebrated in a public way. The right to vote - been to many such rallies myself. The right to peaceful assembly - celebrated that with groups ranging from service clubs, to political organizations to schools. The right to "open carry?" Personally, I just don't see the value in a public display of that right. So, when an open carry rally was scheduled for Romulus, I decided to "draw" ... and express my right to hold that opinion. (And the opportunity to make a groaner of a pun, well that was a bonus!)
That's the Point!