Roughing It, Volume 3

Before I get start posting roughs from the past week and explaining them, I’m going to address the Michael De Adder situation.

Last year, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette fired cartoonist Rob Rogers because he wouldn’t stop drawing cartoons criticizing Trump. Rob refused to not do his job and for that, he lost his job. He was promptly replaced by a conservative cartoonist burrowed up Trump’s ass.

De Adder drew a cartoon with an image that many cartoonists used last week, myself included. In fact, De Adder wasn’t the only cartoonist to use the “mind if I play through” concept.

De Adder is a brilliant cartoonist. It’s claimed he’s the most read political cartoonist in Canada. He was working on a contract basis with Brunswick News Inc., a company that owns several papers in New Brunswick, where De Adder was born, raised, and educated. Now, his work will not be seen in the province. The company has dropped the cartoonist after 17 years of providing cartoons to them.

The cartoon went viral before he was dropped and De Adder tweeted that was the reason for his dismissal, which would be peculiar since he also pointed out that none of the papers ran the cartoon. The paper has even claimed that De Adder didn’t even offer the cartoon to them.

The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists and the Association of Canadian Cartoonists both denounced the move by BNI, the New Brunswick company. Thousands of readers chimed in. The cartoon was shared by celebrities George Takei and Mark Hamill.

These are very hard times for political cartoonists (which is why your financial support below is appreciated. Check the note). A cartoonist was fired for criticizing Trump. The New York Times decides to drop all cartoons from the U.S. and international editions because they’re too troublesome. Cartoonists in Paris were slaughtered for their work. Newspapers have dropped my work out of fear of criticizing Trump and for economic reasons. I’ve had editors tell me they not only refuse to criticize Trump but also won’t publish anything that mentions him. And now, a Canadian cartoonist has been dismissed for drawing a brutal image…or was he?

BNI claims the narrative is false. The company claims the decision to drop De Adder in favor of another cartoonist, a “reader favourite,” had been made before his cartoon and that negotiations had been ongoing for several weeks. As someone who is in the business of selling, working, and negotiating with newspapers, that’s very plausible. It would amuse me greatly that a cartoonist was fired for using a cliché, which the cartoon was. Usually, editors love that kind of stuff.

Honestly, I don’t believe the one cartoon got De Adder dropped. I think it was his body of work. He was a constant Trump critic and the newspaper has refused to run any of his cartoons that attack the president. From the newspapers standpoint, why have a cartoonist who draws cartoons you don’t run? From my standpoint, why wouldn’t you run all of his cartoons? They’re brilliant.

As for my cartoon featuring the same imagery, I haven’t heard any sort of outcry from my newspapers…yet. But, if that didn’t get me in trouble, give me a few days. I’ll come up with something else.

And to everyone who keeps messaging me, posting and tagging me on social media with, “Have you heard about this De Adder thing?”. Yes. I’ve heard something about it.

Now for the roughs.

Last week, we broke a record. I sent 25 roughs to CNN. Why so many? Because I had already sent them about ten before we even started discussing topics…and then the Iran thing happened. After we knew that’s where we were going with the cartoon, the numbers of roughs started to pile up. I’m not going to show every rough from the past week, and I’ve already posted a few of them.

This idea of Biden with Klansmen was the first idea. I didn’t think we’d go with it. Even when I drew a cartoon later on Biden’s statements, I passed over this one.

This was on Hope Hicks’ testimony before Congress, where she refused to answer any meaningful questions. I liked the idea but I knew this wasn’t the most important issue of the week. I get the impression that Ms. Hick has never had to want anything in her life based upon her looks. I don’t like people like that. Now, before you scream at me about that, tell me what qualified her to work in the White House.

Not a great idea, but I do find it hypocritical that Trump’s cultists spent a week mocking Biden for promising to cure cancer, then turning into crickets after Trump made the same pledge.

I never really hit this issue. I liked this idea. I don’t like Mitch McConnell.

I liked this one but it’s not that biting. This is an idea I might do in the future if another cartoonist doesn’t steal it…or hasn’t drawn it already ahead of me.

This rough is a great example to share. It shows a cartoon that may or may not work. Perhaps it’s trying too hard. I do like the concept. I also love that Doritos commercial. I just remembered I bought Doritos yesterday. Oh my god! I love Doritos.

I took another shot with Biden. This was before we knew Iran was the only subject to consider.

With news of the government investigating UFOs, I thought I’d throw this at CNN. Everyone who’s seen it has liked it. But for me, meh. It’s just funny, not scathing. It wouldn’t get me fired in New Brunswick.

I think I did this one before I knew for sure we were going with Iran. I think I drew it before Trump said “cocked and loaded.” I liked it. And if you’re a Republican on Facebook, please note the difference between “loose” and “lose.” Thank you. You’re pissing me off.

Eh. This was OK. Just OK. That’s what’s wrong with it. I hate it. That’s supposed to be a tumbleweed in the lower righthand corner. Do you know who drew the best tumbleweeds? Charles Schulz.

I didn’t love the idea but I liked the imagery I had for it in my head. Other than all the parachute guys, I really wanted to draw that tie flapping beyond the cartoon from the plane.

Bringing in McCain’s “bomb, bomb, bomb…bomb, bomb Iran” didn’t really work here. I do like the idea of the two assholes on the shoulders of the bigger asshole.

I didn’t kinda like this one. I really liked this one. Trump is a poodle.

I aim to draw cartoons that are weird, unique, irreverent and the type of stuff no one else is weird enough to think of. Sometimes on my way to that place in my head, I have to crap out a few of these blah ideas that are the type a non-challenging cartoonist would draw.

I drew this after my editor stressed he wanted something on “cocked and loaded.” His concept was great. This idea is total crap.

And, then…I gave him this. He threw the concept of a gauge at me and after this, I think he gave up on it. He actually told me on the phone, “Maybe my concept stinks and it doesn’t work.” I really like the CNN people and I’m not just saying that for brownie points because I doubt they read my blog.

Now, take note…when I criticize a cartoon from another cartoonist, I’m criticizing the cartoon, not the cartoonist. We all draw things that don’t work. From the samples here, you can see I draw more than my share.

Be Complicit

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