Jim Borgman received the honor of taking the cover of this year’s Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year. I’m not sure how the cover cartoon is selected, but it probably goes through a more unbiased selection process than other best of books.
In other BECOTY tidbits – AAEC members Dean Turnbloom and his son Lucas Turnbloom both submitted editorial cartoons for consideration and the younger Turnbloom’s work did get into the book, but the work was attributed to his father. Oops. According to Dean, Lucas is taking the oversight in stride.
Alan, I think your suggestion that we choose the cover of our Best Political Cartoons of the Year book through a biased selection process is a bit off base. We do not select an editorial cartoon to “honor” on the cover as BECY does.
I do an original illustration for the cover of our book, and Brian Fairrington does an original, commissioned illustration for the back cover, both of which are arrived at through a matter of negotiation with the publisher. Creating our cover illustrations is done by the same process as most book covers, months in advance of publication, and the creative decisions on the covers are marketing decisions.
Daryl – you’re right, the comment was off base. When I wrote the post, I did so on a vague memory of a comment you made on your blog regarding your ego and the selection process for your best of collection. I have now gone back and found that original blog post refered to cartoon selection and not cover selection. Please accept my apologies.
Seems Mr Cagle is being a bit “defensive”…methinks he doth protest too much…
It’s not really being “defensive”, just clarifying. They really are two different things. BECOTY puts an actual published editorial cartoon on the front, while Cagle’s volume has a political illustration specifically for the book.
Hey, we’re all friends here! Feel the love…it’s Friday!
Anyone who is interested in seeing the cartoon that was mislabeled, it’ll be posted on my web site LucasTurnbloom.com
The Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year cover, and back cover cartoon is chosen for its adherence to the conservative ideology of the person picking the cartoons, Chuck Brooks, and the publisher, Pelican. If you look at the series over the course of the years it has been published that political slant is pretty apparent. That is not to say that the cartoons chosen are not good, but ideology does seem to be the primary factor.
Everyone knows there can be no bias in political cartoons anyway ! Alan, this should be the last time you every accuse someone of being **unbiased**, what were you thinking ! Have a fun weekend everybody.
Weâ??re prohibited by contract from showing a political bias in the selection of the cartoons. Since most cartoonists happen to be liberal leaning, our cartoon selection is liberal leaning overall, as compared with the conservative Brooks book.
When Daryl approached me about doing the Best Political Cartoons of the Year book four years ago we both though this was a great opportunity to do some original art specifically for the book instead of just slapping something on the cover. The bottom line is we, like all cartoonists, love to draw and any opportunity to do so is a great thing 🙂
Well said Daryl and Brian! Best of luck with the new book!