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Video: Cagle on CNN discussion Mexican Flag cartoon

Alan Gardner171 mins

Daryl Cagle’s cartoon depicting the eagle on the Mexican flag shot dead in a stream of bullet holes has raised complaints from the Mexican community in and out of the United States. Daryl has appeared on CNN (see below) to discuss the cartoon and the reaction its received.

17 thoughts on “Video: Cagle on CNN discussion Mexican Flag cartoon”

  2. “Daryl, what are you trying to say with this cartoon?”

    “That the violence in Mexico is terrible.”

    “What’s the deeper meaning here?”

    “There is no deeper meaning.”

    “You have depicted an eagle who has been shot to death. What is the message here.”

    “That the violence in Mexico is terrible.”

    “You used the flag as an image, why?”

    “To represent Mexico.”

    “And the blood?”

    “Violence.”

    “And what are you saying about the violence in Mexico?”

    “Seriously?”

  6. I get the impression that the interviewer isn’t aware that an eagle is part of the Mexican flag.

  9. Isn’t that an editorial cartoonist’s job: to communicate in the most vibrant and emotionally responsive way?

    I mean the violence in Mexico right now is incomprehensible. Are we suddenly surprised when someone so clearly expresses it in an illustration?

    It seems that most people are for freedoms (like speech, religion, press) when they don’t offend their “sensibilities.”

    But that is the burden of an artist in any age, to expose a society’s hypocrisy. Sadly that usually rewards an artist with barbs.

    Keep doing your job, Mr. Cagle. One day the rest of the world will get it.

  11. What Scott said. Daryl handled the interview very well. It’s obvious that some folks want to divert attention away from the violence there and attacking an editorial cartoon is a cheap shot.

  12. Who are these “some people” who want to ignore the drug war in Mexico? The media and governments of both Mexico and the US are making plenty of noise about it.

    I don’t understand why anyone would take offense af the cartoon. It has no editorial viewpoint. It could be drawn by a liberal, a conservative or whatever. Like too many cartoons these days, it is an illo, nothing more.

    Once again, I find myself in complete agreement with Scott. Must be a mutton kebab I ate recently.

  13. I understand the whole “freedom of speech” thing in the United States. I respect it. I support it. The only thing is that he depicted and insulted something that is not from the US, therefore had no right to do this. We are offended and outraged when we see Mohamud and friends spit and burn on the American flag, yet approve the massacre of another country’s flag? Anyone else see the hypocrisy in this?

    He used the most Mexican thing in Mexico and murdered it! Even in a drawing, it is still unacceptable. How would America like the Twin Towers used in a cartoon with the planes exploding into them?! There would be outrage. I would be outraged. This is the same. It is unacceptable.

  14. Spitting REAL spit.
    Burning REAL flags with REAL flames.

    This is a CARTOON flag. There is no comparison.

    If every country on earth drew cartoons with the twin towers exploding (which, by the way, has probably already happened) we Americans would not try to tell every country on earth what they can and cannot draw… It’s YOUR country, draw whatever the heck you want – make whatever political statement you want, we won’t try to tell you what to do – why would we care?

  15. HI, this is a really interesting discussion.
    First, this is technically great cartoon.
    Because it is two types of cartoon!
    One, It is a clever symbolic representation of a state of affairs.
    Two, it is a classic exaggerated Henny Youngman one-liner: “The violence in Mexico is so bad, how bad? Even the eagle on the flag got shot!” (guffas, snickers) Now, take my wife….

    But psychologically this stink is all about social ownership of graphic images. What I mean is, what if I didn’t care or know who drew this cartoon? Could I have a problem with it? What if the artist didn’t get paid! What if this was published without paying the artist? Would you have to attack the publisher in order to find a scapegoat to vent your offense against an image which you think you own??? By the way, what claim do you have to ownership of this image of the Mexican flag? Did YOU draw the original yourself? Was the artist who drew the original Mexican flag paid? I should hope so…

  16. having said all that I challenge everyone to make up a headline and a political cartoon depicting a national flag.
    here’s my entries:

    “MALFUNCTIONING USA SATELLITE POSES THREAT”
    cartoon: a little radar dish knocking a star off the USA flag.

    “CANADIAN MOUNTIES ACCIDENTALLY START FOREST FIRE”
    cartoon: Canada flag with the maple leaf singed around the edges, and a little lick of flame.

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