Posted on: June 29, 2006

Salt Lake Tribune political cartoonist Pat Bagley talks about his new book “Clueless George Is Watching You!” It is the second volume in the series ? the first being “Clueless George Goes to War”.

Lynn Johnston, the artist who has created the For Better or For Worse comic strip for more than 20 years, gets technical (and spiritual) about drawing people.As a side note, For Better or For Worse has begun applying minor animation to the online strip. Watch the strip for a couple of seconds.

Editorial cartoonist Andy Donato of the Toronto Sun will lose his job for a day if Italy can’t beat the Ukraine in the World Cup. According to the friendly wager, CFRB’s Ted Woloshyn will take over the cartooning responsibilities at the Sun if Ukraine wins, Donato will be radio host if Italy wins.

The New York branch of the Polish American Congress has just branded “Doonesbury” creator Garry Trudeau a bigot. The May 14 edition of the comic featured a character named Kaminski, who receives his college diploma by overcoming “the worst skill deficiencies in reaching the minimum threshold of achievement.”

According to AirForceTimes.com, the storyline Trudeau has used in his comic strip “Doonesbury” (of B.D. losing a leg in combat) has been helpful in the healing of real-life soldiers.

Marshall Ramsey, editorial cartoonist for the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, MS, gives a behind-the-scenes look at the development of his daily cartoons.

Thursday, June 29, the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, TN will host a “Chalk Talk” with Bruce Plant, editorial cartoonist for the Times Free Press.

Scott Adams, the creator of the comic strip ?Dilbert?, will address the Assemblly Technology Expo (ATExpo 2006) as the keynote speaker.Not familiar with Expo? As in years past, it’s where you can discuss everything “from lean manufacturing to adhesive use and wire harness assembly.” Hold me back!

According to this site, a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Atlanta paid for a full-page ad in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to apologize for an editorial cartoon by Mike Luckovich that compared Al-Qaeda terrorists to the U.S. in torturing captives.

“Stone Soup,” drawn by Eugene’s own Jan Eliot, once again reigns supreme in The Register-Guard of Eugene, Oregon. It was re-elected their favorite strip after also finishing No. 1 in the newspaper’s previous poll in 2000. It was closely followed by “Zits” and “For Better or for Worse.”

Ziggy celebrates 35 years on the comics page, which debuted on June 28, 1971. The comic is distributed to over 600 newspapers by Universal Press Syndicate.

Editorial cartoonist Patrick O’Connor won first-place at the Los Angeles Press Club’s 48th Southern California Journalism Awards banquet Saturday night.O’Connor was honored for his cartoon titled “Undocumented Workers.”

I will be on vacation for through Friday and have turned the reins of power over to a trusted friend and talented and award-winning cartoonist Aaron Taylor.  Aaron is the editorial cartoonist for the Daily Herald in ultra-conservative Provo Utah which makes editorial cartooning too easy most days.

I received and email from Dawn Douglas, the founder of GoGags (not to be confused with Universal Press’ GoComics) who is wheeling and dealing to get more cartoonists to sign up for their mobile cartoon and “My Fridj” products.  These products allow any cartoonist to publish their cartoons on to mobile phones and take a generous percentage of the advertising and direct sales for each cartoon.

On the heals of Steve Benson’s Haditha cartoon comes Mike Luckovich’s cartoon on torture etiquette that has generated 18,000 votes on an online poll (Mike’s cartoons usually generate only 1,000) according to Editor and Publisher.Public Editor Angela Tuck, in a column Saturday, took issue with its timing, and claimed the “symbolism clearly overshadowed the intent.” The cartoon showed a hooded figure holding an American flag while reading a book on torture etiquette to an al-Qaida member.Not by design, it appeared just above photos of two Americans killed by insurgents in Iraq this week, whose bodies were brutalized, probably after they died.Tuck wrote: “Luckovich had that brutality in mind when he drew the cartoon, which was meant to criticize U.S. military leaders for allowing torture tactics, such as waterboarding (making prisoners feel as though they are being drowned) at Guantanamo Bay….’