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Dr. Bruce MacKinnon
Editorial cartoonist Bruce MacKinnon joins a small group in the cartooning community who can legitimately put the honorific “Dr.” before his name.
From St. Francis Xavier University and Education News Canada:
St. Francis Xavier University graduated nearly 300 students during its Fall Convocation 2025 today. Bruce MacKinnon, one of Canada’s foremost editorial cartoonists, was also celebrated with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree.
Dr. MacKinnon received two standing ovations for his humorous and heartfelt speech about his and his family’s connections to StFX. “I’m deeply honoured to be here. For the last 40 years I’ve been the staff editorial cartoonist for the Chronicle Herald, our provincial newspaper. For you in the graduating Class of 2025, a newspaper is a bunch of sheets of paper folded together with news stories printed directly on it. No batteries required,” he joked.
“We’re all here because of our connections to this university,” said Dr. MacKinnon. “My connections to StFX run quite deep.”
On the -16th Day of Christmas
In the late 1970s and into 1980 Joe Kubert and selected students at his Joe Kubert School were drawing a couple of syndicated comic strips (Big Ben Bolt, Winnie Winkle). From 1982 to 1985 they created the short run National Enterprise Association Christmas comic strips, adapting A Christmas Carol, Gifts of the Magi, Hans Brinker, and The Nutcracker.
Joe Kubert School alumni Jim Keefe (Flash Gordon, Sally Forth) has recently posted The Nutracker.
Paper Trends: The 300 for 2005
It’s early Christmas for readers of newspaper comics pages twenty years ago.
We have a few days of Jeffrey Lindenblatt’s Paper Trends, this time looking at the statistics for 2005. Starting with the rookies that first saw print in 2004.
Last year the rookie strips did not make much of an impression in newspapers; the top rookies would manage only an anemic three papers each. Well, in 2004 there was some improvement, though there was no massive breakout hit. Our top two rookies managed to combine for 11 total spots. Coming in the top position with 6 papers is Scott Stantis’ Prickly City. This strip, which is still running, focuses on Carmen, a conservative Republican character. Stantis and his syndicate had perfect timing during the Bush Jr. administration.
Coming second with 5 papers is Tim Rickard’s Brewster Rockit: Space Guy!, a science fiction satire strip following the adventures of the space station R.U. Sirius in the vein of a tongue-in-cheek Star Trek Deep Space Nine or Babylon 5.
Here is the complete list of 2004 rookies (features in red are still in syndication)…
Cartoons Tell the Story of WWII
The Morning Star (UK) cartoonist Malc McGookin reviews The Second World War in Cartoons.
TIM BENSON has put together a seriously big tome here, with over 700 cartoons, and even though it isn’t the first book of its type or subject, it does claim to be the most comprehensive. As someone who’s read just about every book of its type and subject, I can back up that statement.
Benson’s stated goal is not only to flood the reader with a tsunami of exciting visuals that test the capacity of even the most dedicated political cartoon fan, but to accompany them with a treasure trove of names. Largely unfamiliar, Benson introduces us to the many cartoonists who lived and worked in the time of the great Low, or Giles, without going on to garner their immense cachet.
Benson carefully takes us through the beginnings of the war, its twists and turns, the capitulation of France’s Vichy government, the Italian campaign, the Blitz, the Burma campaign, Roosevelt’s historic third term, the fledgling Irish Republic’s determination to stay neutral, and provides an accompanying cartoon drawn by those largely unsung but excellent visual commentators of the day.
Negotiating the nuances and complexities of the period, the collection’s strength is its brevity and high picture-to-word count. The book covers the entirety of the campaigns in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Japan, the defeats of the Axis powers and the aftermath.
20 Million Voices Say: “AND SO WERE WE”: Stephen Roth, Sunday Pictorial, 25 November 1945Publisher Aghast at Tarnishing of Beloved Children’s Character
Franklin the turtle is a Canadian creation beloved by generations of children, so when U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth turned him into a bazooka-wielding soldier in a social media post Sunday, many people were alarmed.
In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for their publisher, Kids Can Press, said they condemn this use of Franklin’s image.
“Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity,” the spokesperson wrote.
“We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.”
Despite the mocking and outcry the Trump Administration persists in abusing the copyrighted Franklin.
Today The Washington Examiner reports:
The Education Department joined the Franklin the Turtle social media campaign on Monday, alongside other federal departments.
On X, the department posted a fake cover of a Franklin the Turtle book titled “Franklin Knows the Department of Education Doesn’t Do Any Educating.” Franklin is pictured sitting in what appears to be a classroom, reading a book with an American flag hoisted behind him.
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