by Gretchen Beilfuss Witt Rowan Public Library
Political
cartoons have been part and parcel of American and much of Western culture for
the last 200 years. Interestingly, according to Stephen Hess and
Sandy Northrop, authors of “Drawn & Quartered: The History of American Political Cartoons”,
founding father Ben Franklin was both the first cartoonist and the first public
figure to be ridiculed by cartoon. “Political
Cartooning is a symbolic art. The
symbols are a shorthand, a convenience…” both for the artist and the
audience. Many cartoons feature
caricatures of famous people as well as symbols that have become representative
because of their use in cartoons.
Thomas Nast, illustrating for
Harper’s Weekly in the 1870’s, not only brought world-wide attention to the
corruption of city government with his many depictions of “Boss” Tweed and
other Tammany Hall politicians, he is also credited with the icon of the
elephant representing the Republican
party. The task of a political
cartoonist is to comment, to have an opinion, not to illustrate the news. Hess and Northrop take us from the beginnings
of American National identity including the creation “Uncle Sam” through the end
of 20th century in which folks become more concerned with political
correctness and being offended than in using cartoon to begin a dialogue. The authors look at the artists and the
publications with which they were often associated as well as the history of
how these talented folk managed to “reduce a complex issue to a simple cartoon
presented in a tiny box.”
Flemming
Rose’s “Tyranny of Silence” takes a more in-depth look at this trend of
self-censorship by cartoonists and the media.
Rose is the editor of the Danish paper, who commissioned and printed
cartoons about Islam in 2005 offending some of the Muslim community and created
a global controversy. He states that
he was prompted to commission these cartoons by his “perception of
self-censorship by the European media.”
He continues by expressing his own experiences and why he feels so
strongly that the true issue is about the freedom of speech. Rose reflects that everyone has the right to
tell their story in their own way. He
asks “should we be unable to criticize cultures that still adhere to those [unpopular]
practices because they are minorities?”
He indicates that living in a democracy does not give you the right not
to be offended and that perhaps a little more training in tolerance rather than
sensitivity might be more useful in having a multi-cultural society coexist
peacefully. This is certainly a
thought-provoking book having its origin in a global reaction to political
cartoons.
For
many the idea of Dr. Seuss and his artwork brings to mind the delightful and whimsical
images of Whoville or Green Eggs and Ham. However a rarer treat is in store, library
patrons will have an opportunity to sample Dr. Seuss’ political cartoons
created during the 1940s. Theodor Geisel had strong views regarding
American policy on non-involvement in the war as well as the New Deal policies
of FDR. He began drawing political
cartoons well before the US officially entered World War II in December of
1941. Italian fascism led him to draw
his first published political cartoon for PM magazine in 1941 and he continued until
accepting a commission in the U.S. Army in 1943. His cartoons for PM expressed his views
against fascism, anti-Semitism, and bigotry. For a more complete listing of his cartoons
and information relating to his drawings, Richard H. Minear’s book “Dr. Seuss
Goes to War: The World War II Editorial
Cartoons of Theodore Seuss Geisel” is available for check out.
Made available
through the NC Council on the Holocaust, the library will host a display
fourteen panels representing the work of Dr. Seuss. The
pictures will be displayed in the Gallery of the first floor of the
Headquarters building from March 2-March 27th.
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