Evan Lian’s drawing is set at a cocktail party, where a woman is talking to a man. Behind her, and engaged in another conversation, is Waldo from the “Where’s Waldo” puzzle books. The challenge in every such puzzle is locating the eponymous character in a crowd. I first imagined the woman explaining why she’s not…
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“Elephants in the Room” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
In Teresa Burns Parkhurst’s cartoon, three elephants are in a couple’s living room. The middle elephant says something to the one who’s facing him, while the couple remains oblivious. “The elephant in the room” is a metaphor for an obvious and pressing problem no one wants to discuss, so I first came up with these…
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Anatomy of a Cartoon: Our Online Life
Cartoon critics Phil Witte and Rex Hesner look behind the gags to debate what makes a cartoon tick. This week our intrepid critics take a look at our online life. Our online horizons have expanded as COVID drives more services and activities into cyberspace. Meetings, family reunions, and even visits to the doctor now take…
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“Crossword Chest” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
In Carolita Johnson’s cartoon, two shirtless men are walking together on the beach. The younger man has an armband tattoo around his left bicep. The older man has a crossword puzzle on his chest. The older man is speaking. I first imagined where the crossword clues might be tattooed: “The clues are on my tramp…
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Anatomy of a Cartoon: Prison
Cartoon critics Phil Witte and Rex Hesner look behind the gags to debate what makes a cartoon tick. This week our intrepid critics take a look at jail time. The many months of Covid lockdown may seem like prison. Of course, real prison is far worse. Therefore, it may seem strange that cartoonists can extract…
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