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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Recent Posts
“Panini Press” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
In E.S. Glenn’s cartoon, a panini press is saying something to a toaster. Judging from the swinging door, they appear to be in a commercial kitchen. The panini-press looks friendly and encouraging, so I first imagined he was trying to build up the smaller appliance’s self-esteem: “Are you kidding? I’d give anything to make bread…
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A Shot in the Arm
A shot in the arm is a metaphor for something that gives you instant energy and renewed enthusiasm. I literally got a shot in the arm last week with the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. It didn’t do anything for my energy, but it certainly made me more enthusiastic about the year to come—and…
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Anatomy of a Cartoon: Evolution
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 evolution. With recent political events unfolding across the U.S., dramatic changes in our body politic seem to mutate daily. In one area, however, we can take refuge in…
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“Walk this Way” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
Teresa Burns Parkhurst’s cartoon is set on a sidewalk, where a woman is yelling at a man who’s moving away from her. He appears to be doing lunges or imitating John Cleese’s silly walk from “Monty Python’s Flying Circus.” A few years ago I went to see “Hamilton” in Chicago. I came to the theater…
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