DarylCagle.comWe’ve just added a new cartoonist to our Cagle.msnbc.com site. Â Ramzy Taweel is a freelance, West Bank Palestinian cartoonist, who works as a graphic artist and as a “media officer” for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Â See Ramzy’s cartoon archive here. Â And there’s more on Ramzy in my blog four weeks ago.
Here’s my latest cartoon on the upcoming Israel/Hamas prisoner swap. I’m putting it here in the blog because I know how all of you love to comment on Palestinian cartoons.
One of my favorite cartoonists is Gary Brookins, the conservative cartoonist who also draws the comics Shoe and Pluggers.  Gary had been the editorial cartoonist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch and was laid off recently in the national, newspaper bloodletting.  (In fact, it wasn’t long ago that the Times-Dispatch had two cartoonists; the other was Bob Gorrell.)
Gary was going to keep drawing editorial cartoons for syndication, but that seems not to be happening. Â Some of our readers emailed me, noticing that Gary’s last cartoon posted with us was in July. Â Here’s the latest from Gary:
I have taken a “vacation” from drawing editorial cartoons, and do not anticipate doing any more at least through the end of this year … Since being laid off from the Richmond Times-Dispatch in April, I’ve taken a long break from editorial cartooning, and have been focusing on my painting. In October, I was in a joint show with Richmond painter and portrait artist Loryn Brazier at her studio/gallery In December, I will also participate at Brazier Studio in a “miniature” show, as well as a show at Rockett’s Landing, a new, upscale condominium development on the James River in Richmond.
My subject matter would best be described as “Americana,” including landscapes, farm houses, diners, chickens, weathered old boats, and especially abandoned, rusty cars and trucks, mainly from the 1940s and 50s. I also do some portraiture.
In March, I will be teaching a workshop in drawing in graphite.
Some of my work can be seen at:Â www.brookinsart.blogspot.com
I also continue to enjoy working on “Pluggers” for Tribune Media Services and “Shoe” (King Features Syndicate), working with Chris Cassatt and Susie MacNelly.
Thanks again, Daryl.
Here is one of Gary’s recent oil paintings. Â I see the Jeff MacNelly influence.
Sometimes I like to vary the dimensions of my cartoons. Most editorial cartoons are the same 1 1/2 wide by 1 tall, which fits the cartoon hole that newspapers keep open for the cartoon. Sometimes an odd sized cartoon will jar an editor into running something different.
I did today’s cartoon extra wide, but on the web, extra wide means extra small, and I lose details like old Obama at the right. Everything is a tradeoff.
See my rough sketch below, followed by the line art, that most people see in the newspapers, then the color version that I do for the web and for the few newspapers that print color on their editorial pages.
Sometimes a cartoon, like this one, is just fun to draw. Even if it doesn’t say a whole lot; fun to draw is enough.
Congratulations to my buddy, Peter Broelman, the brilliant Australian cartoonist who just swept both the best editorial cartoonist and cartoonist of the year prizes at the Stanley Awards! Â See more of Peter’s cartoons here.
Before I left on my trip last month I did an interview for BBC World, which they posted as a talking cartoon slideshow. Â It is interesting how little has changed since then as I could have given the same interview this week. Â They did a nice job of mixing it up with appropriate international cartoons. Â I sound a little too sleepy – I need to remember to pick it up a bit next time. Â See and hear the interview here.
And here is my latest Sarah Palin cartoon, that I drew while watching her on Oprah today.
This just in:
Daryl,
I just thought I’d write to let you know I heard from Bobble Rep creator Ray Griggs just now that Apple reconsidered their rejection of our app and “Bobble Rep” is now approved and available in the App Store.
I’m glad Apple came to their senses and realized that this app is not only not derogatory or insulting to our congressional representatives and senators, it’s a beneficial program and a little fun as well.
It’s thanks to the support and attention of people like you that this happened. Thanks.
MADly,
Tom
Congratulations to Tom and Ray! Â And thanks, Apple, for being reasonable about this one!
Ray Griggs, who produced and financed the Bobble Reps project asked me to post this reaction:
I would like thank all of the websites, news stations, Twitter, Facebook, internet bloggers, and email sources that showed their support of the Bobble Head Congressional App. I have received over 500 emails in the past two days and I tried to personally email each and every one of them to show my gratitude for their encouraging words. Many have also recently shown support of a documentary that I am currently working on. (www.iwantyourmoney.net) Â Up until last night, this iPhone app seemed like it was on life support and hope was fading quickly. It was such relief to receive the phone call from Apple and hear that they had reversed their decision.
Personally, I still wish there were a better system for app. developers in the working stages to call in and speak with a representative. This would be an ideal way to ask: “This is what I’m doing. Do you foresee any problems?” before investing into an app. That doesn’t give you a guarantee, just a little peace of mind. One must remember that some developers get away with a couple of hundred dollars in development costs while others, such as myself, spend thousands. I was very blessed that the decision was reversed; sadly, I know that there may be many developers who have not had that good fortune.
We developers take a risk in trying to make our money back on iTunes site and we shouldn’t have to take that risk just to get approval to sell it. There is only one legal market in which to place one’s iPhone apps. When all is said and done, it is a privilege and not a right to be in this market. We must always keep this in mind. However, we should not be penalized for doing what we believe is right during the development stage. I still can’t help being a Mac fan, my last two projects “Super Capers” and “Lucifer the Movie” was done with Macs and Mac software. Depending on how this App. does, Â I will consider and making future Apps. Over the past few days, I have realized that with all of the fans and support base available that there are other markets whose needs a developer can meet while taking less risk in the developmental stages. Android and Palm are such markets. Â We are currently looking into these other markets with the intentions of promoting our future projects and films.
I would like to thank each person who contributed to voicing opinions on my behalf or encouraging me in this endeavor. Â Thanks again!
Ray Griggs
Producer/Director
RG Entertainment, Ltd.
My daughter, Susie, joined me in Israel for the last week of my trip last month.  She has been posting her daily cartoon account of the trip on her blog at http://thisiswhatconcernsme.com and she’s posting a new day of the trip every day now as she paints them in.
Susie had a different perspective on the trip than I did – and she looks much nicer than she draws herself. Â Here are the most recent three days she has posted in her cartoon diary.
