Political cartoonists don’t like to draw cartoons about celebrities. In most cases, they view it as tabloid trash and unworthy of the coverage they give to issues like health care reform and immigration. But readers love the bizarre lives celebrities live, and with Tom Cruise suddenly in the midst of his third divorce, our extraordinary caricaturist Taylor Jones (who I syndicate through Cagle Cartoons) drew this funny cartoon featuring Cruise and all his previous wives:
Taylor e-mailed me his thoughts about drawing Cruise:
Despite his extreme looks and extreme goofiness, Tom Cruise is easy to caricature. Sometimes, bizarre looks and behavior can hinder caricature because little is left to the imagination. That’s why I rarely draw comedians. What can one do to, say, Jim Carrey’s face, that he hasn’t already done to himself? But with Tom Cruise, here’s a dashing fellow — but one with buck teeth and a major schnoz. And those crazed, maniacal eyes just scream, “Don’t mess with me! I’m a Scientologist!”
Here’s a classic Cruise caricature by Taylor: