Lifesaver

Last updated 12:20 07/04/2009

Okay, so it's taken a bit longer to get back into the swing of things after the holidays, blogwise. But I'll get there, hopefully starting next week, then I can expand the ambit of Tooned In again and make it more than just a chronicle of my own work. There's a lot going on in the world of editorial cartooning – a lot of big changes in the States anyway - and I'm eager to talk about them.

And speaking of changes in the US, who wasn't impressed by Barack Obama at his inauguration this week? It gave me goosebumps watching him being sworn in, even as my skin crawled seeing the thoroughly evil Dick Cheney being wheeled away to his waiting limousine. Of course Obama isn't some sort of divine being as all the adulation and euphoria might suggest; he won't miraculously solve all the world's problems or even those in the America, but I think the measure of him will be his ability to inspire and motivate others, and so far he's doing a pretty good job. The US president's greatest strength (besides having the nuclear warhead codes at his disposal) is his ability to set the tone for the country, and Obama's immediate decision to close Guantanamo sends a strong message to the world, indicating the US is moving away from its destructive unilateral bullying and returning to the fold of nations where cooperation and consultation is the way forward. Hallelujah!

I was thinking about how to capture those welcoming sentiments when I imagined Obama's campaign logo as a life preserver for an America treading storming waters. My first sketches only had a hand reaching from the waves, with no ship in the background, but it seemed kind of sparse and I expanded it to include a grateful Uncle Sam with George W's ship sinking in the background. Interestingly, a lot of older people didn't seem to immediately grasp that the "O" represented Obama. I know we're not in the States and that the US presidential campaign wasn't as ubiquitous here as it was there, but I thought we'd all seen enough photos of Obama on the campaign trail to remember what his signs looked like. Obviously not. Some people didn't grasp that the boat represented George Bush, either, but I was sure a lot of people would know that he was commonly called "Dubya". This is an example of where I might have assumed too much of the readers, but it's always a fine line between being subtle and being cryptic, and occasionally I probably inadvertently stray too much towards the latter. That's one of the perils of working on your own instead of in a newsroom, where you don't have a lot of people to bounce ideas off. Still, I'd rather do that than oversimplify things and treat people like morons. Brevity and its immediate impact can be one of an editorial cartoon's greatest assets, but sometimes having to think about a particular element isn't such a bad thing, especially if it leads to learning something new.

As long as it's not deliberately obscure. That's annoying.

Not sure about National's new $50 "crime tax" to be levied on all convicted offenders, from murderers to traffic law violators. I mean, do you really think it's going to be a deterrent to people who are intent on being criminals, or that it's going to penalise people who have already flouted the law and don't give a damn what the courts do? Our judges already have plenty of scope to demand restitution, and from the sound of things it's often ineffectual at compensating victims already. And how is the money going to be shared, and on what basis will people be eligble for the cash? It really sounds as if the Governement is playing a populist tune, trying to look tough and curry favour with the Sensible Sentencing Trust and such.

When I was considering the humorous possibilities here, I imagined that knowing they were going to be financially penalised might encourage some crims to go for broke. And why not, if they had nothing to lose and everything to gain?

My follow-up cartoon to the inauguration. I didn't want to be a pessimist, but of course it's only a matter of time before Obama missteps, or doesn't meet the nation's incredible expectations, and then the blame games will start. That's the way it is with every politician after the initial honeymoon period, and the new US president will be no exception.

I thought there were lots of interesting comments on the last post that included cartoons about the Middle East, and I appreciate everyone writing in. Thank you. I didn't reply because I felt I'd already had my say and didn't need to expand on things further; also, it's important for others to express their opinions, and I welcome them even if they disagree with me.

The Israelis showed good timing to cease their operations in Gaza two days before Obama took office, and you can't help but think they were rushing to meet a deadline when they invaded. The news that peace would return left me feeling sceptical though, and I wondered how far you have to go before lasting peace is eventually unsalvageable. I think the latest hostilities by both Hamas and Israel was a test of that question, and whether it can be revived will rely upon more than a ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from the smoking rubble of the Palestinians' homes. It's going to require a Marshall Plan for the whole area, lifting the standard of living for them until they don't feel obliged to resort to terrorism to achieve their goals. It's not a purely ideological thing, despite what some people say, because ideology alone doesn't feed families or fulfil the basic human need to be safe with your loved ones. The zealots will lose. They burn bright like fireworks and can cause a lot of damage, but ultimately they fade too when passion consumes their reason and leads them to destruction.

I miss Winston Peters, much the same way I'll miss George W. Like him or not, he's a character who provokes a strong reaction – the spice that enlivens a dull meal. You can always count on him to entertain, and that's not a bad thing against the backdrop of grey suits and overly earnest people who populate the Beehive.

Winnie come back, your country – the cartoonists – need you!

I don't want to think about Steve Jobs dying, or where Apple will go without his steady hand on the tiller at the company. His last departure in the mid eighties saw Apple plod along competently enough, but it was his flair and insistence upon innovation that led it to where it is today. And yes, I'm an admitted Apple devotee, but nonetheless their products kick ass because they're a beautiful combination of form and functionality in almost perfect balance. Some people may not agree, that's cool. But I for one am grateful to Jobs and pray that he's instituted a culture at Apple that will continue to see them expand on the good things they're doing. With the iPhone and most else they've done recently, they've proved the naysayers wrong.

Let's hope Jobs can beat the statistics and regain his health too.

Have a great weekend!

Post comment

Name:	Required
Email:	Required. Will not be published.

Registration is not required to post a comment but if you sign in, you will not have to enter your details each time you comment. Registered members also have access to extra features. Create an account now.

I have read and accepted the terms and conditions
These comments are moderated. Your comment, if approved, may not appear immediately. Please direct any queries about comment moderation to the Opinion Editor at blogs@stuff.co.nz

Tooned In, with Mike Moreu Headlines

RSS