The Blue State

Cartoon: Five Years … and Counting

By Andrew Wahl of OffTheWahl.com

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Cartoon: The Clinton Machine

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By Andrew Wahl, cartoonist for the Wenatchee World and editor of OffTheWahl.com.

Here is Andrew's weekly commentary:

UNDERSTANDING THE MACHINE
    I ran into one of myco-workers in the break room at The Wenatchee World today, shortlyafter my latest cartoon came off the press.
    “I don’t understand your cartoon today,” he said.
    I asked him what he didn’t understand. He wanted to know if I wastrying to say Hillary is cold and emotionless — almost robotic — in herpursuit of the presidency, or was it that the Clinton campaign was anunstoppable juggernaut racing toward the nomination.
    “Yes,” I said.
    “The Clinton Machine” [Archive No. 0734] has been a marvel tobehold this primary season. And my co-worker understood this cartoonjust fine.
    What do you think? Stop by the OtWP Blog and be make a comment:

    http://www.offthewahl.com/blog

Till next week,
Andrew
toon@offthewahl.com

Cartoon: Munro, 2007

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By Andrew Wahl, a cartoonist for the Wenatchee World newspaper, and founder of OffTheWahl.com.

Here is Andrew's weekly commentary about his toon:

Has thereever been a more politically tone-deaf administration than this one? Ican understand Bush’s need to score points with the base. But if you’regoing to veto legislation to take a stand against “big government,”couldn’t you pick something more palatable than quashing healthcare forpoor children? And to say we can’t afford $35 billion for sick kids, atthe same time you’re asking for around $190 billion — that’s$190,000,000,000! — in additional war spending?
    How did this numbskull ever get to be president? No, really.
    As I was sitting down to tackle this week’s toon, I was looking todo something with that notion of tone deafness. But as I brainstormedsymbols that spoke to children paying the price for America’s warmachine, I kept coming back to the same image: Jules Feiffer’s Munro.
    For those not familiar with Feiffer, the guy is on the top rung inmy pantheon of creative heroes. Pulitzer-winning editorial cartoonist.Obie-winning playwright. And, in 1961, he was the writer of anAcademy-Award-winning animated short called “Munro.”
    “Munro” started life as a short story in Feiffer’s 1957 cartooncollection, “Passionella.” The story revolves around a four-year-oldboy named Munro who is drafted into the U.S. Army and can’t seem toconvince anyone that there’s been a mistake. It’s a brilliant piece ofwork, one that still has wonderful resonance today. (If you haven’tseen the animated version, treat yourself on YouTube)
    Feiffer retired from editorial cartooning on a regular basis in 2000.
    With our young again being victimized by a misguided militaryeffort, it seemed a good time to pay homage to one of my greatestinfluences. “Munro, 2007” [Archive No. 0733], below, is the result. Ithink it works fine with no knowledge of the “Munro” back story, andoffers deeper meaning for those in the know (which now includeseveryone reading this). I’m pretty tickled with this one.
    As always, feel free stop by the OtWP Blog and let me know if you agree or disagree.

Till next week,
Andrew
toon@offthewahl.com

Andrew Wahl has been submitting his toons on The Blue State since 2005.

Cartoon: What Blackwater Problem?

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By Andrew Wahl, owner of OffTheWahl.com and cartoonist for the Wenatchee World newspaper in central Washington state.

Cartoon: Oh Really?

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By Andrew Wahl.  Andrew Wahl writes for the Wenatchee World, and has his own web site with all of his weekly cartoons.

Here is Andrew's weekly commentary:

This week’stoon, “Oh, Really?” [Archive No. 0730], was inspired by the blunt,fantasy-world assessment Bush delivered to Australian Deputy PrimeMinister Mark Vaile earlier this month about the situation in Iraq:“We’re kicking ass!” In researching this toon, I was stunned by 1. Theobvious disconnect Bush often seems to have with “reality on theground,” and 2. The sheer number of times he’s offered variations ofthe “We’re making progress” quote over the last four-plus years.
    In other news, a bit closer to home: Following an eight-plus yearrun at The Wenatchee World — the last six as features editor — I’vedecided it’s time to step away. To be honest, I never expected to leavedaily newspapers, but it’s become increasingly obvious that it’s time.I’ve let the paper know I plan is to finish out the rest of this year,then will head in a new direction with the new year.
    So what does 2008 hold for me? Full-time cartooning, if everythinggoes right, including more editorial-cartoon projects and my firstcomic-book work since 1993’s “Darkseed & Other Defamations.”(Details on those new projects soon.) I also plan to start graduatestudies via a distance degree program offered by Kansas’ Fort HaysState University. It’s a liberal studies master’s program with aconcentration in history; I’m pretty sure editorial cartooning willplay into that endeavor, as well.
    As for what else? I don’t really know yet. But if any of you knowof any interesting part-time or freelance gigs coming up in 2008, keepme in mind.
    I must admit that this career change is a little scary, but like Isaid, it’s time. And I’m sure when it really hits me that I’ll havemore time to spend at the art board, life will be good.
As always, feel free to stop by the OtWP Blog to sound off about thisweek’s cartoon. New to the blog this past week: a review of “Ultra:Seven Days,” a graphic novel by the Luna Brothers.

Till next week,
Andrew
toon@offthewahl.com

Cartoon: Happy Labor Day

By Andrew Wahl, Offthewahl.com, Wenatchee World.

Andrew Wahl has submitted his toons to The Blue State off and on since 2004.

Cartoon: State of the surge

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By Andrew Wahl, OffTheWahl.com, The Wenatchee World

GeneralPetraeus’ “State of the Surge” report isn’t due for at least a few moredays, but already politicians are in full spin cycle based on what theythink he’ll say. Meanwhile, U.S. soldiers (to say nothing ofIraqi civilians) continue to be killed and wounded at an alarming rate.This situation was the impetus for this week’s toon, “The Surge MarchesOn …” (color version) [Archive No. 0727b], the third in my series ofSurge-related toons using the silhouette of the iconic toy soldier. Theprevious two can be seen on the OtWP Blog this week. Stop by and let meknow what you think of the series:

Till next week,
Andrew

Cartoon: Brainless: Life After Rove

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By Andrew Wahl of the Wenatchee World

Each week for the last two years, cartoonist Andrew Wahl has submitted a political toon to The Blue State blog.  After a brief summer hiatus, he's back!

Cartoon: Happy 4th

By Andrew Wahl of the Wenatchee World and Offthewahl.com

Cartoon: A Matter of Focus

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Andrew Wahl - The Wenatchee World - OffTheWahl.com

Here is Andrew's weekly commentary:

Every time I sit down to come up with a new editorial cartoon, I start with the same basic question: “What’s the most important (or interesting) issue in the news today?” In past years, this question prompted many answers — and cartoons on a wide range of topics. But, recently, two answers just keep popping up: 1. George W. Bush, who I firmly believe to be the worst president in U.S. history, and 2. his misbegotten boondoggle of a war in Iraq. And, while I don’t want to become a two-note commentator (one really, as those two topics are so inextricably linked at this point), those are without question the most compelling matters of this time. This week’s cartoon, “A Matter of Focus” [Archive No. 0723], wrestles with this dilemma, while also noting several important issues that keep getting demoted to the backburner.
    One housekeeping note before signing off: I wasn’t able to cartoon last week, so I decided not to send out a Weekly Editorial Cartoon E-mail. I’m finding I’ve been finishing, on average, a cartoon four out of five weeks this year. I’m hoping the pace will pick back up in the fall, but, in the meantime, it seems silly to send out an e-mail saying I’m not sending out a cartoon.
    That’s all for this week.

Cheers,
Andrew
toon@offthewahl.com

Andrew Wahl is a cartoonist for the Wenatchee World newspaper.  He submits political cartoons to The Blue State each week.