Political Cartoons

By Rick Sapp

It can be argued that political cartoons have existed as long as there have been people to lampoon and criticize, but the advent of the printing press, in particular the development of an industrial process in the 19th century, really allowed this manner of communication to flourish. Political cartoons were a critical element of communication in the American colonists’ drive for independence from Britain. Both Benjamin Franklin and Paul Revere used them to build support for the early revolutionary cause. Since then, every U.S. war and the citizens’ sentiments about it can be described by political cartooning. But it wasn’t until the 20th century that the political cartoon came of age, riding the wave of widespread newspaper and magazine printing. Photography pushed the medium off the front page, however, and moved it to the editorial page. Political cartooning is either a dying occupation or a wide-open and growing field, depending on your point of view. It can also be a very dangerous endeavor for those of us who recall the Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard’s portrayal of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban and the death threats from Muslim fundamentalists that followed and still plague him today. Political cartooning is either a dying occupation or a wide-open and growing field, depending on your point of view. It can also be a very dangerous endeavor for those of us who recall the Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard’s portrayal of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban and the death threats from Muslim fundamentalists that followed and still plague him today. Today, the Internet has given political cartoons new life. They are more powerful than ever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TAJ Books International
• Release date: Mar 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781844063086

Rick Sapp

Born near Chicago, Rick Sapp grew up on Amelia Island, Florida. His unusual heritage— on one side a long line of southern farmers, shrimp boat captains and rebels, and on the other, a legacy of northern coal miners, gangsters and union organizers—gave him a restless spirit and an inquisitive mind. After three years at the U.S. Air Force Academy he joined the army as a paratrooper and subsequently worked as an intelligence officer in Europe. He completed his PhD. in cultural anthropology at the University of Florida, conducting field work with the National Institute of Mental Health (St. Elizabeth Hospital) in Washington, DC, and in the Great Bend of the Suwannee River, Florida. Rick owned a Media Consulting firm until 9/11 and soon thereafter began freelancing full-time. Rick has since authored (or coauthored) 30 books about camping, bicycle touring, urban redevelopment, history, political cartoons, and outdoor activities. A prolific freelance writer since 1980, his resume includes hundreds, perhaps a thousand, nonfiction articles, creative nonfiction, and short fiction stories, and even poetry. Rick lives in Florida.

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Published by TAJ Books International LLC 2013

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Copyright © 2013 TAJ Books International LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored

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All notations of errors or omissions (author inquiries, permissions)

concerning the content of this book should be addressed to

[e-mail].

The Publisher wishes to thank all image contributors. The Publisher believes

the use of the cartoons at the size depicted qualifies as fair use under United

States copyright law.

Special thanks to Edward Sorel’s caricature of 12 presidents

ISBN 978-1-84406-271-3

PRINT ISBN: XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Printed in China

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POLITICAL CARTOONS

The ancient caves of Europe often contain drawings that depict animals—and people, of course, usually hunting—who long ago passed from among the living.

Professional students have attempted to interpret the cave images from various perspectives. Ritual paintings, say the religious scholars. No, pictures of cultural adventure, say the anthropologists. Perhaps so, but if you look closely at the images, a surprising and wide-spread humor is rampant. Oddly shaped individuals in unusual postures and odd situations chasing or being chased by animals or other partially clothed humans, for example, in Magura Cave in Bulgaria.

Indeed, some of these cave paintings—though extraordinary in many respects—may not be so profound, so timeless, as once believed. Perhaps they exist in the deepest, darkest part of the ancient caves for good reason: they make fun of someone. Perhaps someone powerful. Perhaps rather than being sacred paintings for ancient religious rituals or to ensure the success of the hunt, they are caricatures, the first political cartoons, hidden because they lampoon the leaders, castigate the powerful, and ridicule the rich. Perhaps they tell one of a timeless story—a love triangle or fear of deadly beasts—for that is