This week’s cartoontroversy?: Well, it’s only Monday as you read this, so maybe something bigger will come up later. Anyway, political cartoonists seemingly had a blast drawing goodbye cartoons featuring a long-time favorite subject of theirs, Michael Jackson, most choosing either a bland “Hey, he’s dead now” sort of acknowledgement cartoon, others making jokes about his physical appearance or legal troubles concerning his alleged sexual interest in young boys. One of the more…potent cartoons was that of Mike Luckovich, featuring Heaven and Hell flipping a coin (above). Here’s a brief story in which Luckovich talks a bit about the cartoon, which proved controversial among readers, and here’s Washington Post comics blogger Michael Cavna asking readers if they think it went too far.
“You’ll be in awe of how perfect it is and certainly envious of it if you are a writer”: This guy really, really, really liked David Mazzuchelli’s eagerly anticipated Asterios Polyp.
“These two comics, for all their surface similarities, serve as almost perfect examples of How To Do It and How Not To Do It”: That’s Andrew Hickey on last Wednesday’s issues of TEC and Gotham City Sirens. Can you guess which one is which? His post reviewing the two issues is entitled “Comics Review (Guaranteed 100% Michael Jackson Free).” But that guarantee makes reference to Michael Jackson! So it’s actually just 99% Michael Jackson-free.
I’d read a comic book about a comics fan with a time machine who goes back in time and tries to deliver these messages: Comics Reporter Tom Spurgeon had his readers “Name Five Decisions You’d Like To Talk The Comics-Related Person Who Made Them Out Of Doing.” Check out their responses here. And while I’m linking to Spurgeon, this week’s Sunday interview was with cartoonist Trina Robbins, regarding her recent Nell Brinkley book.
I would also read a Marvel comic in which Ben Grimm replaced Steve Rogers as Captain America, but only if it was entitled Cap-Ben Grimm-erica: Bully the Little Stuffed Bull likes Ben Grimm a whole lot, so much so that he’s devoting a full 365 days to spending time with the big lug, but he has found one way in which it is possible to improve upon Aunt Petunia’s favorite nephew. Click here to find out how!
In your face Dr. Wertham! Batman was never really gay after all: It was just a phase he was going through, and he tried to keep it up for Robin’s sake, but his heart just wasn’t in it. At least, that’s what I gather from Robin’s thoughts in yesterday’s Daily Batman, which has since changed, as it’s a new day, and a new day means it’s time for a new Batman. Anyway, The Daily Batman. Some day I might stop linking to it, but not today.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:59 am
Great cartoon about Michael Jackson. I assume the PC police will condemn it as they are very prone to doing nowadays. Sad that this is even making headlines. Even though he was never convicted of sexual assault in 2005, he did settle out of court with the victim’s family, which to some is a veiled admission of wrongdoing.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I believe he settled with more than one family, I believe. Settled with one, continued spending unchaperoned time with young children who weren’t any relation to him and left himself open for more allegations. I tend to believe that when someone gets burned for something and can’t seem to help themselves from doing it again and again, it is a sign of some sort of serious addiction/mental issue. Which is why I believe he did the things he is alleged to have done.
The crime is that ratings whore news stations are putting up wall-to-wall coverage of dead celebrities and giving less time to trivial stuff like, I don’t know, the Iran Election issues and the gutting of the energy and healthcare bills in Congress.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
I thought the comic was pretty funny… If anything, the only controversy I see is whether or not you believe in a heaven and hell.
I agree with Kevin that the real tragedy here is that the media whores are still pimping Jackson’s death days later, instead of things in the world that really are important (not mention what will happen to the kids Jackson leaves behind). I’m reminded of Chevy Chase on the old SNL: “General Francisco Franco is still dead!”
Well, at least I’ll never have to see a loud, annoying ad with Billy Mays ever again. Thank goodness.