Book Description
"We have always been in awe of the insight of these artists, and their ability to so succinctly sum up, in cartoon form, current events. This is the one book, in fact the only one we know of, where you can enjoy the best of the year in one place." --Hollywood Inside Syndicate Editorial cartoonists capture and preserve the news-making events of 2006 with poignancy and wit. More than 150 cartoonists are represented here in this 34th annual edition, including work from Pulitzer Prize-winning artists and the year's major award-winning cartoons.
Customer Reviews:
Editorial Cartoons.......2007-07-11
I love editorial cartoons and love Brooks' collection. It is aklways a treat to review the year this way. I could not give his collection a bad rating and admit to being biased in that way.
Not Sure These Are The Best, But Most Are Good.......2007-04-30
I don't know what constitutes the best editorial cartoons of the year and what criteria are used to pick them, but I would have to argue with the editor about some of the choices. While the vast majority were excellent cartoons, and covered the entire range of the 2006 news year, some of the cartoons were far below others in their ability to make one think and laugh (or cry).
Because of the range of the cartoons, the artists and their subjects, there is something here to please everyone and something here to offend just about everyone. That, in and of itself, makes the book a worthwhile read
Book Description
Last year was a big story year. The greatest natural disaster in U.S. History, Hurricane Katrina, tore up the Gulf Coast, then Hurricane Rita hit the Texas/Louisiana border. John Roberts became our Supreme Court chief justice and first Harriet Miers and then Samuel Alito were nominated to replace retiring justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The Iraq war continued, and two terrorist attacks in London reminded us all to be vigilant.
President Bush's approval ratings reached an all-time low, and the deaths of Pope John Paul II, Judge William Rehnquist, and Terry Schiavo all had surprising ripple effects. "Deep Throat" was revealed, as was the use of steroids among professional baseball players. Israel withdrew from Gaza, and Syria withdrew from Lebanon.
All in all it was an exciting year for cartoonists and more than 150 are represented here in this 33rd annual edition, including work from Pulitzer Prize-winning artists, the year's major award-winning cartoons, and the best work from Canadian cartoonists.
Customer Reviews:
Editorial Cartoons.......2007-07-11
I love editorial cartoons and love Brooks' collection. It is aklways a treat to review the year this way. I could not give his collection a bad rating and admit to being biased in that way.
BRILLIANT AND ON TARGET!.......2006-09-10
The cover of the Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year, 2006 edition just about says it all as a blimp is pictured with the words "Bad Year" as its message. No one can disagree there as 2005 began with the aftermath of the Tsunami on the other side of the world, and continued the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, the failing economy, and various political scandals. Not a year to be remembered. These truly are the best political cartoons leading off with Pulitzer and other prize winners and covering a variety of subjects such as those various natural disasters, terrorism, congress, the economy, sports, foreign affairs, and more, from some of the leading newspapers in the nation.
As one would expect, President Bush is the target for many of the cartoons, lampooning his handling of Iraq, Katrina, the nomination to the Supreme Court, the economy, and, well...just about everything else. Several cartoons take Bush to task for his seemingly uncanny ability to be on vacation whenever a disaster strikes.
Two great cartoons take opposite sides and use the name of the fallen soldiers in Iraq as their ammunition. One, from Mike Luckovich of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, uses the names to spell out in big letters, "WHY?" On the other end of the spectrum is Bob Englehart of the Hartford Courant whose cartoons show a version of the Constitution which reads, "We the people of Iraq should get down on our knees and thank..." with the list of names following. Both are well done.
The topic of racism is dealt with frequently, particularly in regards to Katrina and there are several humorous, yet sadly tragic cartoons that deal with last August's hurricane. Other subjects that get deservedly skewered are Michael Jackson, oil companies and their gross (as in disgusting) profits, and the Bird Flu. The bulk of the sports cartoons cover the ongoing steroid scandal in baseball.
It's a brilliant collection from beginning to end with cutting edge cartooning and biting political statements. A real gem!
Reviewed by Tim Janson
Customer Reviews:
Canalises Wrath.......2001-08-16
The only way to safely express the feelings Bill Clinton's conduct produces is the editorial cartoon. The man just defies words. So this was a vintage year for cartoonists - and it shows. The cartoons in this book are just great. They canalise wrath into laughter, but also - on social issues - create the awareness that some matters are too serious to be laughed at.
Support your local editorial cartoonist.......1999-11-03
A very good reason to buy this book: it features some of my own work. Really, this is reason enough to buy this excellent volume. Trust me.
Customer Reviews:
Editorial cartoonists celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall.......2003-03-14
I really like editorial cartoons, whether they are current ones on the editorial pages of a newspaper or old ones in history books. But for the most part we are talking about satirical barbs at the high and mighty. Still, there are times when editorial cartoonists get to actually celebrate something and the breath-taking collapse of the Berlin Wall and of communist governments in Eastern Europe provided that creative opportunity: e.g., the cover shot by Clyde Wells of the "Augusta Chronicle" showing two figures armed with the hammer and sickle of the Soviet Union to tear down the Berlin Wall. Add to this the demands for basic freedoms in both China and the Soviet Union and 1989 became on of the most memorable non-election years of modern times.
"Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year: 1990 Edition" has the work of 163 different cartoonists from the United States and Canada. In addition to the quickening disintegration of the Soviet bloc, there was the first year in office for the "kindler and gentler" Bush Administration, the showdown was Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega, and Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini putting author Salman Rushdie under a sentence of death for his book "The Satanic Verses." For scandals there was the Savings & Loan in Congress, the trial of Oliver North in the Iran-Contra scandal, the rejection of the nomination of former Texas Senator John Tower for secretary and defense, and the conviction of Leona Helmsley on tax evasion. Mother Nature added Hurricane Hugo qne an earthquake in the San Francisco Bay area during the World Series, while humans added insult to injury with the "Exxon Valdez" oil spill. There is a section we would find quite timely today dealing with Pete Rose being banned by baseball for betting on sports. Some things remain constant: there are always editorial cartoons about the economy and problems in the Middle East. It is amazing to me how vividly these editorial cartoons bring back these various issues. Give me a choice between an editorial cartoon and a photograph to preserve a moment in history, and I will usually take the latter.
Customer Reviews:
Editorial Cartoons about Desert Storm and other 1991 events.......2003-02-24
In American history textbooks or juvenile biographies of political figures, I always like to see editorial cartoons. From Thomas Nast to Bill Mauldin and Herb Block to Jeff MacNelly, a great editorial cartoon can capture the politics of a moment better than any photograph could ever do. "Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year: 1992 Edition" covers the events of 1991, including operation Desert Storm. On the prelude of the next Gulf War it is interesting, to say the least, to go back and see what was being drawn back then.
Beyond the heroism of Desert Storm 1991 saw the disintegration of the Soviet Union (see cover), the economic recession, the Bush White House, and the rising figures of the Democratic campaign trail (no Bill Clinton but lots of Mario Cuomo at this point). Other targets include the Senate confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, the David Duke campaign in Louisiana, peace prospects in the Middle East, the U.S. Congress bouncing checks, the plight of the poor and the homeless, and the plagues of crime and drugs. There are 345 editorial cartoons by more than 180 of the leading cartoonists in both the United States and Canada represent the complete political spectrum fomr the liberal left to the conservative right, along with the middle of the bird. The result is a fascinating walk down memory lane regarding what we thought about Saddam Hussein invading Kuwait, Ted Kennedy's reputation for drinking and womanizing, and Oliver North getting his conviction overturned, as well as remembering the death of Dr. Suess and the beating of Rodney King.
"Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year: 1992 Edition" was compiled and edited by Charles Brooks, former president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. The book opens with the Award-Winning Cartoons from 1991 for the Pulitzer Prize (Jim Borgman, "Cincinnati Enquirer"), National Headliners Club Award (Borgman), National Society of Professional Journalists Award (Jeff MacNelly, "Chicago Tribune"), Fischetti Award (Mike Keefe, "Denver Post"), and National Newspaper Award/Canada (Roy Peterson, "Vancouver Sun"). This particular volume is over a decade old, but is worth checking out just to see how much (and how little) has changed in terms of war in the Middle East, Saddam Hussein, and a President Bush leading the nation to war.
Customer Reviews:
Androgenized artists can't carry a "toon".......2002-08-26
The "Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year" series has been around for at least 30 years now.
I know this because I actually remember the 1972 and 1973 editions. The differences between those editions and this one show how far the art of political satire has declined and how far the Matriarchy has progressed.
We're never told what standard is used to rate a particular cartoon as among the "best" of the year, and it's fairly safe to say that it's purely based on the subjective preference of the editor, Charles Brooks. And this much has to be said for him - he includes cartoons from a number of perspectives but leaves out left-wing heavy hitters such as Conrad, Trudeau, and the recently deceased Herblock (did they hit him in the head with a shovel to make sure?). This is important for balance, simply because there are no right-wing heavy hitters among political cartoonists to even the score.
For the most part, the cartoons included in all collections have been from relatively obscure contributors - both left and right. This is all to the good.
But this year's edition was just a lot of pap. For one thing, Gary Condit had been the big story before September 11. Where are the Condit cartoons?
Of course, the biggest story in 2001 turned out to be the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. So the "best" cartoons mostly repeat conventional sentiment - what a tragedy, but we're strong and united now so we'll get the bastards, blah blah blah.
How many cartoons were drawn which showed the Statue of Liberty, Uncle Sam, and the American Eagle alternatively weeping, praying, retaliating etc. etc.? What a self-replicating show of pompous victimologistic self-assuming virtue!
Incisive masculine wit is disappearing from the modern political cartoon, and cartoons that are supposed to make you EMOTE without THINKING have become the rule.
Get a load of the contribution from Richard Wallmeyer of the Long Beach Press Telegram about "anti-bully" legislation. In the penultimate panel, one kid suggests that people just live by the Golden Rule instead of passing a law and in the last panel, his friend responds by reminding him that religion isn't allowed in public schools.
That's it. No wit; no nuance; no attempt to make the reader THINK about what the cartoonist is trying to say. No symbolism even. Wallmeyer tells you straight out what you should believe.
And Jeff Parker's post-September 11 contribution from Florida Today showing two Floridians wearing "I Love NY" paraphernalia and agreeing between themselves that "We are all New Yorkers now".
No biting masculine wit, no nuance, no intellect, no symbolism. And suck a lozenge, Jeff Parker. All of the terrorists attacks in the world won't turn the average New Yorker into a human being, any more than the 1989 earthquake could do so for the average San Franciscan. Parker is just engaging in cheap sentiment masquerading as patriotism.
The decline in quality of political cartoons stems from the fact that as women continue to make war on men and as the Matriarchy's grip becomes more crushing, male cartoonists have become softer and more effeminate (this is happening in other settings too, obviously).
And more women have become political cartoonists. There's an Ann Telnaes cartoon in which Joseph Lieberman's statement at Notre Dame that public morality should be based on faith is juxtaposed against a picture of Moslem women wearing veils.
Even assuming that it's BAD for women to hide their features, is it really accurate to suppose that a faith-based public morality would require an imposition of the burqua? No more than it would require baptism or a kosher diet but in a feminized world, the reader is not supposed to think but to emote, emote, emote.
Of course, as anyone who has seen her recurring appearances on C-SPAN knows, as a political cartoonist, Ann Telnaes is one hot babe whose face definitely should NOT be covered. But her cartoons would only be improved by the camouflage that a veil would provide. They are hardly worthy of inclusion among the country's "best".
And the feminization of the American political cartoon isn't just limited to matters of style.
Resistance to the Matriarchy has become unthinkable. In the 1973 edition, there is an entire section devoted to "Women's Lib", most of the contributions deliciously skewering the feminazis.
In one uproarious example, a man is standing at the altar looking apprehensive while hooked in his arm is his "bride", a man in drag. The preacher performing the "marriage" ceremony asks the "groom", "Do you, John, promise to love, honor and obey the Equal Rights Amendment?"
Go try to find a cartoon like that today! We've come a long way from when Thomas Nast cartoons afflicted and ultimately defeated party bosses such as Bill Tweed. Today's feminist bosses have no reason to moan, "Stop them damned pictures!" The people drawing them come from the same New Class that their masters do.
So where gender issues are concerned, the drawing board cult members bow their collective heads in deference to the "women are strong and good; men are weak and bad and deserving of punishment" party line. The 2002 edition shows an androgenized Statue of Liberty punching a Taliban member in the face in a display of women's "rights" (get it? She`ll throw her "left" at him next).
The Evil Rights Amendment might not have been enacted, but feminism has still become the official state religion of both left and right. As such, it stifles masculine energy, independence, and creativity. These can only return when and if a younger generation of males rebels against the imposition of public morality in the name of this particular faith.
Until then, the quality of written protest, in the form of political animation, can be expected to continuously decline. But I wonder what the 2032 edition of "Best Editorial Cartoons" will look like.
Focuses on concerns over terrorism and political actions.......2002-06-05
Leading editorial cartoonists are presented in a volume which focuses on concerns over terrorism and political actions. Best Editorial Cartoons Of The Year, 2002 Edition packs in popular black and white editorials that reflect the major concerns of the Year 2001: any that wants a record of events and opinions will find Best Editorial Cartoons Of The Year, 2002 Edition intriguing and fun.
Books:
- Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
- Born to Be BAD (Bureau of American Defense - B.A.D., Books 1, 2 and 3)
- Boxcar Children Collection: The Chocolate Sunday Mystery, The Mystery on Blizzard Mountain, The Mystery of the Spiders Clue, The Ghost Ship Mystery (Boxcar Children)
- C.A.R.E. Packages for the Workplace: Dozens of Little Things You Can Do To Regenerate Spirit At Work
- C.A.R.E. Packages for the Workplace: Dozens of Little Things You Can Do To Regenerate Spirit At Work
- Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter (Laurel-Leaf Books)
- Disorder in the Court: Great Fractured Moments in Courtroom History
- Don't Believe Everything You Think: The 6 Basic Mistakes We Make in Thinking
- Enough About You, Let's Talk About Me: How to Recognize and Manage the Narcissists in Your Life
- Everyday Pasta
Books Index
Books Home
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- Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Restaurant Reviews, Articles, Memoir,
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- The It's a Wonderful Life Book
- World of Warcraft Dungeon Companion
- Universe w/Student CD & Starry Night CD: featuring Starry Night Backyard 4.0/Deep Space Explorer
- Discover the Good Life in Rural America: The City Slicker's Guide to Buying Country Real Estate With
- The Referral of a Lifetime: The Networking System That Produces Bottom-Line Results Every Day
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General
| Comic Strips
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
The Best Political Cartoons of the Year 2007 Edition (The Best Political Cartoons of the Year)
Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year 2006 (Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year)
Killed Cartoons: Casualties from the War on Free Expression
Best Editorial Cartoons Of The Year 2005 (Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year)
The Best Political Cartoons of the Year, 2006 Edition (Best Political Cartoons of the Year)
