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BLACK INK MONDAY ... a
political cartoonist protest against lost jobs
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The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC) has
responded to recent cartoonist job losses by asking their members
to draw cartoons in protest. Monday December 12 is "Black
Ink Monday" when the cartoons are posted.
AAEC president, Clay Bennett writes:
"Since Ben Franklin and colonial times, the editorial cartoon
has been one of the most visible and popular parts of the daily
paper. However, recent changes within the newspaper industry
have placed this American institution at risk.
Over the last 20 years, the number of cartoonists on the staff
of daily newspapers nationwide has been cut in half. In the last
month alone, the Tribune Company (owner of the Chicago Tribune,
Los Angeles Times and a half-dozen other prominent papers), has
forced out well-known and award-winning cartoonists at the LA
Times and Baltimore Sun, eliminating their positions entirely.
Now, editorial cartoonists are responding to these cuts, in the
best way they know how - by throwing ink."
These are difficult times for the political
cartooning profession, which seems to be suffering a slow, painful
death. This is ironic because the editorial cartoon continues
to be one of the most popular features in a newspaper; but cartoons
also cause trouble, and editors are more comfortable editing
words than pictures, so cartoonists often are the first to find
their heads on the chopping blocks when newspapers make cuts.
The worst culprit in hastening the death of our profession has
recently been the Tribune Company, whose flagship papers (the
Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune and the Baltimore Sun)
now have no staff cartoonists. We at Cagle Cartoons and the AAEC
urge cartoon fans to click
here to send an e-mail to the Tribune Company's Gary
Weitman, VP of Communications, to tell him that political
cartoons are important to you, and you don't like the Tribune
Company's cartoonist cutbacks. We'll post a selection of your
emails in the blog.
The cartoonists appreciate your help! --Daryl Cagle
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