San Marcos Record, San Marcos, TX

Local News

September 10, 2009

From the Editor’s Desk: One cartoon, two Charlies and a little art appreciation

By Rowe Ray

It’s not often I contact a cartoonist to ask his intentions concerning a specific piece of editorial work which appeared in the Daily Record.

Actually, it’s never.

Some cartoonists don’t like to have to explain their work. They feel that regardless of the message they are trying to deliver, it is the reader who must ultimately decide what the cartoon is saying ... and how well it is being said.

Sounds reasonable.

Cartoonist Daryl Cagle pulled off quite a coup this week by penning a cartoon which seems to have spoken volumes to both the right and the left. It concerned President Obama’s planned Tuesday speech to schoolchildren across the country.

Some Americans labeled the speech as simply an encouraging word from the president for students to work hard, stay in school and make the most of their educational opportunities.

Others said the speech had political undertones, was inappropriate and amounted to an indoctrination of the students with the president’s values.

The left pane of Cagle’s cartoon in question showed little Jeffy from the cartoon strip Family Circus “before” President Obama’s speech looking childlike and, well, normal. The right pane showed little Jeffy “after” Obama’s speech looking every bit the wild-eyed Communist, complete with hammer, sickle, long hair, mustache and a Che Guevara T-shirt.

While the cartoon was selected for the Record’s opinion page based on what I considered to be its quirky sarcasm aimed at those critical of allowing students to view the speech at school, I was soon reminded that when it comes to cartoon art, beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

And I have two outspoken Daily Record readers to thank for that reminder. One gave me a call Tuesday afternoon. The other paid me a visit at the office Wednesday morning. Both, as it turns out, are named Charlie.

Their view of Cagle’s cartoon was that it sided with those opposed to allowing Obama’s speech to be viewed in the schools, and that it took an insulting slap at the president and misrepresented his beliefs.

After explaining my take on the cartoon to both men, the conversations took on a much more relaxed tone. But I decided to e-mail the cartoonist to find out for sure just what message he was trying to send.

Cagle was kind enough to respond with the following note.

“I'm being sarcastic. I think the conservative complaints and fears about Obama's speech were silly, so I drew it up to look silly. I also drew it to look like my friend, Jeff Keane, who draws the Family Circus and is an Orange County Republican.”

But he also said he wasn’t surprised that readers of different political beliefs might get something different from the cartoon.

So I hope that solves the mystery of the cartoon. I suppose the matter is now all settled.

Well, not quite.

I still owe Charlie and Charlie a big thank you.

I admit it was nice in a small way to know I had guessed correctly on the cartoonist’s message.

But my real pleasure came as a result of being able talk with two of our readers who cared enough about the state of this nation – and the state of this newspaper – to step forward and speak their minds in a serious yet constructive manner.

Boy, we sure could use a lot more of that constructive conversation in this country ... and a lot more Charlies, too.

Thanks a lot, gentlemen.

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