The latest in this series happened so quickly I wasn’t able to get much of the conversation down before these three wrapped up their meal and went their separate ways.

(more…)

From the Lincoln Journal Star’s Thursday letters to the editor:

I am a proud American. I fought for my country in World War II. Franklin D. Roosevelt was like a father to me.

I have always stood at attention with my right hand over my heart when I faced our Stars and Stripes. We all should feel that anyone who doesn’t show love and respect for our flag is not a true American.

If we are true Americans, we will vote for those who were born to mothers and fathers who were both Americans.

How can true Americans back a person whose father is a Muslim and who has a Muslim name, Barack Obama? How many Americans have lost loved ones killed by Muslims?

Donald W. Hunt, Lincoln

from the San Diego Reader

Man, am I late on this ride.

Apparently there’s a new blog, Bad Cartoonist, that rips many of today’s professional cartoonists to shreds, and it’s (obviously) causing all kinds of outrage.

From yesterday’s entry:

Today is your lucky day. I am going to teach you the secrets that have kept political cartoonists in their high and loft positions for decades while you, with infinitely more wisdom and political insight, are doomed to life your life without the prestige, wealth and hot trophy wives that we cartoonists have.

Lesson one: The scrambled egg.

Not a creative person? Can’t think up any new ideas? Don’t worry that never held Jeff Koterba back! Here’s how you too can make a cartoon out of nothing.

In spite of that Jeff Koterba dig, I assure you, Loyal Reader — I am not The Bad Cartoonist.

Alan Gardner at the Daily Cartoonist has an interview with the anonymous author, and the comments on the post feature appearances by some well-known editorial cartoonists. Some admire the blog … others like Jeff Darcy threaten lawsuits.

I’ve never been anonymous in my criticisms of other cartoonists, but nobody really knows who I am, so to be fair to my irrelevance, “Neal Obermeyer” is pretty much “anonymous” to a vast majority of everyone on earth. Reading those comments, I can understand why he or she stayed anonymous - victims of criticism are desperate for anything to use as an ad hominem dismissal of their critics. One would think editorial cartoonists would be more aware of that.

Check out both the blog and discussion for some good fun. As Mike Lester said, “Criticism of Critics? Mad and brilliant.”

from the Omaha Reader

from the Lincoln Journal Star

from the San Diego Reader

from the Omaha Reader

from the Lincoln Journal Star

from the San Diego Reader