Cartoonists With Attitude, a group of professional cartoonists whose work is focused on social and political issues, held a discussion Saturday at Borders bookstore in downtown D.C.
Mikhaela Reid, who draws the cartoon “The Boiling Point,” doesn’t think her strip is being read at the White House, but, well, that’s OK. “It’s not like President Bush will sit down, read these and change his stupid policies, but it does matter,” Reid said. “Minimum Security” cartoonist Stephanie McMillan agreed: “The whole point of why we do this is to go for the throat.”
Most cartoonists seemed to relish making fun of President Bush, but they’d still like to turn their attention elsewhere. “I am tired of writing about Bush,” said Ruben Bolling, who draws “Tom the Dancing Bug.” “It is time for someone else. … The same issues keep coming up.”
Ted Rall, who is an editorial cartoonist for Universal Press Syndicate, seemed nostalgic for yesteryear. “I miss Clinton; not because of Monica, but because of higher-concept issues.”
When asked how cartoonists supplement their artistic income, Rall joked (we hope), “Prostitution.”
