Best of 2007

I can't believe that tomorrow will be 2008! It seems like this year has gone by so fast. Again, my thanks has to go to New Jersey, for providing me with such great content, that it's hard for a cartoonist to go wrong!

This is my second year as a professional cartoonist, and a lot has happened on that front in 2007. I began doing cartoons for PoliticsNJ, a great local site on New Jersey politics. Who would've guessed that a couple months later they'd be changing their name to PolitickerNJ and expanding into 6 new states, with more to come in 2008.

It's been difficult sometimes to come up with ideas for states clear across the country, but Ive found that much like New Jersey, each state has it's own particular interests and political environment.

Here are some of the best of my Non-New Jersey Politicker toons so far:

Thanks to everyone that's been keeping up with my cartoons, and have a Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year New Jersey

Here's the sketch:

Yeah! We can watch the Patriots kill the Giants!!!

God I hate the Patriots!!! You don't know how hard it was to draw someone in a Tom Brady jersey for today's cartoon over at PolitickerVT, but I'm a professional so I do what I must. It's too bad the Bills weren't able to upend the Giants, so they would have something to play for against the 15-0 New Englanders. I'm with Don Shula...let's not let them go 19-0!!!!

And here's the sketch:



Patriots' game will be available on network TV
Vermont Public Radio

I hate Tom Brady
Behind the Dugout

Is School Consolidation the way to go?

Well, Christmas is over, and we're back up and running at the Politicker. Here's today's cartoon for PolitickerME, where their School Consolidation Plan is just a big, stinkin' mess!

And here's the sketch:

Appologies to Bill Watterson

During the campaign for his senate seat, Jeff Van Drew had to no-deny deny allegations that he was interested in running against Frank LoBiondo in 2008. Now, the closer and closer we creep to the beginning of the new year, the more those questions seem to be raised by politicos in the southern part of New Jersey.

Here's another cartoon I did for PolitickerNJ on the same subject:

I for one am hoping he doesn't decide to run, because Wheelan and Van Drew together are like South Jersey's version of Calvin & Hobbies, and I want to milk it for all it's worth :)

PolitickerNJ Year in Review 2007

And we're back!!!!! Sorry for the long hiatus, but I took some time off to visit family and enjoy Christmas, and now I'm back with a link to PolitickerNJ's The Year in Review 2007, their annual lists of Winners & Losers of the Year, Politician of the Year, Best & Worst Campaigns, Best Operatives, People to Watch, and much more. They even designate the Rudest Person Alive!

You have to sign up for their Morning Wake-up Call service to download the pdf, but it's well worth it, and features some cartoons from you-know-who.

The Environmental Pissing Agency

Here's today's cartoon over at PolitickerVT.

The Environmental Protection Agency has said no to California's bid for first-in-the-nation greenhouse gas limits on cars, trucks and SUVs. This is a blow to the face of California, Vermont, and 15 other states seeking stricter car regulations in order to reach anti-pollution goals.

What happened to all these Republicans being for 'states rights'? Thanks Bush!

Vermont will challenge EPA on auto emissions rules
Vermont Public Radio

Bush Backs EPA's Refusal To Let CA Pass Emission Law
Huffington Post

Vermont Governor: EPA Emissions Ruling Misguided
NPR

How Baldacci Stole Christmas

Here's today's cartoon over at PolitickerMD.

And here are a couple fo links as to why Baldacci is such a Grinch:

Eyeing budget shortfall, governor orders $38 million in cuts
Boston Globe

Why won't Obama and Edwards appear on Fox?

A friend of mine just forwarded me this video on YouTube. It's amazing. I wonder why Edwards and Obama won't appear on Fox Noise?

Gordon Smith to Trent Lott: Can I have a job?

Here's a bonus toon this week for PolitickerOR.



Whatever. This would be fine, except that in 2002, he said Trent Lott’s comments were deeply offensive and that he did the right thing by stepping down. Whoops!

Here's what Steve Novick spokesman Jake Weigler told PolitickerOR:

"Smith's refusal to express regrets for his role in rehabilitating Trent Lott's image just in time for Lott to jump through the revolving door to become a lobbyist should surprise no one.”

Gordon Smith Defends Lott's Segregationist Comments
Huffington Post

Smith in hot water for comments on Lott
PolitickerOR

Why do we fall down? To pick ourselves back up

There is a trailer out now for the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, coming to theatres next summer. As much as I love Batman, Batman Begins failed in so many ways, that it just pales in comparison to the Animated Series.

So watching this new trailer, there are things I liked, and things I didn't like. But here's a quick list of things that I hope are nowhere to be seen in The Dark Knight:

1. Batman driving the Batmobile on rooftops in Gotham. Can't he keep a bit of a lower profile?

2. Alfred asking, "Why do we fall down?" I get it Alfred. Your wise beyond your position. Here's a hint: Quit your job and go write some books or something.

3. Let's work a bit harder on the dialogue this time around, so Batman isn't reduced to explaining the plot to the audience in a silly voice.

4. More Gary Oldman. Why not do a movie based on Frank Miller's year one? (when Frank could still write)

5. Maybe Rutger Hauer could come back as an android and, oh wait...I'm thinking of a much better movie.

I hope this new movie is good. But if I don't like it, I'm sure my friends will claim it's because it's not in black & white.

Governor-in-Chief

Here's a bonus toon for the launch this week at PolitickerCO.com.

"They are under my command essentially. It is extremely helpful to me to see this on the ground."

That's Governor Ritter talking about Colorado troops in Iraq. for the record, the troops are not under the command of any Governor. If that were the case then the 29 Democratic governors could have ordered their state’s troops home a long time ago and ended the war.

The Governor’s of the various states command nothing, essentially, with all due respect to Commander Ritter. And Democrats need to learn that they can’t be for the war and against it at the same time.

And that's why he brings back thoughts of this guy:

Ritter Takes Command in Iraq
PolitickerCO

Do as I say, not as I do...or would like to do

Oh, those lovable republicans, saying one thing and doing another. We always hear them railing against democrats for "legislating from the bench," so I guess they figure it's their turn.

Check out my toon at PolitickerMD.com.

GOP legislators sue to invalidate special session
Baltimore Sun

Who's eating Tapioca in the New Jersey Senate?

Here's today's cartoon over at PolitickerNJ.

Oh, those feisty Republicans are ready to take over in Trenton. Check out this quote from Kevin O’Toole, one of the nine freshmen senators in the Senate Republican caucus:

"The sleepy little place where they had oxygen and tapioca sent to the Senate caucus, that's not going to happen anymore,"

O'Toole must be right, because he agrees with us
PolitickerNJ

Corzine welcomes GOP's new blood
Star-Ledger

Tiiiiimmmmbbbeeeeerrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

What are the republicans in the senate doing now to screw the good people of Oregon? Find out now only at PolitickerOR.com.

Senate drops timber payments from energy bill
KMTR

Jared Polis: Human Target

Welcome the newest member to the Politicker family, PolitickerCO.com.

Above is a link to my first cartoon there. Jared Polis has made a couple of political missteps lately.

First, he introduces a new ad campaign ripping defense contractors and “war profiteers” for prolonging the Iraq War in the name of corporate greed. It might be an effective commercial, except that his congressional campaign admitted on the day it was released that Polis has invested in at least two companies targeted in the ad:



Also in the ad, we clearly see him in Iraq. But he claimed that his trip to Iraq wasn't a publicity stunt, and that in fact is was a United Way trip?

Polis portfolio contains two companies he's attacked
Rocky Mountain News

Sir, let me repeat these same old questions...

The Maple Curtain

What's going on with Verizon trying to leave Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont?

Go find out now at PolitickerNV.com.

Free at Last?
PolitickerME

Does the GOP know where Nevada is?

What's that elephant doing to the great state of Nevada?

Go find out now at PolitickerNV.com.

O'Malley won't like this

Here is a link to today's cartoon over at PolitickerMD.

And here's the sketch:



O'Malley and Franchot battle over slots
PolitickerMD

Corzine gets a payback from Rutgers

It's Wednesday, so that means a new cartoon over at PolitickerNJ.

This story just caught my attention the minute I read it. I can't say it any better than Wally did over at PolitickerNJ:

Governor Jon Corzine is already getting a return on his investment. He announced this week that he would contribute $1 million to Rutgers University as part of his decision to help raise money to privately finance a stadium expansion. Now Rutgers has announced that they have hired Jeannine LaRue, Corzine’s Deputy Chief of Staff, for a new position to advise Rutgers on government relations at an annual salary of $250,000 – about double what she was making in the Governor’s office.

I seems to me that Corzine's biggest enemy sometimes is his own checkbook.

Here's the sketch:



Here are some links:

You can't make this stuff up
PolitickerNJ

Carroll objects to Rutgers' $250k lobbyist
PolitickerNJ

And just for fun, when I went googling for Rutgers reference pics, this is what I found:



"Log off, that "cookies" shit makes me nervous!"

Playoffs?!??!! Playoffs??!?!

The best of the Coors Light commercials.

The look on the black guy's face is absolutely hilarious!!!!!

Tom Kean Jr. = Mirror World Spock?

I report...you decide.

Future budget crisis insurance enclosed

Here is a link to today's cartoon over at PolitickerOR.

Education in Orgeon is underfunded because the state has absolutely no savings or rainy day fund for when the economy goes sour. Oregonians love getting money back from the government in the form of a kicker check, but they also cry foul that our schools are falling apart because we don't fund education from property taxes - they get their money from the general fund.

Since the kicker checks went out there have been numerous ads and columns on how and where you can donate your kicker money to the community. Here's a quote from a press release from the Oregon Center for Public Policy:

Oregon is the only state in the country with a law that automatically "kicks back" revenue to taxpayers when it exceeds the state's forecast for the two-year budget period by 2 percent or more. This year's kicker refund -- the largest ever at about $1.1 billion and 18.6 percent of taxpayers' 2006 liability -- is being sent out between now and December 15.

Here's the sketch:



Kicker sends message: “We don’t have the political will”
Oregon Center for Public Policy

Ron Paul hearts Paul Pope

So this post mixes comics and politics. The internet's favorite candidate, Ron Paul, spoke to ComicMix about his favorite superhero, and the answer may surprise you (if the fact that he had a favorite super hero did not):

"My favorite comic book superhero is Baruch Wane, otherwise known as Batman, in The Batman Chronicles. "The Berlin Batman," #11 in the series by Paul Pope, details Batman's attempts to rescue the confiscated works of persecuted Austrian economist, Ludwig von Mises, from Nazi Party hands.

“Batman's assistant Robin writes in the memoirs, "[Mises] was an advocate of individual liberty, free speech, and free thinking... and so, should I add, the Berlin Batman. Batman, a Jew in hiding in Nazi Austria, was willing to risk his life for the sake of the promulgation of freedom, and I find this to be super-heroic."

Hat tip to: The Beat