Chris Christie for Governzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Boy, NO ONE saw this coming!

Here's the sketch:

New cartoon for Editor & Publisher

Here's my latest cartoon, and the first of a new weekly gig doing media-related cartoons for Editor & Publisher called "Tornoe's Corner."

So bookmark their E&P Pub blog, and check back every Thursday for a new cartoon.

New Japanese 'Watchmen' Trailer

The Corzine Economic Recovery Plan of 2009

Here's today's cartoon for PolitickerNJ.com. To comment, click here.

Cardinals Quarterback Draws From Divine Inspiration

Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, fresh from the playoff victory over the Atlanta Falcons, sat down for a new documentary called ‘God in the Box’ to draw his version of God.

“So, I was drawing a picture of God, but it came out more like Jesus,” Warner said of his sketch. “So why don’t we stick with that being Jesus.”

If this guy becomes half as good at drawing as he is at throwing the football, artists beware.

RIP Roy Carless: 1920 - 2009

Bill Richardson resigned, but what about Hillary?

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn his name from consideration as commerce secretary for President-elect Barack Obama, citing an ongoing investigation into possible pay-to-play corruption in the awarding of a state contract to a company that contributed to Richardson.

So is Hillary going to be next to resign?

After all, she's involved in her own mini-scandal involving a developer in New York donating $100,000 to former President Bill Clinton's foundation in November 2004, around the same time that Hillary helped secure millions of dollars in federal assistance for the businessman's mall project.

So much for No-drama Obama.

PolitickerNJ.com's Year in Review

PolitickerNJ.com released their always excellent Year in Review of New Jersey politics, and featured several of my cartoons throughout the round-up.

If you're a fan on New Jersey politics, check it out here.

Best of 2008 - National Cartoons

Everybody is releasing their "Best of 2008" lists, so I figured it was about time to post what I thought were a selection of my best national cartoons from 2008.

I'll post a separate list of my favorite New Jersey cartoons from 2008 soon.


While working for Politicker.com, I had the opportunity to "live-cartoon" election day, filing quick cartoons all day from Dixville Notch to Obama's victory speech.

You can check out the rest of the cartoons here.

I was always a fan of Tim Russert. I would love to say it was for his honesty and straight-forward earnestness, but it was his love of the Buffalo Bills and his desire for them to "squish the fish" that allowed me to first relate to him.

Did this cartoon on a Monday, and on Friday I was laid-off. I'm still waiting for my career as a psychic to take off. Call me Dionne Warwick!

Happy New Year Delaware!

I have to admit, I'm going to miss drawing Ruth Ann Minner.

Merry Christmas

Here's one panel from my New Jersey "Christmas Card" now posted over at PolitickerNJ.com. Go check it out.

The rest of the week, I'll be celebrating Christmas with not one, but two families, so I won't be posting anything else until Monday.

Have a great holiday, and I'll see you when I see you.

Go Check It Out: Richard Crowson's Christmas Cards

The Little Weekly Newspaper That Could

The New York Times has a cool story today about the TriCityNews, a weekly newspaper out of Monmouth County, N.J. Apparently, the newspaper and it's staff of 3.5 employees are prospering because they aggressively IGNORE the Web.

Their website is very minimal, mostly a little text about the paper's mission and ad rates, but nothing more (check it out here).

Dan Jacobson, the publisher and owner of the TriCityNews, explained to the New York Times why:

"I don’t understand how putting content on the Web would do anything but help destroy our paper. Why should we give our readers any incentive whatsoever to not look at our content along with our advertisements, a large number of which are beautiful and cheap full-page ads?”

New Jersey Cartoon: The Ghost of Chris Christie's Past

Chris Christie, the former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, is continuing his "let's wait and see" approach about running against Jon Corzine for Governor in 2009.

Despite having little experience as a criminal prosecutor when George W. Bush appointed him in 2002, Christie has been a political corruption buster, amassing 130 political corruption convictions without a single acquittal.

But, in the last year, he received a blemish on his record when he handed his one-time boss, former U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft, a contract worth between $27 million and $52 million to monitor a medical device company for 18 months. Democrats challenged the no-bid deal, which lead to new Justice Department guidelines on how federal monitors are selected.

Will it come back and bite him? Who knows. We'll see if Steve Lonegan puts together a commercial with money changing hands, as Ashcroft sings in the background, "Let the eagles soar..."

Go Check It Out: The Last 8 Years

Artwork by David Horsey, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

H/T - Juan Melli

Oh That Evil Rex Babin

Like many cartoonists after the now-famous shoe throwing incident, Sacramento Bee cartoonist Rex Babin decided to weigh in on the situation, suggesting to President Bush that he shouldn't "let the shoe hit him on the way out."

John in Carolina, who's blog title suggests that he's "a history buff who's skeptical of much that mainstream media tells us," was upset enough at the cartoon to call Rex to "learn why an American cartoonist would pen something he had to know would be popular with our country’s enemies and encourage those who seek to attack our President."

According to John, Babin responded to the criticism by saying the shoe-throwing assault on President Bush was justified because Bush has killed so many Iraqis.

“I don’t actually want Bush to take a bullet,” Babin told the caller. “[But] Bush is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. What should he expect?”

After the cartoon and Banin's comments were posted on the blog McClatchy Watch (suspiciously similar in look and tone to Jim Hopkin's Gannett Blog, right down to the blogger template), one Anonymous poster had an interesting thought:

"Rex made a mistake. he should of put Melanie Sill's (the current Sacramento Bee editor) picture in the cartoon rather than the President's. As a former Bee subscriber, I have watched the Bee self-destruct."

You're probably thinking, "Okay, interesting thought about commenting on the perceived decline of the Sacramento Bee by one if its readers."
Well, Anonymous continued:

"Conservative readers have dropped it in droves. Young liberals don't read, and thus can't pick up the slack. The new web site is not user friendly, and seems designed to keep conservative criticism at a minimum. The Bee is sinking. It's the editorial board first, women and children last."

The comments on the Sacramento Bee's website were even funnier:

Speakup, suggesting that Babin is abusing his first amendment rights by criticizing Bush, who is a Christian:

"And for Rex Babin's 1st amendment rights he can thank our very Christian, very conservative and very self sacrificing Founding Fathers."

He also had a gem about what he thought of "progressive" voters:

"Progressives are fascist Nazis."

Rmdsacto, out of all the commenters, hits the nail on the head:

"These people worship you Rex. That is your audience. Time for a reality check"

Rex Babin's cartoons for the Sacramento Bee can be viewed here.

Go Check It Out: The Stereotypical American By Daryl Cagle

Interview in Editor & Publisher

In the newest issue of Editor & Publisher, America's oldest journal covering the newspaper industry, they interviewed me for a story about the current plight faced by all editorial cartoonists.

How did you deal with your own layoff from Politicker?

I feel fine with it. From the start, I knew we were trying something new, and that I'd be the first and only staff cartoonist in the country to work exclusively online. Of course, I was hopeful that it would've lasted longer than it did, but the economy tanked, and they had to reduce.

Everyone at Politicker and The New York Observer have been great, and it's good to know that they value my cartoons enough to keep me on as a freelancer. It was a great opportunity, and gave me tremendous exposure, so I have no complaints.

Read the rest of the interview here.

Advice To Survive A Recession

Sometimes, this is all you can do.

Zuma Sues South Africa Cartoonist

A cartoon by South African cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro continues to cause controversy 3 months after it was first published. South Africa's ruling party leader Jacob Zuma is suing a cartoonist for $712,300 (£464,200) for damage to his reputation and damage to his dignity, the BBC reports.

The image depicts Zuma, complete with Shapiro's trademark shower-head, unbuckling his belt as he prepares to rape the figurative Lady Justice.

She is held down by Zuma allies Julius Malema, Gwede Mantashe, Blade Nzimande and Zwelinzima Vavi.

Mantashe encourages Zuma, saying, “Go for it, boss!”

"Even in places where I've been found not guilty, he continues to find me guilty. He can't be right. He's totally out of order," Zuma told South Africa's Talk Radio 702.

But Mr Shapiro called up the radio station to defend himselfand his cartoon, claiming Mr Zuma was paying "lip-service to freedom of expression".

"I am a columnist, a visual columnist. I comment on what you do and what you say. And you are a public figure. You are the one with the power, not me," he said.

"And you just turn it on its head and act the victim," he said.

Sunday Times editor Mondli Makhanya said the newspaper had not been served with Zuma’s demands, but would defend itself and Shapiro in court.

“We believe the cartoon reflected the opinion at the time that the judiciary was under attack,” said Makhanya.