Substack edition 6 – Saturday December 14, 2024

From Autocrats to Yo-Yo Salesmen

As the week unfolded, it delivered a wealth of events ripe for satire. From Bashar al-Assad’s decline to the lighthearted escapades of a young Doug Ford, each day brought fresh opportunities to highlight the peculiarities of the political landscape. Notably, for the first time in five weeks, two cartoons had nothing to do with Trump!

The biggest challenge for editorial cartoonists is choosing the issue that will resonate most with readers across a broad audience. Each of the five topics I covered this week could have easily expanded into several more cartoons for deeper exploration. But alas, this is the eternal dilemma of editorial cartooning: so much to say, so little space to say it!

Here’s a look back at this week’s editorial cartoons, which aimed to capture the spirit of the times with a thoughtful mix of humour and critique.

Tuesday: Inconvenient Tyrant Topplings

The week began with a seismic geopolitical shift: the fall of Bashar al-Assad. After years of brutal and oppressive rule, the collapse of his regime felt like a long-overdue breath of fresh air. In my cartoon, I depicted Trump, seemingly oblivious to the chaos unfolding, grumbling about its implications while casually polishing his golf clubs. The stark contrast between his indifference and the significance of this moment was both striking and darkly amusing—a reminder that while some leaders are distracted by their own interests, the world continues to evolve, often without them.

This was not an event most foresaw, and certainly not Donald Trump, who remains firmly committed to a historic brand of isolationism. His interest in Syria, or its future, has always been negligible, particularly given its lack of appeal for his business ventures or branding opportunities. For Trump, Syria is just another part of the world offering no value to his personal priorities.

Despite years of effort by allied forces to temper Assad’s oppression and contain terrorism, Trump’s preference has been to pull back, leaving the fate of this devastated country to opportunistic outside actors—both major powers and smaller players—who rarely have the Syrian people’s best interests at heart. The vacuum left behind signals a retreat from the usual U.S. role as a stabilizing force, and it’s a sobering reflection of what happens when self-interest trumps leadership on the world stage.

 

Wednesday: Have Yourself a Merry Bitter Christmas

Midweek brought a familiar holiday vibe, but it also saw the government’s lackluster attempt to address the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. My cartoon took inspiration from the holiday classic film, Elf, drawing parallels to Buddy’s “throne of lies” and the government’s GST/HST rebate—a gesture as flimsy as it is tokenistic. A mere $250, if and when it arrives, offers little relief to struggling Canadians and does even less to address the root causes of the crisis.

While political leaders squabbled over who’s to blame, the sheer absurdity of the situation felt ripe for satire. It’s hard to ignore the deeper crisis cresting in the background: a government scrambling to feed its ballooning deficit and a looming wave of tariff chaos that threatens to further destabilize the Canadian economy. With the Fall Economic Statement set to drop next week, we’re likely to see just how deep in the red Canada truly is.

Perhaps that explains why Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland seems on the verge of tears as she wraps up her “generous” $250 rebate—an amount that barely scratches the surface of Canadians’ financial struggles—while her boss, Justin Trudeau, optimistically hums Happy Days Are Here Again.

The foolishness on display this week will undoubtedly factor into my satire in the days ahead, as the disconnect between political spin and economic reality grows ever more glaring.

 

Thursday: Trump’s Wheel of Torment

With Trump relentlessly slinging insults, I drew a cartoon spotlighting his latest jab at Justin Trudeau, cheekily dubbing him the “Governor of the Great State of Canada.” The piece aimed to capture the absurdity of Trump’s broad range of targets, while reassuring Trudeau that he’s far from alone on the incoming President’s ever-growing “frenemies” list.

This cartoon proved to be my most popular of the week, earning plenty of likes and shares. Its resonance extended well beyond Canada’s borders—particularly among those who, while not necessarily fans of Trudeau himself, were still outraged at Trump’s casual dismissal of Canada as a sovereign nation. The idea that Canadians would relish becoming America’s 51st state struck a nerve, underscoring Trump’s tendency to mix personal digs with national insults.

The cartoon deliberately shows only half of the “Wheel of Torment”—a visual nod to the seemingly endless list of individuals, institutions, and nations that have faced Trump’s ire. From women and the disabled, to political figures like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, from The New York Times to the city of Detroit, and from entire nations like Puerto Rico to Ukraine, Trump’s insults know no bounds.

As the prospect of Trump 3.0 looms ever closer, the cartoon serves as more than a commentary on Trudeau’s vulnerability; it highlights a far bigger issue: the troubling rise of nepotism, cronyism, and the erosion of political norms that seem to be infiltrating democracies worldwide.

If anyone thinks the perils of Trump will last for just four more years, it might be time to think again. Adding to the concern: Donald Trump Jr. appears poised to wield even greater influence in the coming years. His growing prominence signals that the Trump legacy—and its reach—won’t be fading anytime soon. Rest assured, I plan to include him in my upcoming satire.

 

Friday: Oh Woe is They, Canada Post and the Posties

The week took an unexpected turn as Canada Post workers continued in their Grinch-like ways, striking right in the heart of the busy holiday season. If there were ever a time to disrupt a service that has teetered on the edge of irrelevance—outside of its necessity for seniors and certain businesses—it would be this brief stretch of the year. It’s a time when Canadians rely on the mail to spread joy through Christmas cards and when charities use it to deliver hope to those in need.

In my cartoon, I sought to highlight the irony of a government caught between supporting its unions and propping up a business model that feels increasingly out of step with modern realities. As private courier services swiftly stepped in to fill the void, it underscored a generational shift: while postal workers cling to outdated practices, Canadians are already making their preferences known. The message is clear—adapt to the times or risk slipping further into irrelevance.

At the time of this post, the government has stepped in, opting to force postal workers back to the job. Yet with just ten days left until Christmas, this intervention feels far too little, far too late. The damage has already been done, and the seasonal backlog will likely see Christmas cards trickling into mailboxes well into January—or even February.

So, as we brace for festive wishes to arrive long past their due date, perhaps we should all get ahead of the curve and send a bonus greeting: Happy Valentine’s Day, Canada Post!

Saturday – Young Doug Ford vs. the 1970’s Yoyo salesman

To conclude the week, the latest installment of my *Young Doug Ford* series featured a nostalgic look at playground salesmanship. Young Doug encounters a yo-yo-slinging Trump, reflecting Ford’s recent threats to cut energy exports. This playful interaction mirrored the dynamics of childhood power struggles, reminding us that the essence of competition often persists into adulthood. It may need some explanation. Here’s a reminder that with every day I draw a cartoon I follow up with a Substack note to show the cartoon’s making-of process and little bit of added context.

This week’s cartoons reflect the complexities of our political landscape and the oddities that often go unnoticed. From the fall of dictators to lighthearted playground antics, these narratives weave together a tapestry of humour and critique.