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American University

July 13, 2007

July 13, 2007 by Graeme MacKay

Washington DC Convention 2007

Every year editorial cartoonists get together in the United States to celebrate, commiserate, or just totally avoid talking about the business of our craft. When I tell people about these conventions they often wonder out loud what we could possibly fill the hours talking about — ink brands? cross hatching? pen nibs? Invariably, the jokes turn to how a “cartoonist convention” is an eloquent way of referring to an elaborate drunken piss-up amongst doodlers. Yes, much alcohol is consumed, but no more than what would be downed at your average conference of journalists, accountants, or funeral directors. Everybody needs to blow off steam once in a while.

Perhaps the only photo of Sydicators Cagle and Mayes
Perhaps the only photo of Sydicators Cagle and Mayes
Opinion man Mark Shields addresses the crowd
Opinion man Mark Shields addresses the crowd
Cullum Rogers, Sue Dewar, and father-in-law Jack Silcott at the Canadian Embassy
Cullum Rogers, Sue Dewar, and father-in-law Jack Silcott at the Canadian Embassy
The great Roy Peterson
The great Roy Peterson
My fish on display at the Katzen Center
My fish on display at the Katzen Center
Musical time in the Hospitality suite
Musical time in the Hospitality suite
More musical time in the Hospitality suite
More musical time in the Hospitality suite
Congressman Dennis Kucinich "Impeach Rob Rogers!"
Congressman Dennis Kucinich “Impeach Rob Rogers!”
Michael deAdder exhausted at the Mayflower Hotel
Michael deAdder exhausted at the Mayflower Hotel
Ambassador Wilson with yours truly
Ambassador Wilson with yours truly

This year the Convention Itinerary was packed with all kinds of subjects which go beyond ink brands, cross-hatching and pen nibs. The position of on-staff editorial cartoonist is in decline, with one in our ranks suggesting that only 80 salaried cartoonists remain employed in the U.S. todaycompared with 2000 a century ago. Editorial Cartoonists in the U.S. are very concerned with their impending extinction, and at this year’s gathering they held townhall style meetings at the start and end to come up with solutions. Some cartoonists are figuring that in order to stay in the business of political satire they need to animate or go the way of the dodo.

Other topics included blogging, politics, cartooning on war, Dennis Kucinich, and cartoonist rights. 

One of the really cool things I was able to do while visiting D.C. over the Fourth of July holiday was attend a dinner reception on the rooftop of the Canadian Embassy. Editorial Cartoonists were invited to dine on huge shrimp and caribou meat while rubbing shoulders with diplomats, commissioners, and other big wigs.

Andrea Mitchell, Jack Silcott, Alan Greenspan – Canadian Embassy, Washington DC, July 1, 2007.

I took my father inlaw to the event — that’s him, in the photo to left, nestled between former ABC News White House correspondent Andrea Mitchell and her husband Alan Greenspan, former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman.

On the right is a photo of me with Arnold Roth, whose book Arnold’s Crazy Book of Science served as a huge inspiration for me to draw when I was a kid. 

Arnold Roth and Graeme MacKay, AAEC 2007, Washington DC

One of my cartoons (shown at the end of the centre wall – see in the above gallery of pics) was part of a show at The Katzen Arts Center at American University. The title of the exhibit, Bush Leaguers: Cartoonists Take on the White House is a collection of 99 editorial cartoons and is slated to appear in Pittsburgh and then Columbus, Ohio.

Posted in: Cartooning Tagged: aaec, acec, Alan Greenspan, American University, Andrea Mitchell, Arnold Roth, commentary, convention editorial cartooning, editorial cartoonists, Jack Silcott, Katzen Arts Center, Malcolm Mayes, Michael Wilson, Washington D.C

Please note…

This website contains satirical commentaries of current events going back several decades. Some readers may not share this sense of humour nor the opinions expressed by the artist. To understand editorial cartoons it is important to understand their effectiveness as a counterweight to power. It is presumed readers approach satire with a broad minded foundation and healthy knowledge of objective facts of the subjects depicted.

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