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2024 Cartoonist Convention

October 6, 2024 by Graeme MacKay

Montreal recently hosted a dynamic convention that brought together cartoonists, scholars, and enthusiasts, and I was fortunate enough to attend. For a profession full of hired cynics, these gatherings have a way of inspiring and energizing even the most jaded minds. The atmosphere of shared experiences and creative exchange can be a rare boost for those of us who often take a critical lens to the world. It was a joint convention of the American Association of Editorial Cartooning and the Association for Canadian Cartooning.

One of the first opening acts of the gathering was to pay tribute to two dearly departed colleagues and loving friends, Pascal Elie of Montreal, QC, and Ed Hall of Jacksonville, Florida.

Christian Vachon, the head curator of the McCord Museum, opened the sessions with an insightful talk on the origins of Uncle Sam, drawing from a range of historical sources preserved in the museum’s archives. When an American attendee inquired about Uncle Sam’s inspiration, Christian responded with impressive scholarly depth. The figure dates back to the War of 1812, when Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, supplied beef to the U.S. Army. The barrels were stamped “U.S.” for “United States,” but soldiers jokingly called them “Uncle Sam’s.” This playful nickname evolved into the iconic symbol of American patriotism and government, especially in times of conflict and national unity.

Repurposing the Great Wave off Kanagawa (with apologies to Katsushika Hokusai)

Next up was yours truly. For those familiar with my work, you’ll know the twists and turns my March 11, 2020, editorial cartoon has taken over the years. This was finally a chance to present that journey to a room of like-minded professionals, many of whom know all too well the precarious fate of their intellectual property. We willingly release our creations into the chaotic, unregulated world of the Internet, where viral success often means a higher risk of being misappropriated by pirates and bad actors, who chop up and repurpose our work into unethical memes and adaptations. — The presentation went way better than expected. It was a pleasure hearing feedback from respected colleagues who hadn’t known the full history behind my piece. Much laughter followed as we continued the conversations into the night at the local bars. Mike Peterson writes about it in the Daily Cartoonist.

Following me was Quebec’s superstar editorial cartoonist, Serge Chapeau of La Presse. At 77, he still produces five cartoons a week for Montreal readers. He told me it’s easier now compared to the earlier years when he was juggling his La Presse work with a weekly puppet show for Radio-Canada. That show, Ici LaFlaque, was a hit in the late ’90s and 2000s, running until the 2010s. During his presentation, Serge showcased some of his finest works, from his bold (errr stiff) portrayals of President Clinton to the current political spectacle involving Trump, Harris, and the U.S. presidential race.

Next on stage, under the panel titled “Warning: Graphic Content,” were two giants of U.S. editorial cartooning: Rob Rogers and Dwayne Booth, a.k.a. Mr. Fish. Rob, formerly with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was abruptly fired by new management for his satirical take on Trump. His presentation featured both his celebrated classics and the controversial cartoons that ultimately cost him his job. He was joined by Dwayne Booth, who moonlights as a professor at the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Pennsylvania. While teaching pays the bills, his razor-sharp satire regularly sparks controversy and even calls for his removal from academia.

The closer for the day was former Montrealer and now New York-based illustrator Barry Blitt, making a return to our joint convention of cartoonist associations. He last graced our event in 2012, dazzling us with a projection of his now-famous New Yorker magazine cover depicting the Obamas fist-bumping in the Oval Office. This time around, he treated us to an update on the comedic landscape of the U.S. presidency.

Michael de Adder and Wes Tyrell

After a packed afternoon of fantastic cartoon presentations, we headed to Montreal’s bars and restaurants. It was a joy catching up with familiar faces from Canada’s editorial cartooning scene—stalwarts who defy the passage of time and still manage to stay out late into the night, exchanging stories. Dependable as always were Wes Tyrell, Michael de Adder, Dale Cummings, Sue Dewar and her husband Don, along with Guy Badeaux (later joined by Sylvie,) keeping the conversation going into the early hours. And although he travelled all the way from New Zealand for the convention, Rod Emmerson—crowned an honourary Canuck with the Gable Award last year when some of us Canadians gathered in San Francisco—has become such a regular presence at these events that he’s more consistent than a few of our domestic colleagues who, for whatever reason, long ago stopped attending these wonderful, tax-deductible festivals of our craft. Their loss, I say!

A big shout-out to my close Ontario colleague, Gareth Lind from Guelph, who was my guide and inspiration in navigating Montreal using the city’s excellent bike hire system and bike paths. The monthly pass, at $22, saved me plenty of time and money—not to mention the feel-good factor of using a sustainable mode of transportation in a bustling North American city. I’ve known Gareth for his brilliant political cartoon strips from the alt-weeklies of Toronto in the 1990s, and I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the new graphic novel he’s been working on for years, which he’s now close to securing a publisher for.

Shout-outs also go to Scott Johnson, Brian Gable, Tony Jenkins, Andy Donato, and his wife Diane, who all did Ontario proud with their presence.

Jacques Goldstyn, aka Boris

Quebec also came through with a strong contingent of cartoonists and enthusiasts. The godfather of Canadian cartooning, Terry (Aislin) Mosher, was ever-present, complete with ring-kissing rituals. It was a real pleasure, though, to finally meet his colleague from The Gazette, Jacques Goldstyn, who works under the alias “Boris.” We shared a bite together during the lunch break between Friday’s panel sessions.

Jacques, known more for his children’s books than his satire, has a distinctly subversive edge to his cartoons. When he presented a particular drawing from his private collection on the Charlie Hebdo massacre, a few attendees passionate about free expression audibly expressed discomfort with the content. One even walked out in protest after questioning why he had shown it, while another later told me they regretted not holding their tongue. The irony wasn’t lost on others, who pointed out that the boundaries of free expression should be limitless—unless, of course, it affects the personal feelings of the very people who advocate for it. Mike Peterson writes about it, including the offending cartoon, in the Daily Cartoonist.

Marc Beaudet and Pierre Skilling

A shout-out to the always affable Marc Beaudet, whom I hadn’t seen since the Havana conference 10 years ago. He was the latest recipient of the Townsie Award in the French language category—more on that in a bit.

I was also happy to reconnect with Robert LaFontaine, whom I hadn’t seen in years since his days running the caricature festival in Val-David, Quebec, as well as Pierre Skilling, another wise figure from La Belle Province who made the trip down from Quebec City.

Lastly, I want to welcome newcomer Jeff McIntyre to the Canadian association. He has ambitious plans for an upcoming graphic novel, and it’s always encouraging to see fresh talent joining our ranks. Our craft is in desperate need of new blood, and I’m eager to see how his project develops.

My own marital quarrel cartoon sneaked in!

On the second day of our gathering, we were treated to presentations by the superheroes of cartoon history and archives, alongside a strong force of American talent that had made the trip to Montreal. As is often the case in niche fields of academia, those who delve deep into obscure areas of history are under-appreciated for their hard work. Sadly, that lack of recognition translates into less funding, poor preservation efforts, and limited awareness of essential democratic foundations like satire. This panel, hosted by Quebec historiography of art professor Dominic Hardy, was mostly women scholars—Marie Laurelliard, Audrey Sainte-Jean, Cristina Martinez, and Ann Trepannier—joined by U.S. archivist Jenny Robb from the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum. Together, they explored cartoons leading up to Confederation and the familiar gag of marital strife symbolizing the tension between English and French Canada. Notably, one of my own cartoons was included in the slides.

Marriage-a-la-merde

Their presentations also spotlighted early women printers and cartoonists like Raoul Barré and Albéric Bourgeois. A key discussion point was the challenge of preservation and digitization, with institutions struggling to set consistent standards. As someone who has donated physical copies of my cartoons, I can’t help but notice the lack of a universal approach to handling digital cartoons. While I wait for clarity on this, it’s evident that other archives seem ahead of the curve. At the end of the session, I took a moment to thank the academics for their under-appreciated work in preserving the craft. As the saying goes, those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I’d add to that: “Those who cannot discern truth in satire are destined to wander in the shadows of deception.” Increasingly, editors seem blind to satire’s importance, favouring cartoons that are “balanced” or non-controversial over the political and provocative. More reflection on the role of editorial cartoons in the past and the free expression they fostered is urgently needed.

DONATE to Cartoonists Rights

No AAEC convention is complete without acknowledging the vital work of NGOs that advocate for cartoonists facing repression. Cartoonists Rights (formerly Cartoonists Rights Network International) has partnered with the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation to highlight the challenges posed by state censorship, online abuse, and criminalization. Matt Wuerker and Pat Chappatte spoke about the Courage in Cartooning Awards, which were recently presented to Zunzi and Rachita Taneja. However, the focus was also on three other cartoonists in danger: Atena Farghadani of Iran, facing six years of imprisonment; Ashraf Omar of Egypt, arrested and reportedly subjected to violence and torture for his drawings; and Zehra Ömeroğlu, pursued on dubious obscenity charges in Turkey while studying in Germany. There is an urgent appeal to raise awareness and donations at cartoonistsrights.org/donate.

By Steve Brodner

We were then treated to slideshows from a few more renowned American cartoonists. Steve Brodner made a reappearance after last year’s workshop in San Francisco, where he challenged attendees’ long-held drawing habits. This year, he showcased his own brilliant work, including a recent masterpiece for The Washington Post, depicting 117 members of Congress running for re-election in 2024—all of whom supported the objection to counting Joe Biden’s electoral votes in 2020.

Jack Ohman & Joel Pett

Next was a great conversation between former editorial cartoonist Joel Pett, who once worked at the Lexington Herald, and outgoing AAEC president Jack Ohman. Sadly, Pett and Ohman were two of three Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonists who lost their jobs on the same day, victims of layoffs by their McClatchy publishing overlords. The third, Kevin Siers, did not attend this convention. Pett recalled how his editor worried about the potential protests that might arise from publishing inflammatory editorial cartoons, a sign of the growing unease in the industry.

Lalo Alcaraz – LA Olympics

The final presentation of the day came from Lalo Alcaraz, who flew in for an overnighter after attending a César Chávez celebration in the California mountains. Alcaraz, best known for his Latino-themed cartoon strip La Cucaracha, is an award-winning cartoonist, animator, and activist. He shared the exciting news of his recent hire as a staff cartoonist for CALO News LA—a rare feat in this century! His presence and story served as a fitting close to a remarkable day of presentations.

Clay Jones of Virginia never stops drawing, until it’s pub time

And with that, a packed schedule of fantastic presentations came to a close. The final reception was dedicated to honouring our own, and, as always, the Americans led the way in celebrating the craft. Dennis Draughon was awarded the prestigious Rex Babin Award for local cartooning. Under Wes Tyrell’s leadership, recognizing and celebrating individual cartoonists and the friends of our association has become a true passion. Free from the bureaucratic panels of journalists or the whims of city newspapers deciding who wins the National Newspaper Award or gets a shiny medal, the Townsie Award stands out. It recognizes those who truly deserve the spotlight, and this year, that honour went to the remarkable Sue Dewar.

The Gable Prize, awarded to non-Canadians, was humorously dubbed the “Honourary Canuck Award” by President Wes Tyrell. He once quipped that it goes to those “who love Canadians almost as much as Canadian cartoonists love themselves.” This year’s Gable went to Scott Burns, AAEC’s legal adviser and Parliamentarian, who shared the award with his sister Mary Ellen. Both have been tireless volunteers for conventions dating back years. A special Golden Gable Award was also presented to Christian Vachon from the McCord Museum, recognizing his significant contributions to cartoonists and the craft as a whole.

Family photo

With that, the 2024 convention wrapped up. Nearly 70 people attended in total, with another 30 or so joining as volunteers, spouses, partners, children, and guests, pushing the numbers to over 100. Despite the gloomy decline of newspapers, the art of editorial cartooning endures. While the next convention may seem a long way off, wherever it may be, it will happen—and rest assured, I’ll be there.

 

Here’s some of my reflections on past gatherings:

AAEC 2024, San Francisco, California

AAEC 2018, Sacramento, California

ACC 2016, Toronto, Ontario

ACC 2014, Havana, Cuba

ACEC 2010, Hamilton, Ontario

ACEC 2008, Banff, Alberta

AAEC 2007, Washington DC

Posted in: Cartooning Tagged: 2024-18, aaec, ACC, acec, cartoonists, editorial cartoonists, Montreal

2016 Cartoonist Convention

May 5, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

ACC2016Cartoonists from across Canada and the United States are gathering in Toronto for a weekend convention celebrating, obsessing, and worrying about the future of their craft. We’ve done this every two years in almost every major city in Canada, including my hosting in Hamilton. The last one in 2014 was our first foray outside the mainland when we touched down in Havana Cuba. While it’ll be tall order to top the palm trees and salsa dancing of Cuba, the charm and skills of Wes Tyrell, the event organizer, is sure to please all in attendance. Wes is depicted in the above drawing in the bottom right hand corner. He single handedly organized our Cuba visit, and now herds the people who’ll host cartoonists in the centre of the universe.

We cartoonists are a solitary breed, and while social media has kept many of us in close contact outside of these conferences, nothing quite matches the benefits and camaraderie that comes with these rare get-togethers. It’s impossible not to notice how our numbers have shrunk with every passing convention as colleagues lose their jobs, retire, or pass away. There will be those forecasting the death of the newspaper industry within the next 5 years, as has always been stated with every convention I’ve attended for the last 2 decades. Old faces will make appearances, new people will be introduced, the association will persevere, and after we wrap up we’ll all go home energized and optimistic about the work we do.

For a look at our schedule of events surf on by the website of the Association of Canadian Cartoonists.

ACC2016

Posted in: Cartooning Tagged: #ACC2016, acec, Association, Canadian, cartoonists, convention, editorial, Toronto

The Latest Social Media Donkey Award unveiled…

September 22, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

It has become very apparent in recent years how social media, particularly during election campaigns, has empowered the wing-nut body politic. It used to be kept at a certain level of decorum and higher standard in the days before the Internet when letters editors separated the readable public commentary from the rantings of idiots. Social media, many argue, has democratized free speech by giving everyone with the ability to type words on a keyboard or into a “smart” phone a voice. Problem is, the idiot voices on social media now overwhelm the sophisticated commentary making it next to impossible to find any worthy substance in it. It is a forum for throwing around opinions and insults, a place to promote bigotry and accusing people of racism (and every ism for that matter). Where the wild frontier of unregulated virtual freedom of expression gives amnesty to pirates of intellectual property. It has become by default, a zone for which polite engagement is automatically greeted by rude and boorish behaviour. Pssst, there’s a soft-spoken mantra in newsrooms when it comes to dealing with this sort of aggressive online agitator: Don’t engage with them. In the vastness of cyberspace, the warning is don’t feed the trolls.

CanadianTruthNews

Some of our chat

Some of our chat

Introducing James Stewart, not the famous Hollywood actor, but “Teflon Jim”, as he goes by on Facebook. I had an interesting encounter with him on Facebook today that I’d love to share with my readers. Bottom line is, Jim doesn’t think it’s wrong to download cartoons or any image from the Internet and slice and dice those images and repost them on his many Facebook pages for his adoring audiences. He claims he’s got the captains of Big Social Media backing him up on this copyright free-for-all. While he denies altering my image, he says he downloaded the cartoon in some state, refusing to remove it at my request, and adding that I should be grateful he’s giving me the exposure to his FB audiences. Yeah, shame not on him, but shame on me for asking to remove my vandalized intellectual property. In this case it’s the artist defending his work who’s the troll in Jimmy’s world.

His view of artists, I found, is not very glowing, particularly for a card carrying member of the Green Party. Here’s some of James’ messages to us regarding our work:

If you post something on Facebook, it becomes public domain. People can do with it as they please. Those are the rules, please learn them. And whether or not you get your “Panties in a Knot” over it, the situation will always be the same.

You should be proud if someone shares your stuff my friend. If they go further to download it and send it out as something special, you should be more proud.

Yet nobody is going to put up with your whining and complaining “Mine Mine Mine” on Facebook. Just a fact. Also the rules.

It turns out he’s had other run-ins with others who’ve stumbled on their own work modified on his page:

I got the same crap over the artist who made this photo for a group he was in. Excellent Photo and very relevant to my group. This I did alter, taking his group name out of it, and it has been the front photo on my most popular video.

He demanded I quit using it, and even complained to Facebook after I told him to shove it! They sided with me, and I am glad: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201925658244310&set=o.202199749840008&type=1&theater

After I mentioned to him that I found it quite rich when people who are first to scream out against the unethical behaviour of those in authority prove themselves to be unethical, James answered back:

No in fact this has been discussed at great length and decided upon. The only people who give a rats ass about it are the artists.

*Note for Artists*

Do not share your art on Facebook if you get your “Panties in a Knot” if someone crops it or changes it or uses it in any way.

Those are the rules. You signed them when you signed up to Facebook, and the same is true on all Social Media. NO Social Media is on your side on this issue.

12041852_10153582830780450_671104434_n

Click for context

He even used the opportunity to compare intellectual property with his green energy passion:

…it is kinda like arguing over Oil Jobs and how many people would be put out of work by Alternative Energy. It would actually increase the work, but less profit for the Elite.

Artists make art to be seen. They have a tie to it as they made it, and that I understand. Yet it is either kept in a closet or seen. You cannot help what people do with art. Best it be seen, rather than not, and as I said, if you are so insecure about it… keep it in your closet.

That’s Art in the Social Media World according to James Stewart. Social Media’s got his back, and if you’re an artist who likes posting work on the Internet, James will be there ready to carve it up and do with it what ever he wants to. You may recall the last time I asked someone to remove altered editorial cartoons. He took his time, but I think in the end he learned his lesson. Thing is, we never got to know the actual name behind the Twitter account.

A man with a hat

A man with a hat

But we know who James (not the actor) Stewart is! According to his Linkedin page he’s into Marketing and Advertising, and used to be a newspaper guy working at the two big dailies in Saskatchewan, the page goes into great blah blah blah about how things didn’t go right. He now  sells vehicles online (yeah, I know, not so green) using his vast knowledge of advertising. His summary reads, “Now to retire comfortably, but always open to advice, new ideas, and possibilities.” It seems his new ideas today involve managing a host of Facebook pages. In his own words they included “Free Energy, RBE, Occupy, Liberty, Canadian Truth and more.” Canadian Truth News Eh, is the page I came across my altered cartoon. I’ve been since blocked from viewing the page, but it’s filled with an abundance of left leaning, environmental content, plus a lot of usual anti Harper stuff that there’s no shortage of on social media.

SocialMediaJackAssIf you’ve got nothing better to do with your time, why not visit James Stewart on his many Facebook Pages. Surely you’ll find quite a range of Canadian offerings he’s decided look better reworded his way instead of what editorial cartoonists originally had in place. Editorial Cartoonists can report their defaced artwork, such as the examples shown below, to Facebook admin. And don’t forget to thank James (Teflon Jim) Stewart, not the famous one but the man with a hat, who calls himself, in his own words “someone who does stuff unselfishly for humanity…”

11845107_10200903951796479_3568791382471503485_o
11890028_10200877949346434_3809022892701994770_o
11816293_10200774133071092_6736968954218126020_o
11891496_10200839718790694_1248845579619135789_o
10945832_10200640800937872_8907482622374827532_o
11267347_10200703364141913_1074523012987299298_o
11406255_10200612032538680_3224841065484541558_o
10854481_10200261751101863_5909628665808769329_o
11794536_10200775659869261_2854116035073616156_o

Updates (September 24, 2015, 12 hours after complaint made) on James Stewart’s refusal to remove intellectual property. This email letter to me from Facebook admin:

Hi,

Thanks for bringing this matter to our attention. We removed or disabled access to the content you reported for violating the Facebook Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. We understand this action to resolve your intellectual property issue.

This is a no-reply email. If you’d like to report something else, or if you don’t believe this action resolved your issue, please fill out this form:

https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/208282075858952

If you have any additional questions, please visit the Intellectual Property section of our Help Center:

https://www.facebook.com/help/intellectual_property

Thanks,

The Facebook Team


(October 1, 2015) James Stewart might want to think again about returning to his habit of reposting altered intellectual property.  Artists are going beyond the sort of shame tactics one sees above that is the precursor to having their work forcefully removed by social media admin.  Stubborn, bullheaded behaviour like that exercised by James Stewart is being dealt with in the legal courts. While having images quietly removed from Facebook users pages might not school copyright pirates, I’m pretty sure if people are having to reach into their bank accounts to cover damages a lesson will learned the costly way.


 

No Jimmy Stewart, you can’t modify #cartoons & repost them on Facebook. That’s called #plagiarism and it violates…

Posted by Graeme MacKay – editorial cartoonist on Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Posted in: Cartooning Tagged: Canadian Truth News Eh?, cartooning, cartoonists, copyright, ezcarsandtrucks.com, James Stewart, plagiarism, SMDA, Teflon Jim

Are we really Charlie?

January 8, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – January 8, 2015

This morning, after a day of reading the news and world reaction to the bloody attack on the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, my emotions as a fellow editorial cartoonist continue to be mixed with sadness, anger, and worry. France is a nation that prides itself in its history and tradition of advancing modern democratic principles.  For people to be assassinated for merely expressing themselves under the basic protections enshrined in constitutions and typified in similar charters throughout the western world is jarring and worrisome to everyone in the field of producing satire.

In Solidarity with Charlie Hebdo

In today’s full page spread in the Globe & Mail

Charlie Hebdo delivers a very different breed of satire than what audiences in the mainstream media are served up, especially here in North America. In general, the boundaries that cartoonists work with are far broader in Europe than they are here. In some respects, cartoonists working in the developing world may be forbidden to criticize their politicians, but are given more liberty to go after religion and other sacred cows that would cause tremendous outrage here in North America. At the gutsy Charlie Hebdo magazine, among many of the social targets sought after are any kind of radicalized, conservative, or orthodox religion. Many of the cartoons are illustrative of and perfectly represent the same radical oral messages everyday normal people have in everyday water cooler conversations in any western civilization, yet they’ll never make it to print.

While I worry about what happens next in a France full of tensions between free expressionist defenders and an agitated community of Muslim community and immigrants, I can’t help but think of the chilling effect this particular incident will have on worldwide satire in general. While the silver lining in this tragedy is a refresher course on the value and importance of free expression and the fraternal declaration of “Je suis Charlie”, I worry about the sustainability of my craft.

Here at the Hamilton Spectator, I’m proud to be part of a line of great editorial cartoonists, and I love what I do. However, the hard truth about mainstream media in North America is that we are NOT Charlie. While some argue that running free expressionist cartoons of any degree of offence is a representation of a mature civilized state, we have to remember that society is and always will be made up of a mix of progressive and barbaric people. Freedom of expression therefore needs to be delicately balanced, and I can only hope that eventually the barbarians get crushed. Only then, can we boldly declare, “Je suis Charlie”.

Daryl Cagle Cartoonists index

Brian Gable on the importance of free expression

Globe & Mail Gallery of cartoons in solidarity with Charlie Hebdo

Hamilton Spectator storify 

Posted in: Cartooning, International Tagged: cartoonists, Charlie Hebdo, commentary, Editorial Cartoon, editorial cartooning, free expression, free speech, Globe and Mail, jihadist, liberty, terrorism

Reflections on our time in Cuba

May 24, 2014 by Graeme MacKay

ACEC/ACDE Poster Art, Havana 2014Español  | Français |  English

When my professional group, the long winded sounding The Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists (ACEC), gets together every couple of years, we normally meet in some Canadian city, talk a bit of shop, drink beer and listen to a few of us who bring along harmonicas while others strum guitars. The odd time we play host to a few foreign cartoonists who were oppressed in their countries, although the American Association does a better job of hosting foreign cartoonists with help from the Cartoonists Rights Network. Never before have we gone to another country where governments have a record of repressing free expressionists by clamping down on political satire directed their way.  We changed that this year.  In May, 16 cartoonists plus approximately 10 associates ventured to Havana, Cuba, for the cartoonist convention.  This visit included whirlwind tours of UNESCO World Heritage protected-towns of Trinidad and Cienfuegos.

Cuba-WPF

Updated in 2020 (Cuba has slipped to 171/280)

When I returned to the office after a 10 day visit to Cuba, I was met with a bit of grumpiness by a couple of my colleagues.  I was reminded of this recent column and the association choosing a place where press freedom ranked #170 out of 180 countries. So with that came digs about when we were planning to host future conventions in places like North Korea or Nigeria.

The ranking is quite disturbing, as it just barely scores better than Iran, Syria and North Korea, which is dead last on the list. Interestingly,  the mammoth nation of China, which has increasingly become quite trade-chummy over the past decade with Western governments (Canada included) ranks behind Cuba at #175. Canada, by the way, is #18, the USA is #46, and toping the list at #1 is Finland.

(The Poster Studio) Estudio Taller Babalu Aye, Havana Cuba

(The Poster Studio) Estudio Taller Babalu Aye, Havana Cuba

Go further in the ranking of Cuba and one will find that the island country is near the bottom of the list for open markets, regulatory efficiency, limited government, and the rule of law. Raul Castro rules over the state in a rather quieter bureaucratic way than his brother Fidel, nonetheless, he is firmly in control of the state levers and the Cuban Communist Party.  Agriculture, the public service, mining, wages, and productivity are all at the bottom of the barrel, and there’s no arguing against the facts spelled out in the bar graphs and pie charts — Cuba’s economic and political freedoms are squarely mired in a deep hell hole.

Illustration by Adán, Havana

Illustration by Adán, Havana

The American trade embargo certainly does not help matters, and it is often brought up by the locals as the main source of woe that Cuba endures. Their government successfully uses the pain of the embargo to give reason to anything that goes wrong in Cuba. Although, even that is wearing thin on weary Cubans as they openly question creative reasoning by their masters to blame the Yanks for Cuba’s corruption, and the lack of freedoms and rule of law so engrained in the machine that runs the country. We Canadians look to our friends in the USA wondering why they fuss so grudgingly about isolating a harmless country long deserted by an extinct Soviet cold warrior. At the same time, it’s kind of nice to find an oasis on Earth that hasn’t been polluted by the over-commercialization we find everywhere in the West from golden arch restaurants to monstrous box stores selling the goods from international sweat shops.

Yet the island country endures and chugs along against a current of western values that are clearly polar opposite to their own. The consequence are a people who fully and whole-heartedly embrace art, be it music, visual, and/or performance art, and it spills out of doorways and on to the streets like no other place in the 21st century.

Cuba-Canada_gathering

ByAndez

By Andez, Cienfuegos

What we discovered in Cuba is a very robust, diverse, and creative group of illustrators and cartoonists. Together we mounted a nice exhibit of our illustrations and cartoons at the Vitrina de Valonia Gallery in the heart of old Havana.  No, they aren’t allowed to directly skewer their governments to the degree in which we in the North have the freedom to do, but they are keenly aware about how much they can push the envelope to the furthest edges which won’t find them locked away in prison. If I drew the kind of sex cartoons Chisp@ of Cienfuegos gets away with in Cuba, for example, I may not be thrown in jail, but it wouldn’t take long before my bosses would send me packing from the Spectator. Perhaps it’s simply typical of  tropical societies, but clearly the culture of the naked form is better tolerated in Cuban illustrations than in cold Canada, so long as it doesn’t cross the line into pornography, because possession of that will find one behind prison bars!

Los niños de la Guerra by Alfredo Martirena

Los niños de la Guerra by Alfredo Martirena

Much of the Cuban editorial cartoons I came across are directed quite predictably at the United States, and not necessarily obsessing against the embargo. The folks I met are very much aware of news events beyond their shores, and are way more up to speed than I can ever be on the latest movies and Netflix mini-series. They may not all have the Internet feeding into their home computers, but they certainly have access to it through their cell phones, tablets and office computers.  They have e-mail, they’re on Facebook, and they’re very much aware of the challenging economic times their mighty neighbour to the north is going through.

The housing crisis, the occupy movement, and the Obamacare mess have provided Cubans a front row seat to view the parade of pitfalls of capitalism and the widening gap between the super rich and the growing poor. Today’s hardships have darkened the once colourful picture Cubans had of the USA, making people I met wonder how pathetically desperate fellow countrymen must be to board rafts bound for the the shores of Florida in the 21st century.

by Ramses Morales Izquierdo

by Ramses Morales Izquierdo

Ramses Morales Izquierdo found out from the internationally known Cuban illustrator Ares, that a bunch of us cartoonists were staying in Cuba after our general convention wrapped up in Havana.  Not even a minute had gone by during the time I was checking out my room at the Iberostar Hotel in the beautiful old town of Trinidad that the phone rang with Ramses on the line, welcoming me. From that moment on, he became our pal and he guided us behind the scenes into the town’s archives where his gallery is based.  He showed us parts of his beloved town that aren’t the usual stops for tourists. He came along with us to the newer and bigger city of Cienfuegos, and, along with the very talented Angel Fernandez Quintana (Andez), organized an impromptu gathering of local illustrators near our Hotel Jagua.

AresIllustration

By Aristides E. Hernandez Guerrero (Ares)

Growing up, Ramses’ mother advised him that he was going to learn English, unlike the rest of the kids in his school who were taught Russian as a second language. The consequence of that decision is someone who is extremely well read and informed about the world around him. He is very passionate about his town and country and speaks with an intensity that is very honest about Cuba.  He is quite optimistic about its future. Ramses is very insistent that his country be regarded as a multicultural one belonging to the first world, and an integral part of North America.

(Update: In 2015, Ramses was featured in this CBC news report (beginning at the 1:09 min mark) when the U.S. and Cuba were negotiating an end to a half century of distrust and suspicion.)  

Raul Castro has somewhat loosened the government’s grip on private investment. Reports say the reforms aren’t going so well. Evidently however, free-enterprise is cropping up in the form of family run Paladar restaurants and B&Bs. There are obvious signs of entrepreneurship and visitors can see it in the clothes people wear, and in their watches and accessories. There are the haves, and have-nots, and it’s not based on how connected one is to the regime, but how hard one works. There’s also push-back towards the new free enterprise. Off the main square of Plaza Carillo in Trinidad is the Bar Floridita. This is not the one made famous by Ernest Hemingway that includes a statue of him at the end of a bar where tourists get their photo taken, but a replica of the place.  It’s one of several that have opened up across the island serving drinks with the same prices one would pay if they were at a Kelsey’s franchise in Canada. It’s all great for tourists, but to Ramses, it’s akin to Starbucks moving in and running the old cafe across the street out of business.

Click here for a full gallery of photos

What I’ve learned from this trip was this is not our grandfather’s Cuba.  It’s only a matter of time before Starbucks and the big box stores make their way to the shores of Cuba.  And it will make big news just like when the first McDonald’s opened years ago in Moscow and Beijing.  It is with hope that Cuba takes a page out of China’s book of how to expand its free markets for greater prosperity. Finally, here’s hoping our friends south of the 49th Parallel will soon rethink their relationship with this beautiful, historic country and its people and let them choose their own destiny unencumbered by old grievances and greedy ex-pat descendants from the Batista era.

Update, January 28, 2015: Adrienne Arsenault of the CBC reports on US/Cuban negotiations to normalize relations. In the video attached to this link.

SOCIAL MEDIA

This article was posted to the DailyCartoonist.com, a terrific website covering news about professional cartoonists, webcomics, movies and animation, and magazine gag cartoonists. It bills itself as the source for industry news for the professional cartoonist. Click here to see the rantings of a genuine 21st century American cold warrior reacting to our tour.

Super Special ACEC Action Cards ***Uncle Sam Edition***, by Wes Tyrell

ACEC player cards

 Message from ACEC President Wes Tyrell, May 25, 2014

At this time most of our cartoonist adventurers have returned to the homeland (Dan Murphy may be setting up a studio in the SierraMaestra as we speak and will only be available via wireless from now on).

Our ACEC/ACDE Conference was by any standard a terrific endeavour and I think now most are in agreement that conferences can be held quite successfully in foreign countries. Our hosts proved to be the most charming of individuals, a delightful blend of veterans and youngsters, all with great admiration and curiosity for the northern invaders.

If anything was learned by meeting these people it was that their desire to observe and create is ceaseless and is that not the most inspirational of elements one hopes to come away with while visiting new colleagues?

The sights and sounds will reverberate for a long time and hopefully will pop up in strange and interesting fashions in your work. Our new friends there including Ares, Adan, Laz, Falco, Martirena, Ramses, Angel and the rest have at the same time learned a little about what it means to be Canadian and how our brand of cartooning can perhaps teach them some different approaches.

Our conversations to this affect were, in that Canadian way, not heavy handed or intimidating and they all thanked us for a velvet approach. Cartooning in Cuba presents many challenges and these characters are savvy navigators, able to satisfy their own instincts while presenting socially palatable work.

Many new friends; a very successful gallery exhibit; some comedic presentations made more unusual with the three language translation magic of our friend Michele; old car tours; great eating and drinking – memories were just piled one on top of the other for all.

I hope members will be encouraged to share photos and videos as well as sketches so we can compile an ibook or equivalent as a terrific memento of this fine time.

Our momentum going forward is strong and our next endeavour will look to bring together cartoonists from all over Canada and the globe in my hometown of Toronto in 2016. This will give us an opportunity to gather members and friends who were unable to join us at this year’s conference as we put on a show that promotes the excellence of Canadian cartooning. This is really the first strength of our association and something you should all be proud of.

Our Ontario members starting with the great Donato, Gable, Mou, Dewar, MacKay and their respective papers will be encouraged to participate in order to remind everyone that cartooning is alive and well in the beautiful city of Toronto.

 

Posted in: Canada, Cartooning, Cuba, International Tagged: ACC, acec, cartoonists, Cuba, Daily Cartoonist, editorial cartoonists, freedom of expression, travel
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