cartoonists

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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