Friday, March 15, 2024

Cartoonist Zehra Ömeroğlu risks imprisonment over pandemic cartoon

From Cartoonists Rights.

Sex and the pandemic… “At least I didn’t lose my taste and smell…”

Under the auspices of Türkiye’s Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services, the Directorate of Child Services convenes a Board for the Protection of Minors from Obscene Publications. 

On March 8th, 2024, the board returned a report to the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, having at the judge’s request reviewed a cartoon by Zehra Ömeroğlu that appeared in the pages of LeMan humour magazine on November 25th, 2020.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Saltwire files for bankruptcy protection

From The Daily Cartoonist


A private equity fund is initiating insolvency proceedings against Atlantic newspaper owner SaltWire Network Inc., claiming it owes tens of millions of dollars after several years of mismanagement.

The SaltWire Network‘s major daily newspapers are The Chronicle Herald (Halifax), the Cape Breton Post, The Telegram (St. Johns) and The Guardian (Charlottetown).

Bruce MacKinnon and freelancer Michael de Adder are the main editorial cartoonists who could be affected by the newspaper group’s troubles.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

A review of Angouleme '24

Dean Simons in Comics Beat.


If there is one thing you can guarantee about the Angoulême International Comics Festival, it’s that you will seldom have enough time to catch your breath – and that remained true for 2024. 

While comparatively quieter than the intense record-breaking crowds of the 50th-anniversary extravaganza last year, some 200,000 people still made their way to the self-proclaimed French capital of comics. 

As always, there were plentiful exhibitions, publishers, creators, and books to catch your eye and empty your wallet.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Basil Wolverton Collection donated to The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

From The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.


Monte Wolverton has donated a significant collection of his cartoonist father Basil Wolverton’s archives, ephemera, and some original art to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

Thursday, March 7, 2024

The "phony" in Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s ad

From The Guardian.


A ‘poorly considered’ use of AI has resulted in a perplexing number of fingers – and a large amount of mockery.

The couple’s tangled fingers are both too large and too many; there’s a strange sheen making them look more like wax dolls; and then there’s the clothes: she in a tulle gown encrusted with jewels, he in a tuxedo – and, simultaneously, a tulle gown encrusted with jewels. 

Also: she has a large cube on her lap.

It was apparently created by someone who has never seen an orchestra play, and imagines it as rows of violinists seated in the audience, many playing with three hands or one hand or no hands at all.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Mr. Fish accused of antisemitism


The denunciation of cartoons by Dwayne Booth aka Mr. Fish by a DC based  blog and the leveling of accusations of antisemitism has led to safety measures at the University of Pennsylvania where he is an adjunct lecturer.

As the conflict in Gaza continues, reports of both antisemitic and Islamophobic racism are spiking all over the world. 

Monday, February 26, 2024

24th World Press Freedom Canada International Editorial Cartoon Competition


The theme of the 24th International Editorial Cartoon Competition is:

Artificial Intelligence: yes or no?

Some believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will solve all our problems while it inspires apocalyptic talk in others.

AI can help journalists gather information, but “deep fakes” and voice simulators capable of generating believable audio segments, can sow doubt about the authenticity of content and put democracy at risk.

On the other hand, some politicians brandish the term “fake news” to denounce opposing opinions or deny reality.

Finally, using AI to generate illustrations on demand robs artists of their work and infringes on their copyright.

Fortunately, AI  hasn’t yet figured the number of fingers on one hand.