CARTOONISTS RIGHTS - support them on Giving Tuesday

 

SUPPORT CARTOONISTS RIGHTS, MARKING TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

 by Terry Anderson

Almost a decade ago, cartoonists everywhere were alerted to an unfolding event in the city of Paris, France. There aren’t that many in the profession, so everyone has a friend (or at least a friend of a friend) in France. Via social media posts and text messages on the morning of January 7^th, 2015, it became apparent that something had happened at the office of Charlie Hebdo magazine. By the end of the day, it was known that twelve people, among them five of France’s best-known cartoonists, were dead. Within a week, crowds of a size not seen in the post-war period had gathered in Paris and world-leaders walked arm-in-arm, declaring their commitment to free expression.

 

As we approach the tenth anniversary of that day, much has changed. France indelibly so – cartoonists’ events there still take place under armed guard – while the rest of the world has either qualified or largely forgotten the spirit of “Je Suis Charlie”. Free speech has become a political football, and a favored hobby horse of authoritarians and populists.  When asked, cartoonists no longer cite the violence of rogue fundamentalists as their chief concern. Indeed, it's now those chummy world leaders who made a conspicuous showing of solidarity on Parisian streets whom they’re most worried about.

 

Increasingly, editorial and political cartoonists are abused and threatened online by party-politically motivated trolls, often en masse. They are criminalized under vaguely worded cyber security or anti-misinformation laws, jailed for “insulting” the government, judiciary, or army, and in the worst cases labelled seditionists and terrorists. For many, their only choice is to go into exile.

 

Cartoonists Rights Network International (or CARTOONISTS RIGHTS for short) was incorporated in 1999, the world’s first human rights non-profit with such cartoonists in mind. Founded by Dr. Robert “Bro” Russell, a resident of Virginia, over the last five years the organization’s program has been led by Executive Director Terry Anderson. Currently our president is Matt Wuerker (Politico). Other press cartoonists who currently or in the past have served as directors or advisors include Michael de Adder, Kevin “Kal” Kallaugher, Marc Murphy, Pat Oliphant, Joel Pett, and Ann Telnaes, as well as Dr. John A. Lent, founder of the IJOCA.

 

Like all non-profits, CARTOONISTS RIGHTS is now operating in a uniquely hostile environment. The passage of bill H.R. 9495 from House of Representatives to the Senate brings the Presidency one step closer to sweeping powers to penalize civil and human rights organizations.

Nevertheless, should any cartoonist in the USA be characterized as an “enemy within” during the next four years, they can expect the same level of commitment from us that we have extended to cartoonists from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Central and South America in the last quarter-century.

 

Last year, we welcomed Abecor – a press cartoonist from Bolivia – to the National Press Club to receive the Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Award after he had been harassed online and in person, and he and his family threatened with violence by partisans.

“For me and for my country this award is very important, since it renews the sense of preserving the right to free expression and knowing that artists, journalists and especially cartoonists around the world do not walk alone.” – Abecor

 

In recent years our award has been given in an alternating pattern with the FREEDOM CARTOONISTS FOUNDATION, Geneva. And so, in 2025 it falls to us once more to recognize a cartoonist whose bravery has exemplified adherence to democratic ideals and the principle of free expression under duress. The event will take place at a Washington, DC venue on May 3^rd – World Press Freedom Day. More details to be announced nearer the time.

 

To support CARTOONISTS RIGHTS, please consider contributing during our Pledge Drive, commencing on “Giving Tuesday”, December 3^rd.

 

Visit cartoonistsrights.org/donate and keep an eye on our social media for further announcements through the next three weeks: Bluesky – @cartoonistsrights.org • Facebook/Instagram – @cartoonistsrights • Mastodon – @cartooniststrights@newsie.social

Book review: Asian Political Cartoons by John A. Lent

reviewed by Matt Wuerker

John. A. Lent. Asian Political Cartoons. University Press of Mississippi, 2023. https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/A/Asian-Political-Cartoons

At the risk of revealing my own shallow occidental ethnocentrism, I have to say that I was largely ignorant of the cartoon culture of Asia.  I have always had the general idea that cartooning was something that was particular to Europe, especially England and France, but also Spain, Germany and Italy.

It’s true that what we in the west think of as the political cartoon did come out of Europe.  But, like meat pies, macaroni, and beer, cartooning spread from there through colonial expansion to other parts of the world.  Some of those colonial territories were very fertile ground for this crude, yet very powerful and popular form of art, I think of South America in particular.  But I always suffered from the mistaken notion that Asia was largely not taken with the idea of political commentary in the form of exaggerated drawing combined with humorous word bubbles.  John Lent’s new book “Asian Political Cartoons” shows me how wrong that impression was.

In 300 mostly-color and beautifully-laid-out pages Lent takes us deep into the rich and culturally complicated history of the political cartoon in a part of the world that has seen staggering and tumultuous political change over the last century.

While all these cultures enjoyed unique traditions of their own in the visual arts, the arrival of the colonial powers introduced the novel and odd European concept that political dissent can be expressed in funny pictures and distributed in penny sheets and humor magazines.  In China for instance suddenly there were China Punch, Shanghai Charivari, and Shanghai Puck all imitating their Western antecedents.  The simple power of thumbing your nose at power and authority with arresting caricatures and graphic exaggeration has an innate appeal.  It spread quickly.

Ironically enough as Chinese nationalism and the struggle against colonial occupation started to build this same graphic form was turned against the imperialists, and not just those from the West.

Political cartoons don’t always use humor, but instead can express deadly serious outrage. In the war with the Japanese Chinese political cartoonists marshaled their craft to contribute to the war effort.  Lent shows how these cartoonists melded their classical Chinese ink drawing styles with more Western cartoon imagery to create devastating war propaganda posters.

The Philippine cartoonists also used a similar kind of jujitsu and turned this colonial art form against those that would colonize them.  First sharpening their pens on their nineteenth century Spanish occupiers, they then turned their fire on their twentieth century American occupiers.

Philippine nationalists used satirical magazines, often graced with cartoons on their front covers to lambast those who had colonized them as well lampoon their own compatriots who were going along with and embracing being colonized.

 Another country among the dozens Lent examines is Bangladesh, one that I had the pleasure of visiting myself about 10 years ago.  Despite attempts by the parliament to introduce blasphemy laws that would punish any images deemed unsuitable by the Islamic mullahs, the Bangladeshis enjoy a thriving and very industrious cartoon community. Beyond popular printed magazines like Unmad they’ve also built a home and a platform on social media that includes great animation work. When I visited back in 2013, I especially enjoyed getting to know many of the bright lights in Dhaka, especially Nasreen Sultana Mitu, Tanmoy, and Mehedi Haque.

 Lent also shines a light on the struggles that many Asian cartoonists face as those in power attempt to intimidate and censor them.  The fight for freedom of speech in Asia has been tough… and continues.  Authoritarians of all stripes really don’t appreciate political satire.  From Mao to Suharto, to the current leadership in China, Malaysia, and Singapore, as well as religious fundamentalist movements throughout the region, censorship, jail time, and threats of violence can be the cost of creating political cartoons. Over the years many brave cartoonists have taken great risks to stand up for the ”freedom to cartoon.”  In recent times and despite the best efforts of those in power to shut them up cartoonists like Wang Liming (Rebel Pepper) and Badiucao in China, Zunar and Fahmi Reza, Kanika Mishra in India, among many others, have kept up the fight.

As the book ranges all across Asia, it also highlights the five decades that Lent has dedicated to studying and chronicling the cartoon culture across the continent.  He’s met and personally knows many of the prominent practitioners, as well as many of the new generation.  It’s a grand tour through cartoon territory not very well known by many of us.  A journey well worth taking.

Wuerker is a practicing cartoonist for Politico, and has won the Pulitzer, Berryman and Herblock awards/prizes.