Being a political cartoonist these days is risky business. What if the newspaper publisher you’ve worked with for years suddenly doesn’t agree with your cartoon ideas? IDW’s Enemy Of The People, A Cartoonist’s Journey covers just such a scenario.
Rob Rogers, a former employee and political cartoonist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for 25 years, was fired from the American paper in 2018. Management disagreed with his cartoons criticizing President Trump, issued him warnings, then fired him.
In this book, Rogers chronicles the years before his firing and includes many many cartoons that skewered, lambasted and ridiculed former presidents and other people of power.
There are commentaries from fellow political cartoonists, who join together to form a dissenting voice against Rogers’ firing.
As well crafted and satirical as his cartoons are here, to me the real gem of the book are the interlacing segments, freshly created, that visually chronicle Rogers’ journey through the years as a cynical, left-leaning commentator. His pencil and marker are sharp, his wit has survived his being turfed, and his sense of humour champions himself as the little guy against Goliath.
IDW Publishing, Enemy Of The People, A Cartoonist’s Journey, $24.99 for 188 pages of content. Assume Teen+
Newsdesk