Cartoonists With Attitude

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Hi folks, Masheka here. Mikhaela has a nasty case of RSI in her wrists so I'm posting her cartoons for her while she takes a break from the computer.

-Masheka

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Because I couldn't resist doing a retroactive poke at world-class segregationist, gaybasher and AIDS-funding squasher Jesse Helms. Also, I hate Mitt Romney. And John McCain, of course.

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Because I couldn't resist doing a retroactive poke at world-class segregationist, gaybasher and AIDS-funding squasher Jesse Helms. Also, I hate Mitt Romney. And John McCain, of course.

The BBC (!!) came to our apt. last month and had a chat with Mikhaela, Brian McFadden, Jen Sorensen and yours truly about alternative political cartooning. The documentary for BBC Radio 4 is hosted by the esteemed Phill Jupitus for his show "Phill Jupitus' Comic Love'. He also talks with cartoonist superstars like Gary Trudeau, Lynn Johnston, Bill Griffith and Steve Bell so we're in very good company.

The doc premiered this weekend and will be up until 6/25 so listen to it here as soon as possible if you've always wanted to hear my voice (mumbled and slurry). The Cartoonist With Attitude segment is at the 22:20 mark.

The BBC Radio 4 documentary, "Phill Jupitus' Comic Love" aired this morning in the UK. You can listen to it here (note that the link is only active for a week). The half-hour documentary features luminaries like Steve Bell and Garry Trudeau, and the bit about me and Masheka and Cartoonists With Attitude starts at around 22:20.

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Note: Yes, I know iPhones will be useless in post-apocalyptic America. Also, there's a little homage here for all you Repo Man (the movie) fans.

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This cartoon probably seems a bit obscure if you don't live in Massachusetts (or possibly New York). Basically, although same-sex marriage has been legal for Massachusetts residents since 2004, out-of-state couples have been out of luck—until now.

An archaic 1913 law still on the books prohibited couples whose marriages were not legal in their home states from marrying in Massachusetts. The law (which ex-Governor and wouldbe Vice President Mitt Romney was a big fan of!) was likely designed to prevent out-of-state interracial marriages.

I drew this cartoon when a repeal was being considered. Since then the Senate has repealed it and now it's up to the House. It's believed that thousands of New York residents would get married (and spend their wedding dollars) in Massachusetts. Good riddance to bad legal rubbish!

...and takes a big old step to the center, Clinton-style. Yuck. As a big fan of the separation of church and state, his proposal to expand Bush's government funding for faith-based programs has me particularly pissed off. After the Bush years, I want LESS religion in my politics, not more, thank you very much!

Obama does say he won't allow govt-funded religious groups to discriminate based on religion in hiring. But he says nothing about sexual orientation or other non-federally-protected categories. I really hope he's not ok with funding organizations like the Salvation Army that outright refuse to hire gay folks.

I told you I was finding all his change talk a lot harder to believe in. Blech.

Before anyone freaks out on me: calm down, I'm not saying there's no damn difference between Obama and McCain. McCain is a horrible right-wing conservative, and nothing is going to stop me from voting for Obama. And I hope to hell he wins. I just wish I was voting for a real progressive, not a pandering free-trade-loving "bipartisan" Clintonian centrist.

P.S. The sad thing is, I didn't think I'd ever have to draw an Obama-critical cartoon (except for the one I did a while back about how none of the candidates but Kucinich supported marriage equality). And I certainly do plan to spend most of my ink this election season going after McCain. But I was just SO MAD listening to the way Obama was talking this week that I couldn't hold back.