So long and thanks for all the sh*#!
I know many of my fellow cartoonists are just going to go ahead and assume an Obama win, but I can't say I have such confidence!
Of course, this cartoon could become obsolete too if Bush declared a mysterious state of emergency and called off the election tomorrow.
I went as Kara Thrace, aka "Starbuck", from Battlestar Galactica (the bestest show ever, though I have been developing a major addiction to The Wire on DVD lately). Masheka went as Deputy S. Jones from Reno 911 (which we never really watch much, but people have been mistaking him for Cedric Yarbrough, the actor who plays Jones, for years).
I look nothing like Katee Sackhoff, so I had to put in contact lenses (itchy) and get a short blond wig (double itchy, and I had so much hair of my own underneath it was all puffed up like a beehive!). But options for women with long brown hair and glasses are limited, unless you want to be Tina Fey, Lisa, Loeb, Daria, or (ugh!) Sarah Palin.
I have to say sewing is just as much fun as cartooning. And there was a whole lotta sewing going on for this Halloween—I sewed brown stripes and epaulets and pockets onto some Dickies-brand workwear to make Masheka's costume, and I added buckles and suede shoulder patches to make my BDUs army jacket + pants into the Battlestar Colonial BDUs or whatnot (I realize that's hard to tell from the pix, but I swear!). I also chewed on a cigar to be more like Starbuck, and it was gross.
Accessories were also key: I got a Battlestar Galactica patch and dogtags, and Masheka had a real working walkie-talkie radio with a shoulder mic.
We went to New York's Halloween parade and had a great time--tons of people kept yelling "Reno!" at Masheka, and he even got compliments from some actual police officers.
Here are some more fun photos:
And this is what we look like in our civvies for comparison (except my hair is its natural brown now):
Since Mikhaela and I missed Halloween ‘07 (we were at 'Day of the Dead' in Mexico), we really want to do it up this year. As a special Election ’08 bonus, I’m going to keep a tally of how many Obamas, McCains, Bidens and Palins I see…until I get drunk or bored. My money is on a plethora of porn-y Palins and zombie McCains.
Oh yeah: for all you basic cable fans, I’m going as this guy.
-Masheka
P.S. If you’re going to a Halloween party, wear a freakin’ costume or keep your lame ass at home. Besides, if you’re single, you have a better chance of getting costumed booty if you get into the inherently hedonistic spirit of the holiday with your own outfit.
This cartoon is of course based on a real quote from John McCain during the last debate:
'Just again, the example of the eloquence of Sen. Obama. He's health for the mother. You know, that's been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything. That's the extreme pro-abortion position, quote, "health."'
Haven't seen the ads for OUT OF SEQUENCE in THE COMIC JOURNAL and ARTFORUM because your eyes are blurry with recession tears? Then you don't know that Mikhaela Reid and I (and a slew of other artists) have pieces in this very cool exhibit in Illinois' Krannert Art Museum. Our friends John Jennings and Damian Duffy are the curators. The best part is that some of the pieces (like my 'Killing Brain Cells') will be digitally projected on the museum's walls. Here are the details:
Out of Sequence: Underrepresented Voices in American Comics opening reception, this Thursday, Oct. 23 @ 6-8pm!
WHERE: Krannert Art Museum 500 East Peabody Dr Champaign IL 61820 WHAT: The opening reception for the Out of Sequence comics art exhibition. It is an exploration of the question ‘What is Comics?’ It is a declaration of the diversity of sequential art in the United States, diversity not just of creators, but also of content and form. Out of Sequence is a broad survey of women, small press, minority, independent, gay & lesbian, self-published, mini, underground, web and/or gallery comics creators. The opening reception will feature a talk by exhibition comics artist Mark Staff Brandl at 6pm and music by DJ Delayney. WHY: Because comics are awesome, and the gallery has been made into a 3D comic. Comics are on the wall in prints and original art, and off the wall, projected on screens, floating in virtual reality. WHAT ELSE: The Next Panel Illinois Small Press Comics Expo. Guest artists include Jerry Craft, Leilani Hickerson, Dann Tincher, and Ashley A. Woods. Special guest letterpress printer Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. On Saturday at 1:30 Jerry Craft will be offering a cartooning workshop, FREE to the public. To register contact Chris Schaede at the Krannert Museum: 217-333-1861, schaede@illinois.edu. For more information contact: The curators- Damian Duffy (duff@eyetrauma.net) or John Jennings (jayjay@illinois.edu) The Krannert Art Museum- (217) 244-0516. . . . . . also . . . . . . . .
That BBC Radio interview from July, originally only up for a week, is now on the BBC's site indefinitely!! Phill Jupitus' Comic Love was so popular that the BBC extended the cartoonists' interviews into four longer 15 minute programs.
The new series is called Phill Jupitus' Strips. Our segment (Programme 2), is an extended version of that afternoon in our Brooklyn apartment with Phil, Jen Sorensen, Brian McFadden, Mikhaela and little ol' me. It aired live on BBC Radio October 14th, but you can listen to it here.
OBAMA: I am completely supportive of a ban on late-term abortions, partial-birth or otherwise, as long as there's an exception for the mother's health and life, and this did not contain that exception.And McCain, in his response:And I attempted, as many have in the past, of including that so that it is constitutional. And that was rejected, and that's why I voted present, because I'm willing to support a ban on late-term abortions as long as we have that exception.
The last point I want to make on the issue of abortion. This is an issue that -- look, it divides us. And in some ways, it may be difficult to -- to reconcile the two views.
But there surely is some common ground when both those who believe in choice and those who are opposed to abortion can come together and say, "We should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and that they should not be engaged in cavalier activity, and providing options for adoption, and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby."
Those are all things that we put in the Democratic platform for the first time this year, and I think that's where we can find some common ground, because nobody's pro-abortion.
MCCAIN: Just again, the example of the eloquence of Sen. Obama. He's health for the mother. You know, that's been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything. That's the extreme pro-abortion position, quote, "health."
On another note, I never ever want to hear any more jokes about or see any cartoons about "Joe the Plumber." Why did Obama go along with that claptrap?!
P.S. I'm glad Obama brought up equal pay for equal work. And I thought he very much got across that it was ridiculous that in the midst of an economic crisis, McCain's main selling point is "That guy maybe associated with Bill Ayers and ACORN once upon a time!" Obviously I'm way to the left of Obama, but I've got to admit he's very stately and presidential.
P.P.S. Where does McCain get off playing the victim in all that business where supporters at his rallies are acting like lynch mobs? People are yelling "Kill him!" and "Terrorist!" about Obama, but McCain is the victim of negative attacks because an Obama supporter criticized his George-Wallace-style politics?
Check it out--BBC Radio 4 has a followup to their original broadcast, a special 15-minute program just about Cartoonists With Attitude with host (and honorary Cartoonist With Attitude) Phill Jupitus: "Comic strip heroes: Cartoonists with Attitude". It features me, Masheka, Brian and Jen (from whom I borrowed the above photo)! I love that Brian got away with saying "pretty shitty" on the air.
They've also got one on Garry Trudeau.
Don't forget to regularly read the Cartoonists With Attitude blog--you can get all your comics fun from cartoonists including all the above as well as Ted Rall, Ruben Bolling and more!
Finally, here's one of the cartoons I talk about in the broadcast:
The KKK garb is a slight exaggeration, but most of those shouted epithets are of course from actual Palin or McCain rallies.
