Auchtoon!

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
April 27, 2014

As the cartoon implies, we Americans are often torn in our views on racism. Simple solutions are elusive and ignoring it doesn’t seem to work. It’s ongoing and evolving, deeply historic and persistent. It can be shockingly obvious (like that rancher guy in Nevada or the LA Clippers owner) or blatantly misunderstood (like the woman who brought the suit against the University of Michigan or the young lady from Detroit who felt she is owed admittance).

I didn’t see last week’s Supreme Court ruling as a victory or a defeat. I just see it as part of the ongoing process of answering a very difficult question:

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
April 20, 2014

Last week on MLive there was a guest article, “Why this young, college educated couple is leaving Michigan after graduation,” which was trending big. The author, a young man who had moved to Michigan so his wife could attend grad school at MSU, ticks off a list of reasons why they did not stick around after she graduated, but generalized as “the state’s political system is out of control.” Go ahead and read the article yourself; he has some decent points. But for me, the guy comes off as presenting himself and his generation on some higher moral plane. I’ve certainly made fun of baby boomers enough for this, so I had no problem calling BS on millennials.

And the BS is this: yes, it would be nice to have a cleaner, more forward-thinking political culture. But 9 out of 10 young people are going to base their choice of where to live not on political culture but on a decent job and weather conditions. Which is why I drew Mr. High and Mighty selling out at his first opportunity to live in South Carolina. Why South Carolina? Well, I lived there once, so I felt I had the right. But also because it can be counted on for being politically stuck in the past. And then yesterday, as if on cue: “SC GOP Snubs Desegregation Judge.“

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
April 13, 2014

Every once in a while, even an editorial cartoonist needs to give credit where credit is due….

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
April 6, 2014

President Obama came to Michigan last week to push for an increase to the federal minimum wage. There are a lot of wonky economic reasons why this may or may not be a good idea. (I alluded to that in a cartoon I did a couple of months ago.) I know this could have a far-reaching impact on workers, business owners, consumers, investors, and so on. It will certainly influence summer and school jobs my kids have and are going to have.

But for me personally, the most direct, immediate, and compelling potential effect is this: When I go into Wendys and order a hamburger for my son, will I have to beg them not to put cheese on it and still have to watch every step of the process, or will a better-paid worker and more-engaged management guarantee a cheese-less hamburger? Because that is what would make me happy.

Seriously (not an April Fools joke), if you are a cartoon fan, go to iTunes today and download a copy of the new documentary “Stripped.” It’s fascinating, very professional, and has interviews with 77 cartoonists — from newspaper strips to webcomics (including the legendary Bill Watterson, who drew the cover art). Here’s a link to the film’s website: http://www.strippedfilm.com/

Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News
March 30, 2014

I understand and appreciate Governor Synder’s general approach to social issues. He wants to stay above the fray, not get bogged down in emotional issues, not get stuck in a debate where somebody will inevitably end up angry. But, at a certain point, that act gets tiresome. And also at a certain point, taking a clear position on a issue like gay marriage is necessary to set a course for the state you happen to be the leader of. It becomes an economic issue. If threats of government shutdowns have taught us anything, it’s that markets do not like uncertainty. Take a stand. It’s time to move on.

Note: This cartoon was already submitted by the time Miggy signed his $292 million  contract last Friday. Otherwise I might have gone with “Cabrera is rich” as one of the topics of undebatable truth.