Category: Beartoons

  • Editorial Cartoon: Bieber Fever

    Editorial Cartoon - Justin Bieber Fan

    So it seems a few Belieber’s (Justin Bieber fans) are running amok because their demigod did not win the Best New Artist award at the Grammys (see here for the story and here for 10 of the vilest tweets against Esperanza I could ever read).

    Now maybe there is a legitimate gripe that she shouldn’t have even been considered in the category.  However, how long and at what level does an artist have to be on the scene to no longer be considered new.  If new to the previous year, then Justin himself wouldn’t have been eligible since his first album hit in 2009.  And there has been a precedent set anyway.  Back in 1999, Lauryn Hill won after going solo but was already established as part of the Fugees (and Sister Act II).

    This isn’t American Idol.  It is not a popularity contest. 

    You aren’t in seeking reform in the Middle East.  This decision doesn’t truly affect your life in any meaningful way.

    Justin isn’t going to marry you.  So please have some decorum.

    And while you are disappointed with his loss as a fan, do you really need to threaten someone who had nothing to do with any of the decisions in the first place?  Why don’t you take a lesson from your idol and be gracious in your loss?

  • Information Overload Cartoon

    Information Overload Cartoon

    I’ve had the distinct fortune over the last few days to hear some great lectures (and a few duds) on learning theory, behavioral science and how the brain works from people like Daniel Simons and Ann Herrmann-Nehdi.   As someone who hungers for new learning, I am always interested in how people process information and how the instructor can either help or hinder that process.

    What I find interesting though, is that we are so quick sometimes to throw out terms like “information overload” or “brain overload” when I tend to think most of the time it is actually “information confusion”.  Experts agree that we can process information much faster than the average person can talk.  So if the information is presented in a logical fashion, we are more apt to be engaged and remember it.  Though not absolute, I can be bombarded with information and still retain the salient parts if I can follow the logic. 

    However, “information confusion” more-so than overload becomes the blocker.   All new information that I could process is shut off because now I am fixated on figuring out something that may have been said five minutes earlier.  I find this when speakers tend to say “um” every 10 seconds.  I become fixated on counting the “um’s” that I no longer pay attention to the content. 

    I remember having a professor in college with a strong Ukrainian accent.  He was not the type of professor who liked interruptions in his lectures for silly things like questions.  One day, he spent 30 minutes lecturing on Ira.  I couldn’t figure out who this Ira guy was or what he had to do with science.  It was only as the bell was beginning to ring, that I finally understood he was saying “iron”.  Had I known that in the beginning, the entire lecture might have made sense.

    Anyone else have examples of when you become fixated on something someone else said or did and can’t seem to get past it to really pay attention to their point?

  • Editorial Cartoon: Henry Cavill the New Superman

    Editorial Cartoon: Henry Cavill Superman

    So it seems that there are some American comic fanboys upset that an American icon like Superman is being cast by British actor, Henry Cavill.   Henry was incredible as Duke of Suffolk, Charles Brandon in the Showtime series (I believe being rerun on BBC), The Tudors.  And according to my wife, he is good eye candy so he has that going for him too.

    Most of you may not get the “Jersey” line but Henry is actually from the island of Jersey.  Not New Jersey, but one of the Channel Islands, part of the Crown Dependencies of Britain.  Now here is where it gets confusing for an American.  I learned long ago the differences between England, the United Kingdom and Great Britain.   For those of you who did not, our friend Duncan recently reposted this video explaining it all.  (Take note Friggin Loon.  When you steal content from the Mad Hatters, at least give them credit..haha).


    (source)

    Here’s the confusing part for me.  Many Americans might call Henry an “English Actor” but he is not from England so he cannot be.  Yet, even the UK paper, the Guardian, confuses us even more when they refer to him as such.  As in this article saying “As long ago as 2005, the Twilight author, Stephanie Meyer, was talking up Cavill’s abilities: “I feel really passionately about him getting the role,” she said, but the part eventually went to another English actor, Robert Pattinson.

    Now that we have determined he is a British actor and not an English one, should either really matter when you are playing an alien who lives in the United States and was co-created by a Canadian??  Then again, would anyone in the UK be upset if an American played James Bond with a decidedly English accent?

  • Editorial Cartoon: Piers Morgan

    Editorial cartoon: Piers Morgan

    There is a new talk show host in town.  Piers Morgan (U.S. readers might know him as a former judge on America’s Got Talent) has taken over Larry King’s spot on CNN.  In his first week alone, he interviewed Oprah, George Clooney and Howard Stern.  I’ve probably watched his show more than I did Larry’s in the last 3 years combined. 

    Yet with such high profile guests in the early weeks, what happens when he is only left with being able to interview “celebrities” the likes of  the Kardashian sisters or similar?  Would he have to break down and try to nab an interview with Madonna, Howie Mandell, or Heather Mills (all according to the NY Mag are on his banned list).

    Side note:  Piers was a hard one to caricature for me.  After many attempts, what you see above I was finally happy with and my wife was able to identify without prompting.  But now the more I look at it, I can’t stop seeing Eric Stoltz in Mask.  Sorry Piers.

    Update:  Ok I was completely kidding when I said the Kardashian joke but I guess he indeed did interview them last week and it was not a ratings success.

  • Editorial Cartoon: Undercover Bossy

    Editorial Cartoon: Undercover Bossy

    Undercover Boss is a series in the U.S. that showcases company executives disguising themselves as out of work average joes working different entry level jobs in their own company.   It was originally a British series and now has expanded to Australia (source).   It is not only a ratings success but also a PR success for any company lucky enough to be featured on it.

    Well it seems that Cincinnati’s own Mayor Mark Mallory was asked to participate as the first mayor in the country featured on the show.  Cincinnati needs some good PR so I think it was a great idea.  Well it seems some city council members do not.  Leslie Ghiz complained “…he’s not the boss..The manager’s the boss.  He’s nobody’s boss.”  (source).   While it it true that our city is run by a city manager, the mayor is still seen as playing a prominent role in how people view the city and therefore it is not inappropriate for him to take on this task.

    And Chris Bortz said “he might put forth a motion to sue the production company to make sure the show doesn’t air, saying Mallory was simply “advancing a personal agenda.”   Seems they only wanted him involved more in the budget process so they have one more person to point the finger when things go wrong.

    Oh and Mayor Mallory is fairly recognized in the city (see bio) so rumors were that they gave him different facial hair and dreadlocks, thus the picture.

    Anyone watch UB?  Do you think it would be good or bad for your city if your mayor appeared on the show?

  • Things to know when visiting Costa Rica

    Sites of Costa Rica Cartoon

    Normally, when I take a well deserved break from cartooning for a few weeks, I kick my heels up at home and just take a mental break from blogging/internet.  But this Christmas, we went away on a trip to Costa Rica.  I have been to Belize and Mexico but never had any intestinal issues before.  Even in Costa Rica, I kept with the experts advice to only drink the water at the hotels or bottled water.  And yet I spent more time in the bathroom than I have in the last six months combined.

    But it didn’t keep me from seeing the incredible sites of Costa Rica and experiencing the extremely genuinely nice people of that country.  The only thing I missed out on doing was the zip line tour.  I didn’t want to have to crap on people from the trees as I swung by…even though I saw a few monkeys do it.

    So for anyone preparing a trip to Costa Rica, I offer you the ten things I learned that I didn’t know about this wonderful country before I went.

    1. They disbanded their army in 1948
    2. More so than other Central American countries, Costa Ricans are mostly of  European descent.   Some sites claim that disease brought by the Spanish settlers killed off much of the indigenous population.
    3. Costa Rican woman have a high self-esteem.  Which was explained to us by a guide as we passed a large woman, who may or may not have recently given birth, wearing a bikini.
    4. Even in the dry season it rains (a lot).
    5. You can find souvenir vendors all over the place but what they don’t sell but need to are battery operated fans and sweat towels.
    6. Bob Marley must have been Costa Rican and NOT Jamaican (as evidenced by the number of Marley beach towels and tshirts for sale everywhere.
    7. For a country that prides itself on tourism, it doesn’t take much pride in completing roads to get you anywhere.  If you are lucky you get a two lane paved road.  I saw one road construction worker the entire time I was there, and he was on his lunch break.
    8. If you are on a antacid like Nexium, Prilosac, etc., you may be more prone to intestinal issues as the reduced acid in your stomach allows the bacteria to take hold in your stomach.
    9. Due to issues with processing toilet paper in water treatment facilities, most public restrooms have a garbage can next to the toilet for you to deposit your used TP.  I thought it was surprising that it didn’t smell.  My wife said several of the women’s restrooms did.  I think men are more courteous and wrap their poopy TP nicer than the women.
    10. Given the previous two points, it seems only fitting that they named their currency the COLON.

  • Editorial Cartoon: Credit Card ID

    Editorial Cartoon: Credit Card Identification

    First of all, let me give credit to all you who do recurring characters and multipanels.  This took much longer to do than I anticipated.

    Has anyone else had this conversation with a sales person?  I know everytime I have asked the same question, this is the response I get.  My signature has worn off my credit card due to overuse so I am asked for a photo ID frequently.

    Their response to why they need it never made sense to me as the last panel illustrates.  And guess what, they are wrong.

    According to several sources (see Kiplingers, Consumerist), the reason they ask for a photo ID is because your credit card is not valid unless it is signed.  So the merchant is supposed to compare the signature on your license with the signature on their copy of the receipt.  HOWEVER, they never do that.  They always compare the name (not the signature) on the credit card with the name on the Photo ID. 

    Personally I would be happy if all merchants required photo id and matched the credit card against the ID.  However, funny enough Visa and Mastercard discourage merchants from doing so by saying a Photo ID is not a requirement for purchase as long as the card was signed.

    Sadly, with online purchasing, self-service checkout and even digital signature pads (does anyone’s signature look remotely like their real one on those things), the chances for someone illegally using your credit card is rising.  The good news is you are typically only on the hook for at most $50 assuming you report the fraudulent charges in a timely manner.

    Thoughts?



  • Editorial Cartoon: Obama and Clinton

    Editorial Cartoon: Obama and Chelsea Clinton

    I know I don’t post editorial cartoons typically on Friday but this was so timely (thanks Mike) that I couldn’t pass it up before it became old news or someone else shamelessly stole my idea.

    So it seem President Obama has been getting some slack for passing off his press briefings to the Clintons.  Last week it was Bill when discussing the reasons he negotiated the tax cut deal with the Republicans.  And this week he passed off questions on Afghanistan to Hillary.

    I’m all for delegation but he seems to be running out of Clinton options.



  • Editorial Cartoon: Christmas Pariah

    Editorial Cartoon: Salvation Army - The Christmas Pariah

    Every year in the United States, the charity organization Salvation Army has volunteers standing outside of grocery stores and retailers with a red kettle ringing their bell for patrons to donate.  Sometimes I give, sometimes I don’t.  There never is any rhyme or reason to when I do or don’t.

    Last year I saw a client of mine out volunteering so I stood with her for ten minutes as she rang her bell.  I noticed a strange phenomenon.  Most of the people who made eye contact seemed to donate.  However the vast majority chose not to donate and in doing would look down or away as they walked past.  It was as if by looking at the volunteer as they went by they might get some sort of disease.  I got to thinking that I have probably been guilty of the same thing.

    So this year, I made a pledge that no matter if I was planning to donate or not that I would acknowledge every single kettler (I don’t know what they are called so that works for me) and give them a cheery “hello” ….as I then walk on by.

  • Editorial Cartoon: TSA Pat Downs (again)

    Editorial Cartoon: TSA Pat Down

    I actually drew this one last week but it got pushed back.  It is the second of my editorial cartoons on the TSA Pat Downs.   I got to wondering, as embarrassing as it is for passengers, how must a TSA agent feel to have to grope the smelly crotch of some dude who hasn’t bathed in over a week.

    And the results are in and almost 90% of you thought my latest TSA shirt design was appropriate so in honor of your votes, I present the following design available right now on the store on buttons, stickers, t-shirts etc.

    Stop Gate Rape Button