Published Cartoons: Nov 23. , '07 ... Town Crier Audition

One of my recent favourites. And what was extra cool about this one was that Drew Ferguson saw it in the paper and really liked it, too. My pleasure, Drew! I do have one regret about this cartoon and would do it slightly differently if I had to do it over. So, in your head, consider this the do over: I would not mention Mr. Free's name. I did not mean to imply that Mr. Free has done anything wrong. I simply meant that there is an ongoing issue between the Mayor and Mr. Free and that it is a cause for some grief in Meaford. I am not saying either party is guilty... that's for others to decide. In fact there is an issue about whether there is a deficit or not. The powers that be are claiming there is, but that doesn't make it true. But the perception of a deficit must be another source of grief. Hopefully this mess will all be sorted out as investigations continue. Anybody who was simply doing his or her job and was being honest will hopefully be vindicated in the end. I want to re-state that I am taking no sides, nor do I have an opinion about who is right and who is wrong.
I regret any possibility that I have given people this impression and I will try to be more careful in the future. In closing, I should have simply said "Meaford Budget" and left it at that, (and the GTF, which, again without taking any sides, and as an Arts lover, it's always sad to see something of value, disappear.)

Published Cartoons: Dec. 7, '07 ...downtown parking

Published Cartoons: Nov. 20, '07 ... C.B.C. made in China

Jim Merriam is a very funny writer and his columns in The Owen Sound Sun Times are something I look forward to.
I should say that, personally, I kind of like C.B.C. radio. Not all of it, but some of its music shows and comedy shows and other programming are better and more unique than you'll find on commercial radio. It was kind of disappointing to read in Jim's column that a lot of their souvenir merchandise is made in China, what with the C.B.C. being a public-funded media flagship for our country. So I just took the idea one step further. I made every effort to use correct Chinese writing in this cartoon so I used an internet translation service. I looked at a couple of different sites and they used the same symbols. So I trust they were giving me correct info and not setting me up to say something offensive. On the slim chance that they did, then I apologize... but I did try to get it right and I hope I did.
For readers who may be too young to know who Gordon Lightfoot is let me say two things"
1... I'm getting way too old; and 2... He's a Canadian Icon in the music industry. I could have chosen Joni Mitchell, Burton Cummings, Leonard Cohen, or Bruce Cockburn, but I thought that Gordon Lightfoot just seemed right. I almost went with Stompin' Tom Connors 'cause that would have sounded funny and imagining a Chinese person saying that would be good. Maybe I should have gone with that.... but I like Lightfoot, as a singer, better. Come to think of it "The Barenaked Ladies" would have worked well too."

Published Cartoons: Nov.16, '07... Hydro One Runaway Train

I hope something works out satisfactorily in the end. Even in Dec., a month later, their alternative plans/routes are meeting with some objections. I guess whatever ends up being done, some people are going to be p.... er, ticked off. You can tick off most of the people most of the time, but you can never not tick off some of the people any of the time... or something like that.
Anyway, this, to me, is another example of people finding out a bit what it was like for Natives being pushed around by big interests... either big business, or big government, or both... cause it's kind of the same.
Some people, of some level of expertise, are even questioning whether these new lines are even needed. I couldn't tell you. But it wouldn't be the first time some scheme was hatched solely to make some people richer. Anyway, I just read the news story and took the "the runaway train" quote and, well, ran with it.

Published Cartoons: Nov. 15, '07 : Farm Produce Registration

Published Cartoons: Nov. 13, '07 : Cultural Master Plan

There was a meeting come up, and there had recently also been a bit of a flap over Shopper's Drug Mart erecting a big box store in downtown Owen Sound, on a site currently occupied by some old apartment buildings with some historical and architectural merit. I just combined all this into one cartoon joke. And the thing I like the most about this one is that it involves the use of what I'd consider more of a stand-up comedian's sense of timing in its delivery.

Published Cartoons: Nov. 8, '07 : Pesticide Bylaw

This was based on a local news story that said it was hoped a new bylaw on the use of these chemicals would have more bite to it. Sometimes I must really tip my hat to the headline writers who come up with some great lines for me to work with.
P.S. Not too long ago my wife, while out walking one afternoon in the summer saw some sort of church picnic with children rolling around and playing games on the church lawn. Also on that same lawn were signs informing passers by that some sort of pesticide had been applied to that lawn. Kind of a creepy image isn't it? (... and by pests, I'm not referring to the children.)