Breathed Misses Newspapers a Bit

By: Dave Astor Berkeley Breathed spent much of his talk explaining why he absolutely, positively had to leave newspaper cartooning. But 14 years after ending "Bloom County," and eight years after ending its Sunday-only "Outland" spinoff, Breathed said he might like to try a weekly comic again.

"I can't say it wouldn't be appealing to bring back Opus to the Sunday pages," Breathed told National Cartoonists Society (NCS) meeting attendees here. "It was painful to sit through the war without a public voice." He added that a cartoonist has more control when doing a newspaper comic than when collaborating on, say, a movie. Breathed is currently working on a film featuring the penguin Opus, while continuing to do children's books.

But then there are those reasons for ending "Bloom County" in 1989 after a nine-year run that won Breathed a Pulitzer Prize in 1987 and a place in nearly 1,300 newspapers via the Washington Post Writers Group. Breathed noted that a comic has an "arc" and "life span" before it starts losing its creative juice. "Bloom County" was reaching that point, he said, and there were also pressures to merchandise the strip more than Breathed would have liked. In addition, most newspapers were running comics too small -- still a problem today -- and making deadlines was difficult.

Breathed recalled that during the pre-digital 1980s, he would race to an Iowa airport to put "Bloom County" strips on a plane to Washington. More than once, his car broke down in the snow and he ran the rest of the way. Sometimes, Breathed would get on the plane to finish the strips -- not easy during turbulence -- before entrusting them to a taxi driver and hopping back on the plane.

One 1980s Washington resident, Ronald Reagan, was a periodic "Bloom County" target. Once, Breathed put a photo of Nancy Reagan in his comic for no particular reason. The president liked it, and phoned Breathed for the original of the strip. The cartoonist received the call while in the shower, and wished he had possessed the nerve to say: "Mr. President, I'm not wearing any pants!" When Breathed told Bill Watterson about this, the "Calvin and Hobbes" creator sketched a naked Reagan replying: "That's quite a coincidence, Berke."

Another cartoonist, "Doonesbury" creator Garry Trudeau of Universal Press Syndicate, was a strong early influence on "Bloom County." Breathed recalled mimicking Trudeau more than he should have. "Not just his style, but old gags," Breathed said. "I honestly didn't remember they came from someone else." He explained that the process of writing a comic is complex, with original ideas mixed with subconsciously remembered ideas from other strips seen years before.

Breathed went on to develop his own style, and characters such as his memorable penguin. "About seven or eight months into 'Bloom County,' I drew Opus for no reason, thinking he would last a few gags," he said. "But he gave the strip focus." Also enduring was scruffy Bill the Cat, who was initially drawn to mock the more commercially oriented Garfield.

The 1957-born Breathed, who last attended an NCS meeting in 1988, was in the news recently when MyComicsPage.com (Syndicate World, May 1) added "Bloom County" reruns in its mix.

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Locher Defends Cartoon

Some Had Charged Anti-Semitism

A Dick Locher cartoon in the Chicago Tribune drew criticism from the paper's public editor, a Chicago Sun-Times editorial, and some readers who felt the drawing had anti-Semitic elements. But Locher disagreed with that charge, and defended the cartoon.

"I was trying to go to bat for the American taxpayer," Dick Locher told E&P Online June 2. "Israel is a good friend, but let's get an accounting of where the money is going."

Locher's May 30 cartoon showed President Bush placing American dollars on a bridge over "Mideast Gulch" in an effort to lure Israel into negotiating with the Palestinians. "On second thought, the pathway to peace is looking a bit brighter," says an Ariel Sharon-like figure as he eyes the money.

Some readers thought the cartoon played into the stereotype of Jews being "avaricious and greedy."

The June 1 Sun-Times editorial stated: "The cartoon's message -- that Israel's interest in peace is sparked, not by a desire to end bloodshed, but by American cash -- is a lie that sails beyond legitimate comment into a baseless slur."

And Don Wycliff, the Tribune's public editor, wrote June 1: "It is no secret to readers of this column that I have been no fan of Sharon and his policies. But I was jolted when I looked at the cartoon and saw that figure with the hooked nose, the Star of David, and those words -- particularly since money has never been the decisive issue in the Middle East dispute."

But Locher said he's an equal-opportunity caricaturist -- noting that he always draws a big nose on Yasir Arafat (including such a nose on an Arafat-like figure in the May 30 drawing). "Editorial cartoonists work with exaggeration," he explained.

"I had no slur in mind whatsoever," Locher continued, expressing surprise people interpreted his cartoon that way. He said he's not anti-Semitic and that anti-Semitism would "dilute the message" of a cartoon.

Locher added that he thought of the idea for the cartoon after talking over the foreign-aid issue with several friends -- some Jewish and some not Jewish.

Tribune Editorial Page Editor Bruce Dold told E&P Online: "I think Dick Locher intended to make a comment on how the U.S. exerts influence through its foreign aid."

The paper received at least a few dozen e-mails and calls about the cartoon, though Dold and Wycliff could not give an exact number. They both did say that there were more negative than positive reactions from readers. But Locher reported that about two-thirds of the three dozen e-mails he received were supportive.

Locher, a 1983 Pulitzer Prize winner, is a former staff cartoonist for the Tribune. He still has a freelance arrangement with the paper to supply about one local cartoon a week. His national and international work -- such as the May 30 cartoon -- is syndicated to the Tribune and other papers via Tribune Media Services. But the May 30 cartoon, while drawn for TMS, did say "Chicago Tribune" in the lower right corner.

A TMS spokesperson could not be reached for comment about whether any other papers had problems with the cartoon.

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Cronkite to Write Column

Signs With King for August Debut

Walter Cronkite, 86, is taking the plunge into weekly opinion writing with a column King Features Syndicate will distribute starting in early August.

The former CBS News anchor has declined a number of column offers in the past. Why did he agree to do one now? In a quote released via King, Cronkite said he is troubled by "our bellicose military policy; our arrogant foreign policy; our domestic security policy that threatens our freedom of speech, press, and person; and our financial policy that many if not most economists believe threatens a national deficit deep into this century."

Cronkite will write about these Bush-administration policies as well the 2004 elections, the media, and various other topics.

King Managing Editor Glenn Mott told E&P Online that Cronkite's liberal voice will give newspapers an alternative to the many conservative voices distributed by King and other syndicates.

Mott approached Cronkite about doing a column after reading a 2002 New York Times piece Cronkite wrote about the increasing corporatization of the media.

He said Cronkite is still "an extremely active and extremely sharp" man who never really retired after stepping down as CBS News anchor in 1981 (when he was succeeded by Dan Rather, who, coincidentally, also writes a King column). During the past 22 years, Cronkie has been a special correspondent for CBS News, cofounded a company that has produced more than 60 documentaries, written his autobiography, and more.

Cronkite began his journalism career in the 1930s at various newspapers and radio stations before covering World War II for United Press. He joined CBS in 1950.

"He's seen many of the major events of the past century - and probably known every president since Franklin Roosevelt," said Mott. "He has historical perspective and credibility."

Mott said a number of newspapers have already purchased the column, but declined to give an exact figure.

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Columnist Praised in Sean Penn Ad

Solomon Impressed by Actor-Director's Message

A full-page ad Sean Penn placed in the May 30 New York Times included criticism of the Bush administration, the Iraq war, and the media -- as well as praise for syndicated columnist Norman Solomon.

The actor/director wrote: "In early December 2002, I was invited by Norman Solomon of the Institute for Public Accuracy to join him on his journalistic tour of Baghdad. I met with Norman and did some due diligence on the IPA. Norman is a soft-spoken gentleman, and a relentless author of books, essays, and articles exposing media truth and fiction ... ."

Solomon, whose media column is distributed by Creators Syndicate, told E&P Online he was impressed with the ad. "I think it was a nuanced statement so different than soundbites can be." he said. "It was 180 degrees from the cartoonish caricature a lot of Murdoch-paid pundits have painted of Sean Penn and other well-known people who have spoken out against the war mentality."

The potential impact of the piece? "Changes in public policy happen in the aggregate rather than with one silver bullet," replied Solomon, who knew Penn was working on the statement.

Penn's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, told E&P Online that the ad has elicited "both positive and negative reaction, as expected," but did not give numbers. A New York Times Co. spokesman said the paper had received no letters to the editor about the ad as of June 2.

A May 30 E&P Online story about Penn's ad did elicit about 40 letters - both pro and con.

The Times Co. spokesman declined to say what Penn spent for his May 30 message. But a look at The New York Times Web site indicates that a weekday full-page ad of the kind Penn purchased may have cost nearly $140,000.

Solomon said "I really don't care for celebrity culture" but found Penn - when traveling with him in Iraq -- to be a "very thoughtful person," a father concerned about the effect of war on children, and a "private" man despite being in the movie profession.

The trip, and his association with Penn, brought an avalanche of publicity on Solomon when he returned to the U.S. "It was impossible to unpack for a couple of weeks," he recalled. "The amount of media calls was huge. I received a whole raft of invitations from Fox News and others to go on and be denounced. They were clearly gunning for me."

Solomon decided to make the appearances anyway, and felt he succeeded in making some points usually "ignored in the mass media."

The columnist also did a post-Iraq-trip piece -- entitled "Fame's Price Isn't Loss of Right to Voice Dissent" -- for The Sun of Baltimore that was picked up by other papers via the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service. Solomon wrote: "Often overlooked is the simple and illuminating fact that celebrities rarely get into public relations trouble for aligning themselves with popular views. ... If Mr. Penn had gone to a U.S. military base in the Persian Gulf region to support the anticipated war against Iraq, it's hard to imagine that America's cable news channels would be filled with the kind of fierce arguments that have raged about his peace-oriented trip to Baghdad."

In his lengthy May 30 message, Penn recalled being hit by a "tidal wave of media misrepresentation and even accusations of treason" after placing an ad in the Oct. 18 Washington Post urging President Bush to avoid a war. He also said he thought it was important to visit Iraq "to replace television images with a real sense of place and people," and added that "I made no comments in Baghdad against our government. Not one. I did, however, declare an acceptance of some personal accountability for my government's actions, those then, and now, paid for in part by my tax dollars."

While in Iraq, Penn continued, "I spoke at length with wary war correspondents whose repeated attempts to bring deeper understanding to the American public were consistently thwarted by editorial staffs, networks, and superiors, both Iraqi and American."

Penn then discussed the subsequent U.S invasion of Iraq -- noting that Saddam Hussein was "a beast among men" but decrying the deaths caused by the war, the ignoring of worldwide antiwar sentiment, how regime change is benefiting certain U.S. corporations, and more. He also praised the heroism of soldiers while adding that "President Bush's 2004 budget proposed a $6.2 billion cut in veterans' health and welfare benefits."

Penn also observed: "Our television channels show images of grateful and liberated Iraqis with no acknowledgement that true poverty will bring the best of us to our knees, where we would honor any individual or nation who held food."

He further wrote that, with a few exceptions, Democrats have been "entirely complicit" in Bush's actions.

Penn provided the afterword in Target Iraq: What the News Media Didn't Tell You (Context Books, 2003) by Solomon and Reese Erlich.

Penn could not be reached for comment. When asked why the ad was placed, Buxbaum replied: "Because Sean cares deeply for our country."

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Op-Ed Column for Galloway

Military Correspondent Is With KRT

Joseph L. Galloway, senior military correspondent for Knight Ridder, is moving into opinion writing with a column Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service launched June 4.

Galloway -- whose weekly feature will cover military and national-security matters -- is a Bronze Star winner who did four tours of duty in Vietnam as a United Press International reporter, covered the first Gulf War, and co-authored We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young (later made into a Mel Gibson movie).

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One 'Crisis' Might Lead to Another

GVNN Newsletters On Hiatus; New One Planned

Globalvision News Network (GVNN) put its e-mail newsletters on hiatus starting June 1.

One was the six-month-old daily "Crisis Capsule," which covered the Iraq war, its aftermath, and other news.

Editor in Chief Rory O'Connor told E&P Online May 30 that GVNN may launch "Media Crisis Capsule" in about a month. That e-mail newsletter would focus on "the faltering role the media play" in global conflict, said GVNN Executive Editor Tim Karr in a note to newsletter subscribers.

GVNN's daily news service (E&P Online, March 27) is still operating. It offers as many 4,000 stories a day from 350 wires, newspapers, Web sites, and other sources based in 125 countries. It also offers columns.

Karr said the service (http://www.gvnews.net) hopes its "delivery of the views from others around the world has provided a broader, deeper, and more textured perspective on the 'War on Terrorism.'"

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Et cetera ...

Accu-Weather is celebrating its 40th anniversary June 6. One way it's marking the milestone is with a contest that will award an all-expense-paid trip to Philadelphia to the person who accurately forecasts the city's weather on Juy 4. The company (http://www.accuweather.com) has 18,000 customers in media and other areas. ...

A memorial service for Toni Mendez is scheduled for June 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Anti-Defamation League, 823 United Nations Plaza, New York City. Mendez died March 9 at age 94 after a career as a literary agent who had many ties to the cartooning world (Syndicate World, March 13, 2003). ...

The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reinstated "B.C." after many readers complained about it being dropped. The comic is by Johnny Hart of Creators Syndicate. ...

A six-week "Crankshaft" story line that began May 26 is revisiting character Lucy McKenzie's descent into Alzheimer's disease and her sister Lillian's struggle to care for her. The comic is by Tom Batiuk and Chuck Ayers of King Features Syndicate. ...

The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists Notebook reported that several creators recently received editorial cartooning prizes. They include Clay Bennett of The Christian Science Monitor and Christian Science Monitor News Service (Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Award), Kevin "Kal" Kallaugher of The Sun of Baltimore and Cartoonists & Writers Syndicate (Overseas Press Club Award), Steve Sack of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Tribune Media Services (Headliner Award), and the self-syndicated Tom Tomorrow (Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award). The J.P. Trostle-edited Notebook also reported that Dorrance Publishing released Hail to the Thief, a collection of cartoons about the Clinton presidency. ...

Andrews McMeel Publishing released several new comic collections: I Want to Be the Kitty by "Mutts" creator Patrick McDonnell of King, I Would Have Bought You a Cat, But... by "Get Fuzzy" creator Darby Conley of United Media, Your Momma Thinks Square Roots Are Vegetables by "FoxTrot" creator Bill Amend of Universal Press Syndicate, Ziggy Goes Hollywood by Tom Wilson of Universal, Hey, James by "James" creator Mark Tonra of Universal, and Pooch Cafe: All Dogs Naturally Know How to Swim by Paul Gilligan, now of Universal. ...

"Cornered" creator Mike Baldwin (http://www.cornered.com) of Universal has a new collection from cartoonebooks. ....

"Food Fight" is being syndicated. Rebecca Hohlstein's column (http://wwwrhohlstein.com) deals with various food-safety issues -- including the possibility of contamination by terrorists. ...

Dan Sherman
(http://www.danshermanonline.com) is syndicating a baby-boomer-themed humor column.