Cartoon Panelists Discuss Religion, Marital Politics

By: Dave Astor As panelists Pat Oliphant and Tony Auth talked about their political drawings, marital politics briefly came up at the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists convention here.

Discussion had turned to the cartoon Oliphant did two months ago about "The Passion of the Christ" movie. The drawing featured a ruler-wielding nun towering over a boy, and the caption read: "In his early school days little Mel Gibson gets beaten to a bloody pulp by Sister Dolorosa Excruciata of the Little Sisters of the Holy Agony, and an idea is born." Boston Globe ombud Christine Chinlund wrote a March 5 column noting that many readers were upset about the cartoon, and that its point "didn't equal the cost."

Chinlund happens to be married to Globe editorial cartoonist Dan Wasserman, who felt Oliphant's drawing had been worth publishing. "I think it was a great cartoon," he said, after being invited to join Oliphant and Auth in the front of the room. Wasserman added that the Globe had done many stories about the sex-abuse scandal in the Catholic Church (for which the paper won a Pulitzer Prize) and that he himself had done many cartoons on that topic. He did note that Oliphant's commentary was somewhat off that subject.

So how did Wasserman and Chinlund work out their difference of opinion? "I moved down here," joked the Tribune Media Services creator, referring to Lexington's Radisson Hotel. "I'm on the fifth floor."

Oliphant said readers "don't like you messing around with religion. They get more irate than with cartoons about political candidates."

The Universal Press Syndicate creator added that a number of newspapers are reluctant to publish potentially controversial cartoons. "Newspapers are becoming more of a bottom-line organization," said Oliphant. "They hate controversy because that affects the bottom line."

Auth, the Philadelphia Inquirer cartoonist also syndicated by Universal, did say his paper is "not afraid" to publish potentially controversial work. "The only reason to do this [be an editorial cartoonist] is to say what you think," added Auth.

Oliphant certainly said what he thought when asked about media magnate Rupert Murdoch. "There's a good reason why people only live so long," quipped Oliphant, who worked for Murdoch's first newspaper in Australia a half-century ago.

How does one stay out of a rut after being in the profession for decades? Oliphant sculpts, among other things, while Auth's activities include illustrating children's books. "I try to do one drawing a day that has nothing to do with political cartoons," said the Inquirer staffer. "It keeps your drawing fresh."