Let it never be said that art is impotent, that it lacks the power to move people.
As ever, even a few clever cartoons can seem to indirectly result in rioting, rampage and death. Beyond the cartoons as scapegoat, much more has to be at the root of such insanity, as there always has been where severe reaction to political cartoons is concerned. It’s never really the cartoons alone, but the cartoons are often kept in print for many years afterward to help the future remember highlights or low points of those moments in history.
But since the first cave sketches, artists have often been known to go for effect and to make our statements about the world around us, don’t we? Is that part of the pen being mightier than the sword? Well yes, and that pen draws as well as writes. We can only hope it does so as responsibly and with as much heart as possible.
My best to you,
HWD
