Comments on: Readers’ Picks, Readers’ Pics http://toonstoonstoons.net/2009/06/readers-picks-readers-pics/ and why shouldn't they? Fri, 10 Sep 2010 04:55:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Lucky http://toonstoonstoons.net/2009/06/readers-picks-readers-pics/comment-page-1/#comment-141 Lucky Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:39:45 +0000 http://toonstoonstoons.net/?p=364#comment-141 I think Speigelman's tradition is that of an illustrated storyteller. As such, he's always pretty wordy. Maus was a masterpiece in the genre, in my opinion. I was puzzled by his depiction of the jews as mice, though. Mice are typically unwanted rodents and cats are typically seen as the solution to unwanted rodents. Probably, he was drawing a comparison to the "final solution," but it can also be read as a somewhat self-depricating. I agree that political cartoons should do their work in one or two panels and with very little dialog, although some of the work in the 18th and 19th centuries was quite verbose. I actually liked the bomb on the head gag. To me, it works on a couple of levels. It suggests that what you say could be the wrong thing and blow up on you. It also suggests (and I like this one better) that it's necessary to say the right thing, even though it may condemn you in the court of popular opinion. I think Speigelman’s tradition is that of an illustrated storyteller. As such, he’s always pretty wordy. Maus was a masterpiece in the genre, in my opinion. I was puzzled by his depiction of the jews as mice, though. Mice are typically unwanted rodents and cats are typically seen as the solution to unwanted rodents. Probably, he was drawing a comparison to the “final solution,” but it can also be read as a somewhat self-depricating.

I agree that political cartoons should do their work in one or two panels and with very little dialog, although some of the work in the 18th and 19th centuries was quite verbose.

I actually liked the bomb on the head gag. To me, it works on a couple of levels. It suggests that what you say could be the wrong thing and blow up on you. It also suggests (and I like this one better) that it’s necessary to say the right thing, even though it may condemn you in the court of popular opinion.

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