Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Cartoon #276: “Mel Gibson”

Title: Mel Gibson; Text: (Man watching TV showing breaking news. TV audio says:) Mel Gibson announced today he is handing over power to Raul Castro.
Mel Gibson was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving early Friday, July 28, 2006. He asked the arresting officer if he was Jewish, then antisemitically blamed the “F---ing Jews” for starting all the wars in history. Gibson, who directed the controversial movie “Passion of the Christ” apologized the next day. That statement was followed on Monday by news that he had checked into an alcohol rehabitation center. Critics soon pointed out that Gibson had not apologized to Jews specifically. Gibson did that Tuesday. By then, however, ABC announced it was stopping development of a miniseries in partnership with Gibson about the Holocaust. Gibson, whose father is a Holocaust denier, is a member of a Catholic fringe sect that believes all Jews will burn in hell.

While Gibson’s power was self-destructing in the entertainment industry, news broke on July 31, 2006, that Cuban dictator Fidel Castro was having intestinal surgery and had turned over power to his brother Raul temporarily. Spontaneous street celebrations broke out among the Cuban exile communities of Miami, along with rumors that Castro was dead. Consider the comic possibilities of having Raul take over for Gibson as well.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Cartoon #275: “MySpace”

Title: MySpace; Text: (Couple watching TV showing the robot from Lost in Space below the title, 'Lost in MySpace'.) The robot says: 'Danger Danger Will Robinson'. The man watching TV says: 'Must be one of those new Internet safety ads.'
The parent company of MySpace.com announced last week that it is launching a new safety campaign featuring Kiefer Sutherland, star of the hit TV series “24”.

Sutherland’s 20-second ad urges parents to monitor their children’s online activity. This comes in response to recent media hysteria about the dangers of sexual predators at social-networking sites like MySpace.com.

Last month, a 14-year-old Travis County, Texas girl and her mother filed a $30 million lawsuit against MySpace. The suit claims MySpace.com did not take sufficient steps to protect the teenage girl from being sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old man from Buda, Texas.

In the same week, it was reported that MySpace has received more page visits than all other domain names, according to Hitwise, a company that tracks internet use.

Cartoon #274: “Patricia Pickles”

Title: Patricia Pickles; Text: (Patricia Pickles head inside a jar labeled 'P.I.S.D. Pickles Freshly Canned')
The Pflugerville, Texas, School District’s superintendent, Patricia Pickles was officially “resigned” last Monday, after only a two-years on the job. She was the districts fourth superintendent in 30 years. In a unanimous vote, the school board accepted her resignation, but board members refuse to say why. Charles Dupree was picked to serve as acting superintendent until a new one is named.

Cartoon #273: “Hutto’s Grid Route”

Title: Hutto's Grid Route; Text: (The letters H-U-T-T-O transformed into a high-voltage power line, viewed in perspective.)
The fast-growing City of Hutto, Texas, is on the preferred route for a major addition to Texas’ power grid. The affected property owners claimed they were not properly informed by those selecting the route, Texas Utilities, and the Lower Colorado River Authority.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Cartoon #272: “Redistricting Plans 2006”

Title: Redistricting Plans 2006; Text: (Six panels showing Peanuts characters Lucy, Linus, and Charlie Brown lying on a hillside looking at clouds. In a parody of the most popular Peanuts strip of all, Linus sees complex images — Texas voting districts.)
The 2003 Texas redistricting was a highly controversial congressional redistricting plan. It was appealed to the United States Supreme Court in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry. On June 28, 2006, the Supreme Court upheld the statewide redistricting as Constitutional, but struck down Congressional District 23 as racial gerrymandering in violation of Section Two of the Voting Rights Act. On June 29, 2006, a U.S. District Judge as part of a three judge panel, under an order from the U.S. Court of Appeals, overseeing the redistricting ordered that both sides should submit proposed maps by July 14, respond to their opponents’ maps by July 21, and that oral arguments will occur on August 3.

Cartoon #271: “Frequent Redistricting”

Title: Frequent Redistricting; Text: (Four panels showing muppet Elmo jumping over sign that says 'New Distric' to the tune 'Hokey Pokey' under heading that says 'Hot Toy: Frequently Redistricted Voter Elmo) You put your whole self in...You put your whole self out...You put your whole self in...Then you shake from all the doubt.
The 2003 Texas redistricting was a highly controversial congressional redistricting plan. It was appealed to the United States Supreme Court in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry. On June 28, 2006, the Supreme Court upheld the statewide redistricting as Constitutional, but struck down Congressional District 23 as racial gerrymandering in violation of Section Two of the Voting Rights Act. The Court also ruled that states are free to redistrict as often as they like, instead of the traditional wait until after the census every 10 years. The consequences of frequent redistricting are yet to be seen. After the confusion and legal wrangling caused by Tom Delay in Texas, the effect on voters does not look good.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Monday, June 26, 2006

Cartoon #270: “Campaign ’06”

Title: Campaign '06; Text: (Carole Strayhorn, Rick Perry, Kinky Friedman, and Chris Bell standing under heading:) Campaing '06-Keeping Austin Weird
Good fortune is smiling on Texas cartoonists. As of last week’s certification by the Texas Secretary of State of voter signatures submitted by two independent candidates, the race for Texas governor officially became a wacky five-person contest between Rick Perry, the Republican incumbent with poor poll ratings but strong party support; Carole Keeton (McClellan, Rylander) Strayhorn (aka “Grandma”), the Republican state comptroller challenging Perry as an independent bypassing the Republican primary; Kinky Friedman, a cigar-chomping, popular fiction writer and country music singer, also running as an independent; Chris Bell, the Democratic Party candidate, facing the difficult task of winning in a strong Republican state; and James Werner (not shown in this cartoon), the Libertarian Party candidate, who has the least chance of garnering “free” media coverage that the other candidates are getting in abundance.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Cartoon #269: “Gas Prices”

Title: Gas Prices; Text: (two car characters from the movie 'Cars' looking at hood ornament logo that reads:) A Disney-Pixar Fantasy - Affordable Gas
As gas prices and concerns about them continued to rise, the Disney/Pixar movie “Cars” generated the most box office sales for two consecutive weekends after its nation-wide release June 9, 2006. But its second weekend percentage drop was one of the highest in Pixar history. Compared to its debut, Cars grossed $31.2 million from 3,988 theaters — a loss of 48%. One reason could be that, as critics pointed out, the story runs out of gas. Still, moviegoers drove to theaters to experience the movie’s escapist fantasy of affordable gas.

Cartoon #268: “2500 Iraq Milestone”


The death toll of U.S. soldiers hit the 2500 milestone last week, while Congress debated withdrawl from Iraq. At a press conference upon his return from a surpirse visit to Baghdad, President Bush again said he disagrees with those who are calling for a timeline for the withdrawl of U.S. troops from Iraq. Last November, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel raised the question: If Iraqis can discuss a date, why can’t we?

Bush is sticking to the same default exit strategy used in Vietnam from 1964 through the end of that undeclared war. The majority of U.S. citizens, however, want a strategy that brings home all of our troops alive, and whole mentally and physically

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Cartoon #267: “Rove Unindicted”

Title: Rove Unindicted; Text: (man in a park looking at large Karl Rove statue inscribed with the words:) Karl Rove, Counselor, Public Servant, Unindicted
After five appearances before the grand jury, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove will not be indicted in the CIA leak investigation, according to a statement his attorney made Tuesday, June 13, 2006. Mainstream news reports claim this decision by Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald signals that his probe is not likely to target any other Bush administration officials.

But according to the alternative news blog The Raw Story, lawyers directly involved in the case told Raw Story that Fitzgerald is extending his probe and pursuing much more serious charges against senior White House officials.

“The lawyers said that in the past month Fitzgerald has obtained explosive information in the case that has enabled him to pursue broader charges such as conspiracy, and civil rights violations against targets like Rove. Rove could also provide information that would allow Fitzgerald to target additional officials,” Raw Story reported.

Whether or not Rove is off the hook, his ultimate legacy will be his role in lowering the bar for occupants of the White House.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Cartoon #266: “Flag Desecration”

Title: Flag Desecration; Text: Heading: 'Flag Desecration' (U.S. flag with stripes representing chart bars pointing downward, labelled:) Bush, Congress, The Economy, The War, Homeland Security, Health Care
The eternal flag desecration proposal is being debated again this week by the U.S. Senate. It is the second of two “wedge issues” debated this month to distract citizens from President Bush’s low approval ratings. A proposed amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage failed last week.

Opponents of the proposed “flag-burning” amendment, including civil liberties groups and first amendment defenders, point out the rarity of flag desecration in the United States, and assert that the proposed amendment is the epitome of “a solution in search of a problem”.

They also say that an amendment making such activity illegal would undermine the very principles for which the flag stands; jailing protesters of dissenting opinion — such as those who burn national flags — is common under authoritarian regimes.

Another argument stems from the fact that groups such as the American Legion and the Boy Scouts of America regularly burn flags as a way to dispose of them in a respectful manner in keeping with the United States Flag Code. According to this argument, the amendment would single out people who committed the same act with different intentions — thus, the amendment would regulate free thought, in contradiction to the First Amendment. Read more.

Cartoon #265: “Unemployment”

Title: Unemployment; Text: (Shopper and checker in grocery store) Shopper: 'My Katrina unemployment benefits just ran out.' Checker: 'My Albertson's unemployment benefits just started.'
Almost a year has passed since Hurricane Katrina, and displaced families are still struggling.

Last Sunday, their unemployment benefits ran out. About 29,000 workers
in Texas got Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits. Nationally, about 83,000 were cut off. Now it can be said that they are on the “Bush Jobs Program”: pray you’ll find a job soon.

In another story, Albertson’s grocery store chain is closing 10 Central Texas stores. With its purchase by a group of investment firms completed June 2, the
newly formed Albertson’s LLC announced Tuesday it would close 30 stores
described as “under-performing” in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma,
including 10 in Central Texas.

Then there are those with really bad luck — Katrina evacuees who had jobs at Albertson’s.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Cartoon #264: “Inconvenient Truth”

Title: Inconvenient Truth; Text: (Al Gore and John Kerry giving 'thumbs up' sign under heading:) Re-elect Gore-Kerry '08 (and) Another inconvenient truth
When Al Gore’s documentary on global warming, “An Inconvenient Truth”, debuted the weekend of June 2, 2006, media pundits used it not to educate news consumers on weather, but as a forum on whether Al Gore was considering running for president in 2008. The same week, the article by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., “Was the 2004 Election Stolen?”, debuted in Rolling Stone magazine. Kennedy’s article comes on the heals of the book “Fooled Again: How the Right Stole the 2004 Election & Why They'll Steal the Next One Too (Unless We Stop Them)” by Mark Crispin Miller.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Cartoon #263: “Enron Verdict”


Former Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling were found guilty by a Houston jury today of multiple counts that resulted in the collapse of their former company. Former Chairman Lay was convicted of all six counts against him. Former CEO Skilling was convicted of 19 out of 28 counts. Sentencing was scheduled for September 11th.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Cartoon #262: “Clifford Antone”

Title: Clifford Antone; Text: (Antone at the pearly gate with new signage reading:) Antone's II (and) Blues Heaven
Clifford Antone died Tuesday of an apparent heart attack. An all-night jam session by some of the world's greatest Blues musicians will honor him at his namesake club in Austin beginning at 4 PM.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Cartoon #261: “Nazi Archive”

Title: Nazi Archive; Text: (Man holding video tape over open box labelled with a swastika and 'Archive' says) Hey... Another 9/11 tape.
Fifty million files in a vast archive in the German town of Bad Arolsen will be opened for the first time to researchers according to an agreement on May 16, 2006. The decision was made by the 11-nation International Commission that oversees the archive. The panel has kept the archive locked away since World War II. The files are expected to be available by the end of the year.

An example of documents in the archive was shown to reporters in April. It was the the camp’s Totenbuch, or Death Book, for 1942 and 1943 at the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. Three hundred prisoners were executed in just a few hours on April 20, 1942. The camp commandant did it as a birthday gift for Adolf Hitler.

On the same day, the Department of Defense released a video tape allegedly showing American Airlines Flight 77 striking the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Judicial Watch brought a lawsuit that resulted in the release. The legal action followed a 2004 Freedom of Information Act request by Judicial Watch that was refused by the Pentagon. Judicial Watch, a self-described public interest foundation and legal watchdog, is an extreme right-wing group hoping to put Flight 77 conspiracy theories to rest. Are they joking?

At Nuremberg, General Franz Halder stated in an affidavit that Hermann Göring had joked about setting the Reichstag fire. The “joke” was heard at a lunch on April 20, 1942 — Adolf Hitler’s birthday.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Thought Bubble #49

The opposite of terrorism is tranquilism.

Cartoon #260: “Da Vinci Pfest”

Title: Da Vinci Pfest; Text: (People standing in single-file line woman and man speak:) Woman: This is the longest line I've ever seen for Deutschen Pfest. Man: This is the line for 'The Da Vinci Code'.
Pflugerville’s Deutschen Pfest, an annual festival in Pfluger Park, happens every third weekend in May — the same weekend that the biggest blockbuster movie of the summer hits theaters, usually. This year is no exception. The nearest movie theater to Pfluger Park is about four miles away.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Cartoon #259: “Pflugerville Wal-Mart”


Mayor Cat Callen and other muckety-mucks broke ground last Thursday for the Pflugerville, Texas version of Wal-Mart.

In this local cartoon, we revisit the oft repeated story of the small town in financial trouble, courted by the latter-day robber barons of Wal-Mart.

Pflugerville’s lawmakers are certain, however, that their town will not meet the fate of so many others left high and dry — and back in financial trouble — when Wal-Mart decided it no longer needed them, left an abandoned building too large to sell at a profit, and unemployed residents.

Cartoon #258: “English Anthem”

Title: English Anthem; Text: (Bush standing before U.S. Seal with the words E Pluribus Unum, says)
In April, a Spanish song inspired by the national anthem heated up the debate over illegal mexican immigration.

“I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English,” Bush said at an April 28 news conference in the Rose Garden. “And I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English, and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English.”

It was soon remembered by some in the media that Bush’s scripted 2001 inaugural ceremony featured the national anthem sung in Spanish by Jon Secada. It was further reported that Secada sang the anthem in Spanish as a regular feature of the Bush campaign.

To that we simply say, “E Pluribus Unum.”

Cartoon #257: “Illegal Immigrant”

Title: Illegal Imigrant; Text: (Superman flying above cityscape, hears voices below saying) It's a bird. It's a plane. It's an illegal immigrant.

As national lawmakers debate the immigration bill, the summer movie season begins, and the much anticipated “Superman Returns” hits theaters nationwide June 30. The latest Superman movie reminds us that as a baby, Superman arrived from his home planet Krypton in a rocketship, crashed in a field, and was found and “adopted” by a childless farming couple, Jonathan and Martha Kent, who named him Clark. Superman became a hero by living a secret life, doing low-paid work that most could not, or would not do. As a hero, he is not like stereotypical illegal immigrants, who face racist abuse at the hands of their “adopted” country.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Cartoon #256: “Mission Accomplished 3”

Title: Mission Accomplished 3; Text: (Man in turban lighting fuse attached to text:) Mission: Accomplished Year 3
May 1, 2006 was the third anniversary of President Bush’s photo-op on an aircraft carrier, wearing a flight suit, in front of a huge banner reading “Mission Accomplished.” Today, another suicide bomber blew himself up. The attack was aimed at a line of recruits outside Fallujah’s police headquarters. The bomber killed at least 15 people and wounded 30. The purpose of the attack was to discourage Sunni Arabs from joining forces controlled by U.S. occupiers and their puppet government.

Cartoon #255: “PISD Dress Code”

Title: PISD Dress Code; Text: (School board trustee in clown costume says) We want a dress code that reflects our values.
This is another local cartoon. What happens in Pflugerville stays not in Pflugerville.

An article in the Metro section of the April 26, 2006 Austin American-Statesman detailed the 6-1 vote by the Pflugerville School Board trustees to allow stricter dress code policies if individual schools desired them.

The trustees had voted down strict dress codes a month earlier. With this second vote, they caved in to totalitarian voices calling for less freedom for public school parents. School leaders who make allowances in favor of repressive dress codes are clowns, and should dress accordingly.

The editorial accompanying this cartoon in the May 4th Pflugerville Pflag, which favors a universal, strict dress code, creatively spun the second vote as having unfortunately caused the death of a system-wide, strict dress code for the 2006-2007 school year, but leaving hope alive for the possibility of such a dress code next year.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Cartoon #254: “Blanton Museum”

Title: 'Blanton Museum'; Text: (two guys looking at a Pollock-like painting) Man 1: What's this one called? Man 2: “Blanton Museum Parking.”
Less local than the previous cartoon, this is somewhat of a Texas story, from the standpoint of Texas’ status in the world of art museums.

This Saturday, April 29th, is the grand opening of the Blanton Museum of Art on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. It could have been a cutting-edge piece of architecture, but former Gov. Bill Clements, and other provincial Texans on the UT board of regents couldn’t get their minds around anything as radical as modern architecture. So much for keeping Austin weird.

So we ended up with a so-so art collection in a so-so building. In keeping with the rest of campus, the parking situation is best described as Byzantine. As the Blanton’s parking web page euphemistically puts it: “Here are a number of ways to easily park when visiting the Blanton.

Cartoon #253: “PISD Track”

Title: PISD Track; Text: (Runners pass by two signs reading respectively:) School District Property - No Public Use Allowed. P.I.S.D.
This is a local cartoon. Nobody ever said, “What happens in Pflugerville stays in Pflugerville.”

The April 27th Op-Ed in the Pflugerville Pflag will focus on the fact that PISD residents voted for $2,102,911 in bonds to redo the turf and tracks at three high schools, and now the public is not allowed to use the tracks nor the football fields for local events or just waking for fitness.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Cartoon #252: “McClellan Resignation”

Title: McClellan Resignation; Text: (Scott McClellan at his podium saying:) I can’t comment on my on-going resignation.
President Bush announced the resignation of his second press secretary, Scott McClellan, this morning. During his tenure, it became obvious that McClellan was either lied to by his superiors in the White House, or that he willingly voiced the Bush administration’s lies to the press. That is... when he would answer questions at all without saying he “can't comment on an on-going investigation.”

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Cartoon #251: “Special Session 2006”

Title: Special Session 2006; Text: (Group picture of John Sharp, Carole Strayhorn, David Dewhurst, Tom Craddick, and Rick Perry under heading:) Scary Movie 5 the School Finance Special Session
Gov. Rick Perry’s latest legislative special session started on April 17. The session will be the third called session in two years in addition to the regular session. All ended in gridlock on school finance. Now the legislature is up against a Supreme Court deadline of June 1 to finally pass a school finance plan that is constitutional.

“Scary Movie 4” came in first in the weekend box office. Given the history of the Texas Legislature’s recent failures, this session looks like a sequel:

Perry appointed former state comptroller John Sharp, a Democrat, to draft the Governor’s new plan. Current state comptroller Carole Strayhorn, who is running against Perry as an independent candidate, has been publicly critical of his plan. Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, and House Speaker Tom Craddick, both Republicans, have disagreed with each other, and with Perry, on how exactly to lower property taxes while raising money for schools. If lawmakers do not meet the June 1 deadline, the state will be legally prevented from sending money to its 1,037 public school systems until lawmakers come up with a new system.

Called sessions last 30 days. That leaves time for a 5th attempt before the deadline. Scary.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Cartoon #150: “Rumsfeld Nuts”

Title: Rumsfeld Nuts; Text: (Panel 1: Dec. 1944, General Anthony McAuliffe says) Nuts! (Panel 2: Dec. 2004, Donald Rumsfeld labeled 'Nuts!'

I did this cartoon for the 60th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, which produced the famous quote by General Anthony McAuliffe in answer to German demands that he surrender.

As of April 13, 2006, a total of six retired generals had called for Defense Secretary Rumsfeld to resign. Major General Charles Swannack, commander of the 82nd Airborne in Iraq, and Maj. Gen. John Riggs joined the calls for Rumsfeld's resignation.

As of April 9, 2006, four retired U.S. generals had called for Rumsfeld’s resignation. Marine Corps Gen. Anthony Zinni first criticized Rumsfeld in April 2004. He was joined in recent weeks by retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold, Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, and Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who commanded the Germany-based 1st Infantry Division in Iraq. Opinion polls show public support eroding for the illegal U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Monday, April 10, 2006

Cartoon #250: “Leaker-In-Chief”

Title: Leaker-In-Chief; Text: (Bush, teaching class of young children, says) Then... After it came out in court filings that George Washington chopped down the cherry tree, he admitted giving the axe to John Adams who gave it to his friend Scooter.

Scooter Libby said U.S. President George W. Bush okayed leaks of secret CIA intelligence material. The statement from Libby, former senior aide to Vice President Cheney, came in a filing Wednesday by prosecutors in his perjury case. The statement puts the president for the first time at the center of the case that until now focused only on senior aides and Cheney.

The President has repeatedly denounced leaks and kept his distance from the scandal. Bush told reporters in 2003: “I don’t know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I’d like to know it, and we’ll take the appropriate action.”

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Cartoon #249: “DeLay is Done”

Title: DeLay is Done; Text: (Tom DeLay with a giant fork stuck in his face) The Hammer. The Fork.

Just before the late local news broadcasts of April 3, 2006, news broke that former Majority Leader Tom DeLay would not seek reelection. The following morning, DeLay announced his resignation from the United States House of Representatives. On September 28, 2005, a Travis County grand jury operating under Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle indicted DeLay for conspiring to violate Texas state election law stemming from issues dealing with his involvement in Texans for a Republican Majority.

Friday, March 31, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 31, 2006

Contact:
Richard Bartholomew
bartholoviews@yahoo.com
www.bartholoviews.com

Pflugerville Cartoonist Among Best of Year

Gretna, LA — Richard Bartholomew’s editorial cartoon “Social Security” has been included in the book, “Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year: 2006 Edition.” The annual collection is edited by Charles Brooks and published by the Pelican Publishing Company with the cooperation of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.

Since 1972, “Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year” has highlighted the best work of both U.S. and Canadian cartoonists. “I am excited and honored to be one of the cartoonists selected by Mr. Brooks,” declared Bartholomew. “His annual overview of political cartooning has been an inspiration to me for nearly 20 years.” Brooks is a past president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists and former long-time cartoonist for the Birmingham News.

In August, Bartholomew’s “Social Security” and “Identity Theft” each won top prizes in the Annual Homer Davenport Days International Cartoon Contest in Silverton, Oregon. In 2004, Bartholomew’s “Al-Cicada” won the Davenport contest’s grand prize and in 1996 he won 3rd place with “MIGs.” Bartholomew won an Outstanding Entry Award in the 1996 John Fischetti contest with “CREEP - Committee to RE-Elect the President.” Columbia College Chicago awards the Fischetti annually.

His cartoons have appeared in many major publications, including the Austin American-Statesman, the Washington Post, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Waco Herald-Tribune, the Austin Business Journal, North Dallas People, QuorumReport.com, and the Metro County Line (Pflugerville), and in the collection of the Newseum in Arlington, Virginia.

Bartholomew is also an animator who worked on Warner Bros.’ “Quest for Camelot” and DreamWorks’ “Prince of Egypt.”

Born in Dallas, Bartholomew has lived in Pflugerville, Texas since 1987 where he began his political cartooning career in 1995. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from The University of Texas at Austin in 1980.

His e-mail is bartholoviews@yahoo.com. His award-winning cartoons are available online:

“Social Security” http://www.bartholoviews.com/social_security.htm

“Identity Theft” http://www.bartholoviews.com/identity_theft.htm

“Al-Cicada” http://www.bartholoviews.com/al_cicada.htm

“MIGs” http://www.bartholoviews.com/migs.htm

“CREEP” http://www.bartholoviews.com/creep.htm

— 30 —

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Cartoon #247: “Future Presidents”

Title: Future Presidents; Text: (Bush says) Future presidents will decide to withdraw the troops. (Uncle Sam's arm extended holding paper reading 'Impeach Bush', Uncle Sam says) Agreed!

President Bush said in a press conference on March 21, 2006, that withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq will be up to future presidents and future governments of Iraq. In the mean time, Bush’s approval ratings continued to fall, political leaders continued to call for censuring him over illegal domestic spying, and political groups began vocally calling for his impeachment.

Monday, March 20, 2006

Cartoon #246: “Pre-emptive War”

Title: Pre-emptive War; Text: (Two panels, man at desk says) 1) When people tell you about preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war. 2) (Desk name plate says 'Ike', Pres. Eisenhower says) War settles nothing.

I did a slightly different version of this cartoon three years ago when the U.S.’s illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq began. I think President Eisenhower’s quote is worth repeating on the third anniversary of the start of the Bush regime’s war of aggression.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Cartoon #245: “Dubai Port Deal”

Title: Dubai Port Deal; Text: (Bush in three panels, says) 1) I was all for the Dubai Port Deal. 2) (Looking at paper reading: 'G.O.P. Opposes Port Deal.')But I had to give in. 3) Too much pier pressure.

President Bush did not give in so much as wait for his buddies in the United Arab Emirates to announce that they would turn over management of six U.S. ports to a U.S.-owned company. Thus, letting him off the hook. Now all Bush has to do is repair the damage to his approval rating caused by the public perception that he is clueless about port security.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Thought Bubble #36

How will we know when abortion rights opponents are taken seriously? When we celebrate our conception day, instead of our birthday.

Monday, February 13, 2006

Cartoon #244: “Cheney Hunting Accident”

Title: Cheney Hunting Accident; Text: (TV says) Vice President Dick Cheney shot a man while hunting on the Armstrong ranch in Texas and did not report it for 24 hours. (Couple watching TV shout in unison) The Armstrong Ranch!?

This was my reaction, and I think the reaction of the most politically savy Texans upon hearing about Deadeye Dick Cheney’s little mishap with a shotgun. The history of the Texas Armstrong family will be the most underreported aspect of this story, including its politically influencial daughter-in-law, Anne, and the relationship between the Armstrong family and the Bush Crime Family. There is also the related story of Bush’s other hunting companion, close friend and confidant, William “Will” Stamps Farish III, whose family has ties to companies that helped sponsor the Nazis. The Bushes have an annual hunt on the Farish’s Beeville, Texas ranch.

Sydney Blumenthal wrote the following in his column, “Shoot First, Avoid Questions Later”:

Katharine Armstrong is linked to two family fortunes — those of Armstrong and King — that include extensive corporate holdings in land, cattle, banking and oil. No one in Texas, except perhaps Baker, but certainly not latecomer George W. Bush, has a longer lineage in its political and economic elite. In 1983, Debrett’s Peerage Ltd., publisher of “Debrett’s Peerage and Baronetage,” printed “Debrett's Texas Peerage,” featuring “the aristocrats of Texas,” with the King family noted as the “Royal Family of Ranching.” The King Ranch, founded by Richard King in 1857, is the largest in Texas, and its wealth was vastly augmented by the discovery of oil on its tracts, making the family a major shareholder of Exxon. The King Ranch is the model for Edna Ferber’s novel of Texas aristocracy, “Giant.”

John B. Armstrong, a Texas Ranger and enforcer for the King Ranch, founded his own neighboring ranch in 1882, buying it with the bounty of $4,000 he got for capturing the outlaw John Wesley Hardin. In 1944, almost inevitably, the two fortunes became intertwined through marriage. Tobin Armstrong’s brother John married the King Ranch heiress, who was also a Vassar classmate of Tobin’s wife, Anne, who came from a wealthy New Orleans family....

While the incident continues to unfold, the Bush administration is pressing a new budget in which oil companies would receive what is called “royalty relief,” allowing them to pump about $65 billion of oil and natural gas from federal land over the next five years without paying any royalties to the government, costing the U.S. Treasury about $7 billion. For Texas royalty like the Armstrongs, it would amount to a windfall profit.

The curiosities surrounding the vice president's accident have created a contemporary version of “The Rules of the Game” with a Texas twist. In Jean Renoir’s 1939 film, politicians and aristocrats mingle at a country house in France over a long weekend, during which a merciless hunt ends with a tragic shooting. Appearing on the eve of World War II, “The Rules of the Game” depicted a hypocritical, ruthless and decadent ruling class that made its own rules and led a society to the edge of catastrophe.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Thought Bubble #35

How will we know when women are considered equal to men? When men bikers normally ride on the rear of motorcycles driven by women.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Monday, February 06, 2006

Cartoon #243: “Cartoon Prophets”

Title: Cartoon Prophets; Text: The Prophet Muhammad (arrow pointing to Spongebob Squarepants, two turbaned men talking: Man 1 says) How do we know it’s a picture of the Prophet? (Man 2 replies:) How do we know it’s not!?

Muslims have been staging demonstrations against some cartoons, first published in a Denmark newspaper last September. The allegedly sacrilegious editorial cartoons have been republished in other newspapers since then, and in recent weeks, to show support for freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Please note one of those demonstrations in particular. Thursday, Muslim religious students in Multan, Pakistan burned an effigy of Denmark’s Prime Minister Andres Fogh Rasmussen (Associated Press wire photo published Friday, February 3, 2006).

What’s wrong with this picture?

First, Muslims interpret Muhammad’s teachings as strictly prohibiting any depictions of humans or animals. If pictures of the Prophet Muhammad are strictly forbidden, how do Muslims know when he is being depicted? If they accept such a picture as a blasphemous image of their holy leader, they themselves are committing the sacrilege they despise. They somehow believe it is Muhammad’s image, and believe the image to be sacred — which is idolatry.

Second, Islam’s prohibition against images of people (in this case their beloved prophet) is reportedly the main reason for their anti-cartoon protests. It is blasphemy (not to mention hypocrisy), therefore, for Muslim religious students to create an effigy.

Third, the demonstrators are posing for the cameras (still and video), instead of repelling the infidel photographers. By posing, each protester is a co-creator of his own forbidden portrait.

Some government leaders in Muslim countries are also wondering about these so-called protests. A report on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, Monday, noted that officials intend to investigate the possible influence of “outside” (read U.S.) Intelligence behind the demonstrations.

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Thought Bubble #32

With the first bite of ice cream, adults’ faces recall their childhood appearance.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Cartoon #242: “Bush-Abramoff Photos”

Title: Bush-Abramoff Photos; Text: Secret White House Photo: George W. Bush meets Jack Abramoff(Photo of Bush shaking hands with a hatted Abramoff, and reaching for a bag of money Abramoff is handing him with his other hand.)

The Bush administration refused last week to publicly release five White House photographs showing Bush posing with Jack Abramoff and his family. Abramoff peaded guilty to bribing Republicans in Congress. Though Bush denies knowing him, suspicions remain that Abramoff was as chummy with Bush as he is with several other administration officials.

Yes, I know this cartoon would be funnier if Abramoff was presenting Bush with a giant check. But Al Franken thought of that joke first.

Cartoon #241: “Hamas”

Title: Hamas; Text: (Panel 1, Bush says) Without democracy in the Middle East, the terrorists win! (Panel 2, Bush looks at paper, reading) Palestine election results... (Panel 3, Bush says) The terrorist won.

The Palestinian elections resulted in the landslide election of the radical militant group Hamas. The Bush administration called them a terrorist group and threatened to cut off financial aid unless Hamas renounced armed violence and the destruction of Israel. The Bush foreign policy has again shown that democracy in the Middle East is a simplistic policy at best.

Monday, January 23, 2006

Cartoon #240: “Google Privacy”

Title: Google Privacy; Text: (Bush standing behind the word 'Google' peeking through an 'o' says) I see you're lookin' at anti-Bush cartoons again.

Today’s google editorial in the Austin American-Statesman said it best: “In short, government lawyers aren’t looking for specific instances of wrongdoing or even suspected wrongdoing, they just want to poke around in Google’s electronic desk drawers to see what’s there. That’s a classic example of a government fishing expedition and a most inappropriate use of subpoena power.”

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Cartoon #239: “Perry Intelligent Design”

Title: Perry Intelligent Design; Text: (Gov. Rick Perry standing at blackboard says) It's not Darwin. It's win, darn it! (on blackboard is a double helix shaped like a dollar sign, followed by an equal sign, and 'votes')

Texas Governor Rick Perry announced on Jan. 5, 2006, that he supports teaching Intelligent Design (ID) in Texas schools as an alternative to scientific evolution. You’re not fooling anybody, Rick. In 2003, Perry called for Texas to help finance the decoding of the bovine genome because it would benifit the Texas cattle industry. When he needs to be a Darwinist, he’s a Darwinist. When he needs to push ID, he’s an IDiot. It’s really about money and power. But there is one thing Rick Perry will always be: an Aggie.

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Cartoon #238: “Strayhorn Switch”

Title: Strayhorn Switch; Text: (Carole Strayhorn at dias in front of campain sign that says) Carole Keeton McClellan Rylander Strayhorn - Democrat Republican Independent - for Texas Governor - Decisive. Committed.

Republican Texas Comptroller Carole Strayhorn (her latest married name), former Democratic mayor of Austin, announced Monday that she was switching political affiliations again. This time she is running as an independent candidate. She announced last September that she was a gubernatorial candidate. Carole is the mother of Scott McClellan, President Bush’s press secretary, and Mark Barr McClellan, Bush’s head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Department of Health & Human Services. Their father was her first husband, Barr McClellan, who wrote the book, “Blood, Money and Power: How L.B.J. Killed J.F.K.”

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Cartoon #237: “National Champion”

Title: National Champion; Text: (Longhorn steer labeled #1, with elongated, ornamental horns, and holding a long-stemmed rose in its mouth.)

In a 41 to 38 victory at the 2006 Rose Bowl, The number two ranked University of Texas Longhorns defeated the number one ranked University of Southern California Trojans and won the national championship of college football.

In doing so, Texas prevented USC from winning an unprecedented third straight national championship, ended the Trojan’s 34-game winning streak, and achieved vengence for UT quarterback Vince Young, the game’s MVP, who was recently beat out for the Heisman Trophy by USC running back Reggie Bush.

As an alumnus of the University of Texas, and the Longhorn Marching Band — The Showband of the Southwest — I say, Hook ’em Horns!

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Cartoon #236: “Southwestern Wildfires”

Title: Southwestern Wildfires; Text: Frying Pans (Frying pans in the shapes of New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, with appropriate panhandles.)

Wildfires continue in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, all states with ‘panhandle’ regions. Fueled by dead and dormant winter foliage and grass, in addition to extreme drought, wildfires are destroying small towns and killing people. State governors have declared emergencies and disaster areas. Burn bans are in effect, but are not idiot proof. Hopefully, this cartoon will burn warning images into the minds of the ignorant and uninformed.

Cartoon #235: “Patriot Acts”

Title: Patriot Acts; Text: Patriot Acts 1775: (Patrick Henry says) 'Give me liberty, or give me death.' 2006: (Bush says) 'Give up your liberty or we're all gonna die.'

The Patriot Act, which gave dictatorial powers to top U.S. officials after 9/11, has been extended for six months. That was a compromise between those who wanted it to expire and those who wanted to make it permanent. Citing the act, in defense of his illegal, unwarranted, domestic spying, Mr. Bush repeated his rationalization that the safety of U.S. citizens justifies the suspension of civil liberties. Founding Father Patrick Henry, a true patriot, would disagree.