Some of the nation’s leading editorial cartoonists will convene on George Washington’s Foggy Bottom Campus this weekend to celebrate the art of the political cartoon.
Hosted by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC), “#!&% CARTOONS!! A Festival Celebrating the Political Cartoon” will feature three days of panels, chalk talks and other activities, with participation from “new breed” online satirists, traditional lampoonists from the nation’s largest newspapers and magazines, Pulitzer Prize winners and aspiring cartoonists. The convention’s opening day will take place on Capitol Hill on Thursday. George Washington’s School of Media and Public Affairs will host Friday and Saturday’s sessions.
“We have a love-hate relationship with the right, the left, and probably every elected official and politician in every state in the union,” said AAEC president John Cole. “However, one thing they all agree on is that nothing proves that free speech is alive and well more than the political cartoon.”
To celebrate the work of these artists, SMPA has co-curated an exhibit of more than 30 editorial cartoons by members of the AAEC covering American politics, the fall election and issues of national importance. The exhibit will remain on display in the lobby of the School of Media and Public Affairs through the fall semester.
“My goal with this exhibit is for our students to gain a new perspective on modern politics through the eyes of America’s editorial cartoonists and illustrators,” said Samara Sit, SMPA’s director of administration and special projects. “I worked with cartoonist Scott Stantis of the Chicago Tribune over the summer to review submissions from AAEC members. We selected printed cartoons and hand-drawn illustrations to show a variety of viewpoints and topics.”
Friday’s sessions will begin with remarks by Mr. Cole and SMPA Director Frank Sesno and include the world’s first “Cartoon Death Match,” in which four cartoonists will take to the stage and compete against each other until one is left standing. Local celebrities such as The Washington Post’s Gene Weingarten will judge the contest.
The convention will conclude on Saturday with the presentation of the 2012 Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award from The Cartoonist Rights Network International to Ali Ferzat of Syria and to Aseem Trivedi of India. Mr. Ferzat was recognized as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world for his refusal to stop drawing cartoons even after the Syrian regime broke both his hands in an attempt to silence him.