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Killed Cartoons: Casualties from the War on Free Expression
One hundred political cartoons you wanted to see, but weren’t allowed to: all were banned for being too hot to handle. Think you live in a society with a free press? These celebrated cartoonists and illustrators found out otherwise. Whether blasting Bush for his “Bring ’em on!” speech, spanking pedophile priests, questioning capital punishment, debating the disputed 2000 election, or just mocking baseball mascots, they learned that newspapers and magazines increasingly play it safe by suppressing satire.
With censored cartoons, many unpublished, by the likes of Garry Trudeau, Doug Marlette, Paul Conrad, Mike Luckovich, Matt Davies, and Ted Rall (all Pulitzer Prize winners or finalists), as well as unearthed editorial illustrations by Norman Rockwell, Edward Sorel, Anita Kunz, Marshall Arisman, and Steve Brodner, you will find yourself surprised and often shocked by the images themselves―and outraged by the fact that a fearful editor kept you from seeing them. Needed now more than ever because of a neutered press that’s more lapdog than watchdog, Killed Cartoons will make you laugh, make you angry, and make you think.
With censored cartoons, many unpublished, by the likes of Garry Trudeau, Doug Marlette, Paul Conrad, Mike Luckovich, Matt Davies, and Ted Rall (all Pulitzer Prize winners or finalists), as well as unearthed editorial illustrations by Norman Rockwell, Edward Sorel, Anita Kunz, Marshall Arisman, and Steve Brodner, you will find yourself surprised and often shocked by the images themselves―and outraged by the fact that a fearful editor kept you from seeing them. Needed now more than ever because of a neutered press that’s more lapdog than watchdog, Killed Cartoons will make you laugh, make you angry, and make you think.
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 30, 2008
Interesting concept, but not so hot in practice. It's awkwardly set up - more often than not, the descriptions and explanations of the cartoons are on different pages than the cartoons themselves, which mostly led to annoyance with all the page flipping. (When will publishers learn? I know this! It's not that hard!)
Also, I think there's a distinct possibility that a lot of these cartoons were "killed" because they weren't funny, or were confusing, not just because they were about controversial subjects and opinions.
Also, I think there's a distinct possibility that a lot of these cartoons were "killed" because they weren't funny, or were confusing, not just because they were about controversial subjects and opinions.
December 30, 2012
Killed Cartoons undermines its reason for existing by not reproducing the offending depictions of Muhammed in the chapter about the Danish cartoon uproar.
April 1, 2019
I had to read this book for a journalism project, so going into reading "Killed Cartoons" I was expecting to be bored and only half read the book. However, I got only a few pages in and became immediately hooked in the story. The book follows all the cartoons that were cut/ denied from print and it states the reason for not being published. The book includes many images of cartoons that were cut for various reasons including sex, politics, race, etc. I would recommend this book to anyone, regardless of their interest in journalism, cartoons, or print because the book is not only full of information, but also very fascinating.
May 11, 2009
I don't usually read a lot of political cartoons, mainly because I don't follow politics enough (too depressing) to allow me to understand most of them. The editor and contributors to this book would say that I'm what's wrong with the world today. While I see their point about the importance of political cartoons, and the importance of cartoonists having the freedom to create scandalous images, I did feel like they had a somewhat overblown idea of their own importance.
August 6, 2016
It gave me a decent perspective on the media & how it controls cartoonist's free expression. It might be the same for other journalistic ventures too I believe with moderation. The explanations are quite short in description but conveys the intent & the uncensored cartoons needed the explanation because of the time they were (un)published. Quite a good read. It makes more sense to me when I listen to few speeches by P.Sainath on Indian media.
October 14, 2008
A brilliant collection, less important for the cartoons it reprints than the stories behind them. All told, this book is a particularly damning portrait of the media in the United States (and, to a lesser extent, around the world). These tales of censorship paint a portrait of media controlled by corporations, government, and fear of the public. Very, very sad, and very, very powerful.
July 7, 2024
The cartoons are pretty good, yeah, but much of the voluminous text is repetitive, as if David Wallis can’t imagine anyone trying to read through the book in one sitting. Could have had 4x the artwork and 1/4 the explanations.
Okay, editors are not graphically-minded. Got it.
Okay, editors are scared of offending every crank reader. Got it.
Okay, papers are a shrinking market, and that’s a lot truer in 2024 than it was when this book was published in 2007. Got it the first time.
Okay, editors are not graphically-minded. Got it.
Okay, editors are scared of offending every crank reader. Got it.
Okay, papers are a shrinking market, and that’s a lot truer in 2024 than it was when this book was published in 2007. Got it the first time.
August 8, 2018
Some of them are out there
And some are just killed for a reason- they lacked creativity or didn’t make an efficient point
The author describes well why the cartoons were killed and where from and why
Well organized
And some are just killed for a reason- they lacked creativity or didn’t make an efficient point
The author describes well why the cartoons were killed and where from and why
Well organized
November 21, 2016
Killed Cartoons: Casualties from the war on Free Expression is a compelling book edited by David Wallis. Wallis has compiled a collection of editorial cartoons that were rejected by newspapers and magazines because they were viewed as too controversial. This book challenges the reader to consider the responsibility of the press to inform without offending while it also sheds light on the fact that free press in America is not as free as we might think. Wallis has put together a thought provoking book intended to inform its audience about the fragile balance of the free press.
The theme of killed cartoons is that the media has become to afraid of controversy. Newspapers and magazines are so afraid of offending anyone or or facing lawsuits that america is now only offered a watered down version of editorial art. Editorial art is satire. It is intended to entertain while at the same time offer constructive social criticism. Its Purpose is to bring attention and discussion to current issues. Wallis demonstrates the media's fear of rocking the boat through stories such as one he includes from cartoonist Steve Brodner. When Broders satirical representation of George Bush was rejected due to fear of lawsuits, Brodner argued that since the cartoon represents speech, it would be protected by the first amendment . “ Although most editors agreed this was true, the cartoon was still rejected due to what brodner describes as a “ prevent-defense” that publications deploy rather than facing a legal battle the would ultimately win (152). Another motivation to “ Kill cartoons” is what Terry Mosher describes as cartoonist desire to be universally liked. He states, “ for cartooning to survive, we have to go back to going after local figures and stop this mentioning that satisfies everyone (47). Throughout his book Wallis presents his theme of media's fear of controversy through various stories of why and how cartoons were killed.
The style of Wallis’s book is expository. Through of compilation of rejected cartoons David Wallis shares each artist story of rejection. Through each story wallis is able to highlight the various reasons media publications fear controversy. He also uses the story to demonstrate the importance of political commentary to free press. Wallies tells the story of pulitzer prize winning cartoonist Herbert Block whose cartoon was rejected by the Post due to the fact it supported Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson rather than Eisenhower who the Post had endorsed. “When the beloved cartoons artwork was pulled, enraged post readers accused the Post of censorship and demanded the cartoonist reinstatement” (122). This style of presenting life incidents allows the reader to analyze the controversy of the art versus the infringement on freedom. Each story helps explain the struggle editorial cartoonist face.
I enjoyed this book and found it very thought provoking. I had not considered the impact cartoons have on society. It was interesting to learn the contoveryseditorila cartoonist have faced throughout history as well as the impact they have had on influencing america. I liked that each story was told as it related to a particular cartoon. I also liked that the stories were told from each artist's perspective. Wallis’s use of rejected cartoons to present the media's fear of controversial topics was very enlightening. I was expecting more of a conclusion at the end, but appreciate that the reader is left to contemplate the stories and draw their own conclusions . I would recommend this book. I believe it has an important message about accepting controversial opinions in order to preserve the freedom of th press. I don't want to live in a country where we are told only what we want to hear instead of the truth.
The theme of killed cartoons is that the media has become to afraid of controversy. Newspapers and magazines are so afraid of offending anyone or or facing lawsuits that america is now only offered a watered down version of editorial art. Editorial art is satire. It is intended to entertain while at the same time offer constructive social criticism. Its Purpose is to bring attention and discussion to current issues. Wallis demonstrates the media's fear of rocking the boat through stories such as one he includes from cartoonist Steve Brodner. When Broders satirical representation of George Bush was rejected due to fear of lawsuits, Brodner argued that since the cartoon represents speech, it would be protected by the first amendment . “ Although most editors agreed this was true, the cartoon was still rejected due to what brodner describes as a “ prevent-defense” that publications deploy rather than facing a legal battle the would ultimately win (152). Another motivation to “ Kill cartoons” is what Terry Mosher describes as cartoonist desire to be universally liked. He states, “ for cartooning to survive, we have to go back to going after local figures and stop this mentioning that satisfies everyone (47). Throughout his book Wallis presents his theme of media's fear of controversy through various stories of why and how cartoons were killed.
The style of Wallis’s book is expository. Through of compilation of rejected cartoons David Wallis shares each artist story of rejection. Through each story wallis is able to highlight the various reasons media publications fear controversy. He also uses the story to demonstrate the importance of political commentary to free press. Wallies tells the story of pulitzer prize winning cartoonist Herbert Block whose cartoon was rejected by the Post due to the fact it supported Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson rather than Eisenhower who the Post had endorsed. “When the beloved cartoons artwork was pulled, enraged post readers accused the Post of censorship and demanded the cartoonist reinstatement” (122). This style of presenting life incidents allows the reader to analyze the controversy of the art versus the infringement on freedom. Each story helps explain the struggle editorial cartoonist face.
I enjoyed this book and found it very thought provoking. I had not considered the impact cartoons have on society. It was interesting to learn the contoveryseditorila cartoonist have faced throughout history as well as the impact they have had on influencing america. I liked that each story was told as it related to a particular cartoon. I also liked that the stories were told from each artist's perspective. Wallis’s use of rejected cartoons to present the media's fear of controversial topics was very enlightening. I was expecting more of a conclusion at the end, but appreciate that the reader is left to contemplate the stories and draw their own conclusions . I would recommend this book. I believe it has an important message about accepting controversial opinions in order to preserve the freedom of th press. I don't want to live in a country where we are told only what we want to hear instead of the truth.
January 17, 2012
Even the most hardened cynic will probably find one or two cartoons in this anthology to grumble about, and of course the pure of heart will find much more... but on the whole I found Killed Cartoons verbose and oddly tepid.
Even so, editor David Wallis does manage some impressive range. Independent artists like Ted Rall, Ward Sutton, Carol Lay and Keith Knight rub shoulders with editorial-page mainstays like Mike Luckovich and Matt Davies, along with names like Garry Trudeau, John Callahan, Herb Block and even painter Norman Rockwell—and there are dozens of names I'm not even mentioning.
This book was conceived and published during the first years of the 21st Century, and it shows. Although there are occasional forays into earlier history, the preponderance of these works is from the darkest years of the George W. Bush dysadministration. The theme is censorship—political or editorial cartoons that were finished and submitted, but then spiked by fearful editors, or otherwise kept from publication in their intended venues. The topics range from sex and death through religion and politics, to race relations and corporate power. These are cartoons that the public didn't get a chance to see and judge—which means, for example, that while this book several times brings up the infamous "Danish Dozen" cartoons about Mohammad that ran in Jyllands-Posten in 2005, those cartoons themselves are not depicted. They did, after all, at least see publication.
The transgressive nature of the images that do appear in this book, though, didn't really bother me—they just didn't seem that outrageous. Maybe I'm jaded. The biggest issue I had with Killed Cartoons was that the cartoons weren't really allowed to stand on their own... not only were there seemingly far more words than pictures (the first image isn't even allowed to appear until p.29), but also the words came first—the images were always explained, sometimes redundantly, in prefaces, before the cartoons were ushered onstage, by which point their impact was unavoidably muted.
Nonetheless, if this topic and these artists are remotely of interest, you should probably make the effort to seek this book out and take a look at what these artists tried and (mostly) failed to get into print... until now.
Even so, editor David Wallis does manage some impressive range. Independent artists like Ted Rall, Ward Sutton, Carol Lay and Keith Knight rub shoulders with editorial-page mainstays like Mike Luckovich and Matt Davies, along with names like Garry Trudeau, John Callahan, Herb Block and even painter Norman Rockwell—and there are dozens of names I'm not even mentioning.
This book was conceived and published during the first years of the 21st Century, and it shows. Although there are occasional forays into earlier history, the preponderance of these works is from the darkest years of the George W. Bush dysadministration. The theme is censorship—political or editorial cartoons that were finished and submitted, but then spiked by fearful editors, or otherwise kept from publication in their intended venues. The topics range from sex and death through religion and politics, to race relations and corporate power. These are cartoons that the public didn't get a chance to see and judge—which means, for example, that while this book several times brings up the infamous "Danish Dozen" cartoons about Mohammad that ran in Jyllands-Posten in 2005, those cartoons themselves are not depicted. They did, after all, at least see publication.
The transgressive nature of the images that do appear in this book, though, didn't really bother me—they just didn't seem that outrageous. Maybe I'm jaded. The biggest issue I had with Killed Cartoons was that the cartoons weren't really allowed to stand on their own... not only were there seemingly far more words than pictures (the first image isn't even allowed to appear until p.29), but also the words came first—the images were always explained, sometimes redundantly, in prefaces, before the cartoons were ushered onstage, by which point their impact was unavoidably muted.
Nonetheless, if this topic and these artists are remotely of interest, you should probably make the effort to seek this book out and take a look at what these artists tried and (mostly) failed to get into print... until now.
September 18, 2010
I admit that when I first grabbed this book off the library shelf my only intention was to read read the cartoons and skip over the commentary. But when I couldn't resist the additional text (I can't even ignore the print on shampoo bottles in the shower so I'm not sure who I was kidding) I was pleasantly surprised.
The descriptions around the cartoons were engaging and informative and..... blah, blah, I'm making it sound boring. It's not. Here are something I learned while reading this book:
-that for comic artists writing for newspapers, "[pay] rates have not gone up at all in the past ten years. In fact.....have fallen"
Here's somethings I found to be interesting/upsetting:
-that people ("Christian Right" people) were okay with photos of Abu Ghraib prisoners being degraded but a cartoon depicting (in a fairly mild manner) the hypocrisy of the "Moral Majority" was killed for fear of offending people.
-That some editors don't want to represent poverty issues in a way that shows people enmeshed in poverty can be intelligent, aware, involved people while risking a little discomfort from rich people.
Then there are the cartoons that made me gasp. In a good way?
-Schindlers other list
-a 9/11 comic
and a comic dealing with hate crimes in the wake of Broke Back Mountain's release.
The descriptions around the cartoons were engaging and informative and..... blah, blah, I'm making it sound boring. It's not. Here are something I learned while reading this book:
-that for comic artists writing for newspapers, "[pay] rates have not gone up at all in the past ten years. In fact.....have fallen"
Here's somethings I found to be interesting/upsetting:
-that people ("Christian Right" people) were okay with photos of Abu Ghraib prisoners being degraded but a cartoon depicting (in a fairly mild manner) the hypocrisy of the "Moral Majority" was killed for fear of offending people.
-That some editors don't want to represent poverty issues in a way that shows people enmeshed in poverty can be intelligent, aware, involved people while risking a little discomfort from rich people.
Then there are the cartoons that made me gasp. In a good way?
-Schindlers other list
-a 9/11 comic
and a comic dealing with hate crimes in the wake of Broke Back Mountain's release.
June 9, 2016
Wow. I learned a lot about the media, particularly newspapers. This collection of "killed cartoons" with context and commentary for each (and more) was pretty fascinating. Freedom of the press? Yeah right. Cartoonists have been forced to silence their opinions about Bush, the Catholic Church, 9/11 or any other war and Reagan, and newspaper's fear offending any of their readers is pretty upsetting. I guess I should've known....but I really didn't think about it enough. Seems newspaper editors have no backbones at best, and are blatant propagandists at worst. Budding cartoonists can't bank on ever making a career of their talents, so it seems, and it's a shame. I was provoked and moved by many of the brilliant editorial cartoons in this collection.
November 2, 2016
I am still reading this book and I cant really tell you a lot about it yet but I would say it very weird at some points in the book like the first part was very dumb and very sexually but then it got way better when I got into it. There is really no charters in this book its just history and and talks about you just have to read it to get a better understanding of it otherwise it a ok book to read and it has a lot of history like aberham linkin the book talks about and the history about him and about people if you are into history. and there was a lot of cartoons they talked about with this book because its called killed cartoons I would recommend this book to only high school and up because of all the bad stuff in it. on the other side this a OK book!
May 28, 2016
A random find from the the front of the Lake Oswego Library. In different parts interesting, educational and disturbing. The concept of censored editorial cartoons and the story behind each one was definitely cool. And a good reminder on what's gone before and how the world is different. Certainly the rationale on some were more clear than others, though only one was absolutely disturbing. But I think being disturbing is part of the point of a editorial cartoon.
June 17, 2007
HIGHLY biased towards cartoons killed during the second Iraq War, this collection features explanatory stories as entertaining and informative as the cartoons themselves. The biggest problem with this book? The cartoons come _after_ the explanations. Flipping back and forth gets very old very quickly.
November 12, 2008
It's nice to see cartoons such as these. The more radical and controversial images show the illustrator's opinions and character far better than the watered down images that are published. On top of the cartoons is a small history lesson of the cartoon and usually of the era the cartoon was placed. A very entertaining book all around!
January 2, 2016
A collection of censored political cartoons, including one by the Post's RJ Matson. I asked Matson (a regular around the Loop) why his cartoon from the book was originally killed and he told me that his editor claimed he "didn't get it."
Read
July 24, 2013Most of the political jokes were lost on me. The book was published in 2007, and the cartoons were all prior to 2007.
That said, the introduction was still relevant, particularly as big name newspaper have cut photographers and really watered down opinions.
That said, the introduction was still relevant, particularly as big name newspaper have cut photographers and really watered down opinions.
December 22, 2013
An illuminating look at various cartoons that were "killed" by newspapers and magazines over the last 70 years because of controversial content. Weighted heavily with cartoons from the last 15 years.
November 3, 2014
Fascinating discussion of many cartoons that have been rejected for many, many reasons. Interestingly, dispelling the myth of the "liberal media," nearly all of these (maybe every one of them) are progressive or liberal ideas killed to cow-tow to conservative ideals.
Huh.
Huh.
January 15, 2008
A great graphic designer read!
April 10, 2009
Interesting, though it's also somewhat depressing to find out what cowards America's newspaper editors are.
June 30, 2009
The cartoons were pretty good. The text, which is the bulk of the book, isn't that interesting.
July 9, 2015
- nearly one hundred editorial cartoons that were banned for being too hot to handle...and the background stories behind each one
- very interesting
- very interesting
January 19, 2016
Good collection with background info.
February 11, 2016
I have never been a proponent of censorship,however...
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews