The Wrath of Sparky

by Tom Tomorrow

A collection of cartoons offering a satirical look at Rush Limbaugh, President Clinton, congress, and more

Genres: Humor, Comics, Politics, Cartoon

117 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Tom Tomorrow is the pen name of editorial cartoonist Dan Perkins, creator of the weekly political cartoon, This Modern World, which appears in approximately 80 newspapers across the U.S., and on websites such as Daily Kos, Truthout and Credo. His work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Spin, Mother Jones, Esquire, The Economist, The Nation, U.S. News and World Report, and The American Prospect, and has been featured on Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

From 1999-2001, he worked on a series of animated web cartoons which can be viewed here.

In 2009, he created the cover art for the Pearl Jam album Backspacer.

In 2011 he ended a 16 year run at Salon to create and edit a new comics section at Daily Kos.

He has published nine anthologies of his work:

–Greetings From This Modern World (1992)
–Tune in Tomorrow (1994)
–The Wrath of Sparky (1996)
–Penguin Soup for the Soul (1998)
–When Penguins Attack (2000) (introduction by Dave Eggers)
–The Great Big Book of Tomorrow (2003)
–Hell in a Handbasket (2006)
–The Future’s So Bright I Can’t Bear to Look (2008)
Too Much Crazy (2010)

He is also the author of a book for children, The Very Silly Mayor (2009).

He received the first place Robert F. Kennedy Award for Excellence in Journalism in 1998 and in 2003. Other honors include:

1993: Media Alliance Meritorious Achievement Award
1995: Society of Professional Journalists James Madison Freedom of Information Award
2000: Association for Education in Journalism and Education, Professional Freedom and Responsibility Award
2001: James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism
2004: Altweekly Award, 2nd Place
2006: Altweekly Award, 3rd Place

Tom Tomorrow is available for speaking engagements. For further information, contact tomtomorrow (at) gmail (dot) com. He is also currently in the market for a new publisher, if anyone’s interested.

Reviews

[Elzira Rai · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fate of overtly political cartoons is often cruel: they quickly become dated and survive the ravages of time only if the topic they're caricaturing remains current; in other words, their continued relevance depends on the survival of the issues they decry. This collection of Modern World cartoons offers a particularly interesting example of this: while many of its individual targets, such as Rush Limbaugh, have long disappeared from the public sphere, the ideas and political projects they represent (Reaganesque corporate control of government institutions, hate radio, the GOP's flirting with white supremacists, conservative efforts to overthrow Roe vs Wade, the Democrats' drift towards the right, etc.) are more alive than ever, lending the collection additional relevance as a document that portrays the germs of the current political situation in the US. On the other hand, Tomorrow's "liberal" biases (Clinton was in office when these strips were created, yet a relatively minor character like Gingrich is featured much more often than him) are also a good reminder of the reasons for the left's demise in the US, with Democrats being given carte blanche to implement full-fledged right-wing policies while "progressives" channel their anger to convenient GOP caricatures. The art is great, like a combination of pop art and 80s punk xerox ethics, and there are also some interesting strips about the dawn of the Internet era.

[S. Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great collection of This Modern World, the comic strip chock full of political and social commentary. Tom Tomorrow has been an irreverent voice - poking fun at the hypocrisies and illogical actions of both the Left and the Right - in political comic strips for decades, and while comic strips that remain highly topical in their initial print can often feel dated when looking back, This Modern World's relevance remains in tact over the years, not just as a window into past political climates, but in exposing just how little things have managed to change.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably very outdated, especially for younger people, but some classic cartoons in here, like Microsoft and Bill Gates as Chinese style communists.

[Van Tilburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't always agree or even often agree with the author, but he always makes me think and he gores bulls on both sides.