Early appointment

I had a hard time coming up with a cartoon for Hugo Chavez's death. I knew I wanted to, both because it's big news and because I have a special connection with South America. But when I sat down to think, I realized it was kind of hard to come up with something.

Chavez was a self-proclaimed enemy of the United States. But he wasn't an enemy in the same way that Osama bin Laden or Saddam Hussein were. So I didn't want to lump him together with those guys, or draw a cartoon of him at the gates of hell being welcomed by Satan. But I also didn't want to draw him at the Pearly Gates, and imply that I think he was a saint. I don't think I would draw him entering the Pearly Gates, but just drawing him surrounded by clouds and halos and talking to St. Peter would probably not portray the idea that I intended.

Another idea I thought of was to draw President Obama saying something like, "On my watch, we got rid of both Osama bin Laden and Hugo Chavez!" And someone commenting and saying, "Wow, he really is more confident in his second term." I might still draw that one later, but I wanted to actually draw Hugo Chavez himself (and, again, I wanted to avoid equating Chavez with bin Laden).

So then I was thinking about Hugo Chavez's connections with Fidel Castro, and Che Guevara, and how it's somewhat ironic that Castro has survived both of them. And that's what led me to this idea, replacing Satan or St. Peter with the Grim Reaper:

In today's Daily Iowan.

Ghosts of Totalitarian Regimes Past

Oh, I almost forgot to post this cartoon I had in The Daily Universe on Thursday:


I was worried that this cartoon was a little confusing, because it sort of implements and combines a bunch of random ideas. I'll explain my thought process:

1) With all the uprisings in the Middle East, from Tunisia to Egypt to Libya and beyond, I imagined all the revolutions with a dam breaking. The dam would also be a map of the Middle East/North Africa. (At first I was going to draw the borders like cracks in a concrete wall, but I decided to just make it a map. That was easier.)
2) Now, who would try to hold back the dam? Some Middle East leader.
3) I wanted to think of how to draw some generic Middle East dictator, but what would he look like exactly? Then I thought I could draw Saddam Hussein to represent Middle East bad guys in general.
4) Well, since Saddam is dead, I came up with the idea of "Ghost of _____ Past," and to draw Saddam as a ghost.

So, I've got maps and dams and ghosts and Saddam Hussein all put together in a cartoon. What do you think? Was it a stretch? Or does it make sense?

Well, doesn't matter, because it ran in the paper on Thursday whether or not it's comprehensible, haha.

For Those About to Rock, You'd Better Clear Your Desk

So, I was going to put together a J Squared column on Billy Nungesser, my new favorite Louisianan. But then, General Stanley McChrystal became big news. Even though I wasn't especially involved with or passionate about the subject, it turns out I had a lot to say.

Not McChrystal clear

We'll have to save Nungesser for later.

And, a cartoon:


With the BP oil spill mess, a lot of people blame President Barack Obama, a lot blame the MMS, some blame Dick Cheney* ... but everyone can agree that Tony Hayward and BP can be considered bad guys. Which is why Senator Joe Barton got in trouble for sympathizing with them.

So, I thought of other wronged folks the senator may feel like feeling sorry for...

From left to right: Sen. Barton, Hayward, McChrystal, a member of the Algeria soccer team (who the U.S. beat on the way to placing first in Group C for the 2010 World Cup) and Saddam Hussein.

(Of course, by no means am I trying to make Algeria out to be an enemy. Just a friendly opponent in a sports competition. Don't get nervous just because he's standing next to Saddam.)

But what is perhaps the part of today's page getting the most attention is a viewpoint by Jade McDowell. Jade and I are both from The Dalles, and we went to seminary and high school together. Now, both of us have joined forces to give some Dallesian influence to The Daily Universe. Jade is one step ahead of me in the BYU journalism program; she was an editor during winter semester and just finished an internship in New York City.

Anyway, she wrote a few words about her encounters with homelessness in the big city:

A plea for the homeless

Her story is very touching, personal and moving. I hope you enjoy it.

*Jump to 1:35 on this video.