Last Monday, 30 workers were trapped in a coal mine in the Turkish province of Zonguldak following a gas explosion. Twenty-eight of them were found dead on Thursday and things don’t look too good for the remaining two. This is the third mining accident in Turkey in a relatively short amount of time. Thirteen workers were killed after an explosion in February, 19 in in a collapse set off by an explosion in December.
Since several toonpool.com members are from Turkey, there is a number of cartoons on the issue. As always with the more tragic topics, I feel somewhat ambivalent about the cartoons. Of course artists feel a need to express their feelings and newspapers need cartoons. But isn’t it an editorial cartoonist’s job to criticize the wrongs of the world by exposing their funny side? There’s hardly anything funny about a mining accident and, since this time it doesn’t seem as if safety regulations were violated, there isn’t really anyone to blame. Consequently, only one cartoon actually criticizes someone (Premier Erdogan for not showing up at the mine). The other cartoons mostly mix images of miners and death (1,2,3,4,5).
To be honest, I don’t feel comfortable about these five cartoons. If there’s nothing to criticize, funny drawings seem inappropriately jolly or, at times, campy. But what, then, is the right way to deal with situations like these? Should cartoonists keep their fingers off of them? Search harder for something to criticize? Stick with the emotional pictures even if they might seem like kitsch to some people? If you have any opinions on this, please tell me.
Introducing…
D
an Reynolds works for reknowned magazines like Reader’s Digest. It might be only me being a Gary Larson fanatic, but, once again, I would describe Reynold’s works as ‘larsonesque’ in terms style and humor. And they’re funny, too. Among my favorites are the ‘beanie baby bathrooms’, ‘reverse psychology’, Reynold’s heartwarming take on global warming and the ‘Keep Your Age a Secret” booth. There’s also a direct reference to Larson’s “Know your Insects” … with extra speed.
Cartoons of Interest
This week’s favorite is Mr. Hugh Jarse’s caricature of Meg & Jack White. It’s always amazing how Jarse manages to reduce features to their most basic forms and retain recognizability. I especially like Meg’s face and the way the artist did Jack’s sickly eyes. And, boy, are they sickly.
I would also like to point out a new cartoon by Till Mette, which I though was funny and a series of soccer caricatures by Pincho (e.g. Henry, Puyol & Ronaldinho). Keep in mind that it’s less than a month until the World Cup starts.
Tags: accident, coal mine, last week, letzte woche, turkey
