Source: Politics<\/p>\n
1 00:00:00,150 –> 00:00:06,470 >> Nancy this is one of the things that people I don’t think get about political cartoonist is that we’re very serious people. 2 00:00:06,500 –> 00:00:13,020 >> Oh yeah yeah. Yes we are. Yes we are. I’m just missing my pipe leaders 3 00:00:13,020 –> 00:00:17,590 friend and a good pen. 4 00:00:17,890 –> 00:00:23,250 >> Welcome to punch lines. And today we are talking to two winners of the Herblock Prize at the Library of 5 00:00:23,250 –> 00:00:28,940 Congress. And for those who are the uninitiated Herblock Prize is really the foremost tart 6 00:00:28,940 –> 00:00:34,830 tune prize for political cartoonists in the country especially this year since the Pulitzer Prize was not awarded because 7 00:00:34,830 –> 00:00:40,380 of the pandemic. The two last years of the prize are going to be awarded at the same time to 8 00:00:40,380 –> 00:00:42,660 Rob Rogers and Michael to Abbott. 9 00:00:42,750 –> 00:00:48,630 >> Welcome Michael. Joining us from Canada I have to say and Rob who’s tuned in from Pittsburgh. 10 00:00:48,630 –> 00:00:50,490 >> We both wore the sweater. 11 00:00:50,490 –> 00:00:56,170 >> I know. And this was a last minute choice from the Herblock Prize here. 12 00:00:56,220 –> 00:00:59,640 >> You are anointed masters of the cartoon art. 13 00:00:59,970 –> 00:01:05,130 >> I want to ask a really basic question What are you trying to achieve by spending decades sitting around on 14 00:01:05,130 –> 00:01:10,560 your butt drawing cartoons about politics and it’s to draw the political elites 15 00:01:10,560 –> 00:01:15,960 in a way that humanizes them to express my views and to take 16 00:01:15,960 –> 00:01:21,480 the piss out of a lot of people. A lot of big egos out there that deserve to have that happen 17 00:01:21,480 –> 00:01:21,780 to them. 18 00:01:21,780 –> 00:01:27,090 >> The cliche answer is to just be a part of the conversation. But it’s a cliche because it’s 19 00:01:27,090 –> 00:01:32,310 true. Ideally it would be to actually persuade people to your 20 00:01:32,310 –> 00:01:35,700 point of view although I don’t think that happens very often. 21 00:01:35,700 –> 00:01:40,430 >> Is there a singular cartoon that you’re most proud of that somehow had the biggest effect. 22 00:01:40,590 –> 00:01:46,170 >> Last year I did one that was just short of a six panel thing showing the history of violence against 23 00:01:46,170 –> 00:01:51,570 blacks in America. And then the final pile was this white guy looking at the protesters saying Why 24 00:01:51,570 –> 00:01:56,990 so angry. I’m sort of a gag writer when I could do a cartoon without without too many words. I 25 00:01:56,990 –> 00:01:59,700 and it really hits than I than I than I like it. 26 00:01:59,700 –> 00:02:06,000 >> Twenty years ago I did a cartoon of the premier of The New Brunswick. They weren’t covering the specific Alzheimer’s 27 00:02:06,000 –> 00:02:11,370 drug so I drew the Premier with an old couple and he’s pointing going just say 28 00:02:11,370 –> 00:02:16,980 no to drugs. The next day the province changed the rules. I might have been the 29 00:02:16,980 –> 00:02:18,910 straw that broke the camel’s back. 30 00:02:18,930 –> 00:02:24,150 >> So besides winning the Herblock Prize last year this year might you find out that you’ve got to take over 31 00:02:24,150 –> 00:02:27,740 for Tom Toles as the print cartoonist at The Washington Post. 32 00:02:27,750 –> 00:02:33,300 >> You know you always have dreams of getting a job at a big newspaper in mind fantasy. 33 00:02:33,300 –> 00:02:38,820 I’ve got my cost in my hand I’ve got my drawing tablet in my hand I’m walking by 34 00:02:38,820 –> 00:02:44,370 the White House. But the reality is the first day I I worked for The Washington Post 35 00:02:44,370 –> 00:02:49,680 I got up. Didn’t even put on pants I went downstairs to 36 00:02:49,680 –> 00:02:53,250 my test down here in novel Grumps life was the same. 37 00:02:53,250 –> 00:02:59,130 >> So you’re like this this guy this hanging on to the old model of cartooning and then we’ve got Rob here who’s 38 00:02:59,130 –> 00:03:04,200 like bravely venturing out into the world of online only. How’s that going. 39 00:03:04,650 –> 00:03:10,050 >> It’s going great. I thank God for counterpoint. It is sort of a brave new world but I 40 00:03:10,050 –> 00:03:15,300 wish I could say it bravely went there but. I actually was sort of forced to go 41 00:03:15,300 –> 00:03:15,530 there. 42 00:03:15,700 –> 00:03:20,200 >> Yes by standing up to your publishers desire to have you go easy on Donald Trump. 43 00:03:20,220 –> 00:03:25,800 >> Exactly right. I mean I guess I could have I could’ve certainly drawn flattering cartoons about him and waited 44 00:03:25,800 –> 00:03:27,360 it out. But now I can do that. 45 00:03:27,510 –> 00:03:32,730 >> So what’s the worst part of being cartoonists in 21 and I think I know the answer to that and it probably has something to 46 00:03:32,730 –> 00:03:33,780 do with social media. 47 00:03:34,050 –> 00:03:40,020 >> I kind of enjoyed the polarization on Twitter. It’s like going out and literally surfing 48 00:03:40,020 –> 00:03:45,540 like the giant waves in Hawaii you’re going to fall in the undertow if you get caught it. I 49 00:03:45,540 –> 00:03:46,590 kind of like it. 50 00:03:46,590 –> 00:03:51,500 >> What advice would you give people who are heading out in this current era of cartooning. 51 00:03:51,630 –> 00:03:56,940 >> You need to be hungry. You’ve got to be prepared to get rejection. You’ve got to wear 52 00:03:56,940 –> 00:04:00,340 that rejection as a badge of honor. You never give up. 53 00:04:00,360 –> 00:04:03,020 >> Coach Lombardi that was great. Let’s go get.\n <\/p>\n