The Big Book of Bush Cartoons

The Big Book of Bush Cartoons
Edited by Daryl Cagle and Grian Fairrington
Que.
ISBN 0-7897-3470-2
Humor, Political Cartoons
Reviewed by Pamela Crossland

Daryl Cagle once won a round of "Political Cartoonist Name that Tune" by drawing George Bush with three lines. He comments that Bush is often drawn as a cowboy with large ears, though his ears are not particularly large nor does he spend a great deal of time listening. For that matter, he is not a Texan - Dubbya was born in New Haven, Connecticut. Whether you like Bush or not, he does inspire cartoonists around the world to comment with some very pointed work.
Categories range from Bush and the environment, Bush and Osama, WMDs?, Stem Cell Research, and end with Hurrican Katrina, with many more in between. We need to understand how the world views Bush; for example, cowboys have a romantic, strong, independent reputation in America (which is exactly why the spin doctors forget his birthplace - what image can you create with New Haven for heaven's sake!) In other places, cowboys are seen as " ill mannered, uneducated, and prone to violence." The section on the Abu Ghraib Photos is more chlling than humorous, as political cartoons often must be.
This books is a must have for collectors of political cartoons; I would recommend it as a source for discussion among college and perhaps high school students.