I just approved Rick Shermans editorial page cartoon for Wednesdays edition. His cartoons must get approved the day before they are published in the Times.
At least 90 percent of the time, Id say, Rick comes up with the topic and viewpoint for a cartoon on his own. He monitors closely what the topics on our Views pages are and often will draw to those topics. Occasionally, he will ask for topic ideas. When he does, I try to let Rick determine where the cartoon will go once a subject matter is agreed upon. It is only in very rare instances when Ill suggest what his cartoon should say about a particular topic.
Rick and I dont necessarily see eye to eye on all of our political views. I can recall having some spirited discussions with him in the leadup to the 2004 presidential election, when I was editor of the Freeport iNK weekly newspaper and he was our cartoonist.
I prefer it that way. (Though most of the time Im right and hes wrong!)
Ricks political cartoons are not intended to stand as the newspapers viewpoint on any particular issue. They are intended to reflect Ricks thoughts, just as a published letter represents the letter writers opinion and not necessarily the papers. Frankly, if we published only letters, columns and cartoons that we agreed with, we wouldnt have much of a Views page to publish!
At least 90 percent of the time, Id say, Rick comes up with the topic and viewpoint for a cartoon on his own. He monitors closely what the topics on our Views pages are and often will draw to those topics. Occasionally, he will ask for topic ideas. When he does, I try to let Rick determine where the cartoon will go once a subject matter is agreed upon. It is only in very rare instances when Ill suggest what his cartoon should say about a particular topic.
Rick and I dont necessarily see eye to eye on all of our political views. I can recall having some spirited discussions with him in the leadup to the 2004 presidential election, when I was editor of the Freeport iNK weekly newspaper and he was our cartoonist.
I prefer it that way. (Though most of the time Im right and hes wrong!)
Ricks political cartoons are not intended to stand as the newspapers viewpoint on any particular issue. They are intended to reflect Ricks thoughts, just as a published letter represents the letter writers opinion and not necessarily the papers. Frankly, if we published only letters, columns and cartoons that we agreed with, we wouldnt have much of a Views page to publish!
