Feiffer discusses cartoons' transition
Doug Gonzalez / The Dartmouth Staff They have taken on every president since Kennedy and getting on their bad side could have serious consequences. With blazing quick wit and withering cynicism, four of the most decorated cartoonists in American journalism Montgomery Fellow Jules Feiffer, Edward Koren, Edward Sorel and Jeff Danzinger discussed the past and future of illustrated political and social commentary in a Montgomery Fellow panel on Wednesday afternoon in Filene Auditorium. The four cartoonists, all based in New York City, began by displaying favorite examples of their work, running the gamut from early drawings, featuring Feiffer and Sorel's illustrations from the Village Voice, to syndicated newspaper political cartoons and cover illustrations for The New Yorker. Later, the panel engaged in a question-and-answer session about their work. At one point an audience member referred to the panel as men "of a certain age." "What the hell do you mean by that?" Feiffer joked, but the panelists acknowledged that the environment was changing for the older generation of political cartoonists. They agreed that changes in the newspaper industry pointing particularly the closing of several major newspapers and the increasing distaste for edgy content are making it nearly impossible for political cartoonists to make a living. The Internet and technology, likewise, have affected the way younger cartoonists approach their craft. "The next generation works on the Internet ... they work very quickly," Danzinger said.
