Why I Have Hope
December 31st, 2024 Barry Posted in Barry's favorites | No Comments »
I don’t have a cartoon syndicate and I’m not in newspapers. But I get to do this for a living because lots of readers support my Patreon with mostly small pledges! I also have prints and books for sale.
TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON
This four-panel cartoon shows two women talking as they walk through a park. The first woman has red hair and glasses, the second woman has a red hoodie and black hair held in a bun.
PANEL 1
GLASSES: So what do you think – is democracy done for?
BUN: What do I know? I thought Trump was definitely going to lose. Twice.
PANEL 2
A close shot of Bun, who looks distressed.
BUN: When I was a kid lots of smart people said we were doomed to be destroyed by nuclear war, and I believed them.
PANEL 3
BUN: I was shocked when the Berlin Wall fell. And I thought we’d never get gay marriage or legal pot in my lifetime.
PANEL 4
Both characters smile, and Bun spreads her hands expansively.
GLASSES: So you predict things will be all right?
BUN: No, I predict catastrophe. But it gives me hope that my predictions are always complete garbage.
CHICKEN FAT WATCH
Chicken fat is a venerable cartoonists’ term for unimportant details put into the backgrounds.
PANEL 1: There’s a hole in the ground, and Marge Simpson is popping her head out of the hole.
An almost illegibly tiny newspaper lies on the ground. The newspaper is called “The New Fork Tines.” The top headline says “Democrats Choose Youth For Leadership Position,” with a sub-headline reading “Newly appointed leader only 71.”
A bottle lying on the ground has a label that says “Old Litter.”
A mouse is holding a skunk at gunpoint. The skunk has its hands raised and next to it is a sack with a “$” on it.
PANEL 3
A bird flying through the air is wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigarette.
A hole in a tree has a paper hanging from it, which says “Hole For Rent, utilities not included.”
PANEL 4
One of the buildings in the background has a gigantic teddy bear climbing it King Kong style.
The mouse from panel 1, holding a shovel, stands by a freshly dug grave. The money bag lies near the mouse’s feet.
