On The 13th Amendment

Cartoon by Barry

Originally published on The Nib

Posted in History, Racism & Racists |

Did Democrats Abandon Blue Collar Voters?

Cartoon by Barry

If you enjoy these cartoons, please support them on Patreon.

This is something that I hear and read frequently, and it always annoys me: People who say “blue collar” or “working class” when what they mean is white working class people. As if people of color somehow don’t count as part of the working class. Ever since the election, this has come up a lot in “why did Hillary lose” analysis.

I don’t usually laugh at my own cartoons, and what I do laugh at is sort of random. But the final line in this comic strip, for whatever reason, makes me chuckle.

(The two paragraphs above, taken together, summarize the job of being a political cartoonist:: Think of something that pisses me off, and then try to make it funny. )

Right now the art looks pretty good to me – but it usually does, right after I finish drawing it. I mainly concentrated on trying to keep the figure drawings loose and lively; I have a real tendency to stiffen up which I’m always fighting against.

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

Panel 1
Two women are having a discussion on the street, a brunette and a redhead. Redhead is speaking intensely.

REDHEAD: Democrats abandoned blue collar voters! That’s why they lose!

Panel 2
BRUNETTE: But don’t democrats push a lot of stuff to help the working class? Minimum wage, obamacare, college grants, the dream act…
REDHEAD (dismissively): Those all help urban people.

Panel 3
BRUNETTE: Besides, Clinton WON blue collar voters, so-
REDHEAD: She only won the blue collar vote if you count urban voters.

Panel 4
Redhead is now looking annoyed, with her arms folded; Redhead leans forward and yells angrily.
BRUNETTE: So to clarify, when you say “blue collar,” that means “white skin”?
REDHEAD: I HAVE NEVER ADMITTED THAT!

Posted in Elections, Racism & Racists |

Good Intentions

Cartoon by Barry

If you like these cartoons, please support them on Patreon.

Transcript of cartoon.

This is a single panel cartoon.

A white man, wearing a collared shirt, looks down as he raises a finger to make a point. He looks a but unhappy and wide-eyed. He’s standing on a huge, huge block of stone. Underneath the stone, struggling to get out, are seven non-white characters, of various genders, ethnicities, and body shapes. They have expressions of shock, pain, and anger. There is a broken crutch lying on the ground.

WHITE MAN: First things first: Can we all agree I had good intentions?

CAPTION: White Priorities

Posted in Racism & Racists |

New cartoon on Fusion: The Hunt For Voter Fraud

Cartoon by Barry

If you like these comics, please support them on Patreon.

TRANSCRIPT OF COMIC

Panel 1
A rather cliched-looking hunter, a white man wearing a thick vest with many pockets and a plaid cap with earflaps, is creeping through a woodsy area, holding a rifle and looking around.
HUNTER: I know there’s voter fraud hiding somewhere…

Panel 2
The hunter spots something off-panel and shoots his rifle at it.
HUNTER: A-hah! Take THAT, voter fraud!
RIFLE: BLAM!
OFF-PANEL VOICE: OW!

Panel 3
Voting Rights, a dark-skinned woman with a hole blasted in her chest, has walked up to the Hunter and is chewing him out. The Hunter, rifle pointed towards the ground, looks quite cheerful.

VOTING RIGHTS: Would you PLEASE stop shooting me?
HUNTER: Oh hi, Voting Rights. I was aiming for voter fraud.

Panel 4
The Hunter raises his rifle to point it directly at Voting Rights and cocks the gun.
VOTING RIGHTS: You always say that, but you always hit ME!
HUNTER: What an odd and inexplicable coincidence.

Posted in Elections, Racism & Racists, Social Justice |

Who We Call Racist

Cartoon by Barry

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

Panel 1
An older white man in a three-piece suit is lecturing to a younger white man wearing a short-sleeved shirt with a tie. We can see that they are indoors; there’s a window with curtains behind them. Throughout this cartoon, the older man has his head lifted veryhigh (i.e., “nose in the air”).

OLDER MAN: Liberals call anything they disagree with “racist.” But we Republicans are more serious.

Panel 2
The older man continues lecturing, holding out one hand in a “stop” or “slow down” gesture.
OLDER MAN: Racism is a serious accusation. Before calling anyone “racist,” we always ask, “is racial animus the only possible motive here?”

Panel 3
A close-up on the older man, who is now looking positively indignant.
OLDER MAN: And we NEVER call our enemies “racist” just to score a cheap political point!

Panel 4
The younger man asks a question; the older man looks pleased with himself as he answers.
YOUNGER MAN: Wow. So is there ANYONE we DO call ra-
OLDER MAN: “Black Lives Matter.”

Posted in Racism & Racists |

Muslim Ban

Cartoon by Barry

IF you like these cartoons, please support them at my Patreon.

TRANSCRIPT

Panel 1
A woman with cat’s-eye glasses is anxiously explaining something.
GLASSES WOMAN: The people who murder abortion doctors don’t represent Christianity.

Panel 2
A man in a suit and tie is explaining something, looking very concerned and raising his arms for emphasis.
SUIT MAN: The white guy who shot up a Sikh temple was just one guy. We can’t tar all white people with that brush!

Panel 3
A balding man in a black t-shirt is speaking calmly, his arms crossed.
BLACK TEE MAN: Sure, about 98% of mass murders are committed by men. But the vast majority of men are nothing like that!

Panel 4
A new character, a woman with black hair and reading from a smartphone, has entered. The three characters from the first three panels are reacting with panic and yelling.
NEW WOMAN: “Police speculate that the attacker may have been Muslim–”
ALL THREE OTHER CHARACTERS YELLING: MUSLIM BAN!

Posted in Immigration, Racism & Racists, Social Justice |

The Six Kinds of Republican

Cartoon by Barry

If you like this, consider supporting my Patreon!

Transcript of cartoon:

CAPTION AT THE TOP OF CARTOON: The Six Kinds of Republican

Panel 1
CAPTION: 1. Overt Racists
IMAGE: A natty white man, with a shaved head and a pinstripe vest, is standing on a sidewalk talking directly at the viewer with an intense expression.
NATTY MAN: Obviously white people are better at civilization. That’s why we need to stop Blacks from voting.

Panel 2
CAPTION: 2. Strategic Racists
IMAGE: Same scene as panel one, but now an older, successful-looking white man, in a jacket and tie, has entered and is talking to the Natty Man, putting one hand on the Natty Man’s shoulder.
OLDER MAN: No, my friend! We have to stop Democrats from voting. But since most Blacks vote Democrat, we’ll find some excuse to keep them from voting.

Panel 3
CAPTION: 3. Enabler Racists
IMAGE: We are looking closely at the screen of a smartphone, being held by a hand. On the screen, a well-dressed white woman with a straight haircut is talking.
PUNDIT LADY:  Since our new election “security” laws don’t literally say “we hate Black people,” it’s unfair to call them “racist”!

Panel 4
CAPTION: 4. Pragmatic Racists
IMAGE: A suburban-looking white couple stands in front of a two-story house. The man is holding a baby.
MAN: Maybe these laws do suppress the Black vote.
WOMAN: But we’re white, so that’s not a deal-breaker.

Panel 5
CAPTION: 5. Willing Dupe Racists
IMAGE: Two young white men are talking. One, with a chinstrap beard and a plaid shirt, is waving his arms and has an angry expression. The other, with neatly combed hair, a t-shirt, and a lecturing expression, has his arms folded.
PLAID SHIRT: In what way is systematically making it harder for Black voters to vote “racist”? (Stop playing the race card!)
T-SHIRT: We need these laws because millions of “illegals” are voting! (But you’ll never see that reported by the lamestream media!)

Panel 6
CAPTION: Not Racist
IMAGE: A blank white panel, other than a caption in the middle of it.
CAPTION: (No example found)

Posted in Elections, Racism & Racists, Social Justice |

We’re Not Anti-Immigrant, They Say

Cartoon by Barry

Transcript:

Panel 1
Two men are in a park, talking.

CAPTION: 2009
MAN 1: We don’t have anything against immigrants. Just against illegals.
MAN 2: Don’t call people “illegals.”

Panel 2
A TV screen plays. On the TV, a blonde woman cheerfully talks.

CAPTION: 2011
WOMAN: Anti-immigrant? That’s ridiculous. The GOP has no problem with immigrants who follow the rules.

Panel 3
A scowling man leans over a laptop, typing furiously, sitting in an empty coffee shop.

CAPTION: 2014
MAN (what he’s typing): That’s yet another libtard lie – that Republicans are anti-immigrant, just because we want to get illegals out!

Panel 4
A man wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap is speaking angrily.

CAPTION: 2016
MAN: It’s so unfair to call Republicans anti-immigrant! We’re just anti-illegal immigrant.

Panel 5
A shot of the White House. Two word balloons, indicating people inside the building speaking, come out of the white house.

CAPTION: Literally the first week of a Republican presidency

VOICE 1: Should our new immigration ban also include green card holders who are legal U.S. residents?
VOICE 2: Hell yes.

Posted in Immigration, Racism & Racists, Social Justice |

Stop Touching Her Hair White People!

Cartoon by Barry

Transcript:

Panel 1
There are two women in this panel, a white woman and a black woman. Both are smiling.

CAPTION: MONDAY
White woman: Your hair is so beautiful! Can I touch it?
Black woman: Thanks, but no.

Panel 2
This panel shows a different white woman, and the same black woman. The white woman is smiling, but the Black woman’s expression is now a little wary, and her arms are crossed.

CAPTION: TUESDAY
White woman 2: How do you wash your hair? Does it smell? Can I touch it?
Black woman: I’d rather you didn’t.

Panel 3
A white man now appears, along with the same Black woman. He is smiling and reaching for her head; she is jerking back, holding up her hands protectively.

CAPTION: WEDNESDAY
White man: What does that stuff feel like?
Black woman: Hey! Hands off, please.

Panel 4
A third white woman is in this panel, along with the same Black woman. The white woman is reaching out for the Black woman; the Black woman is yelling in frustration.

CAPTION: THURSDAY
White woman 3: May I touch your-
Black woman: NOT A PETTING ZOO!

Panel 5
The Black woman has stormed off, leaving white woman 3 alone in the panel. She looks surprised, looking in the direction that the Black woman left.

Panel 6
White woman 3 now looks annoyed.

White woman 3 (thought): Why are black people so touchy?

Posted in Racism & Racists |

What If All The Defaults Were Reset?

Cartoon by Barry

Transcript of cartoon:

What If All The Defaults Were Reset?

Panel 1

(A suspicious-looking young white man in a sweater, arms crossed, is listening to a magical fairy, who is speaking earnestly to him while hovering in the air on her two small wings. The Fairy is dark-skinned, has her head shaved except for a little poof of hair on top, has no arms below the elbows, and has two little feathered wings.)

FAIRY: When you’re not the “societal default” – white, straight, male, cis, etc – it’s like a thousand little weights!

Panel 2

(Sweater-dude looks angry, and has lifted his arms in the air to make a point.)

SWEATER-DUDE: You minorities always make a big deal out of nothing… I’m sure it’s not hard to handle!

Panel 3

(The Fairy, a wild grin on her face, casts a spell – we know because a caption says “casting cool magic spell” – and a big cloud of magic smoke appears where Sweater-Dude was.)

FAIRY: Okay, let’s see!

Panels 4-13
(These panels form a giant circle. They can be read starting with any panel.)

Panel 4

(A man with an eyepatch puts his hands on his face in a gesture of astonishment.)

MAN: You identify as the sex you were assigned at birth? Whoa! So what does your junk look like?

Panel 5

(A fat woman with cat’s eye glasses and a striped crop top is giving instructions with a cheerful, helpful demeanor..)

WOMAN: If you’d just stop undereating you could be fat. You can do it!

Panel 6

(An irritated looking woman with curly hair, arms akimbo, is asking a question.)

WOMAN: ¡Habla español! Esto es América!

Panel 7
(An older woman with a punk haircut makes a shrugging “what can we do?” gesture.)

WOMAN: Sure, nearly all the Senators and CEOs are women. But how is that sexist against men?

Panel 8

(A young person with tattoos looks anxious as they speak.)

WOMAN: Have you tried being queer? Really really tried? I only ask because I want you to be happy!

Panel 9

(An older woman looks up from a TV Guide, looking puzzled..)

WOMAN: Why would anyone watch a TV show about young people?

Panel 10

(A cheerful man wearing a yarmulke is giving helpful advice. His hands are flapping in the air around his face.)

MAN: Couldn’t you just try making stimming gestures? You don’t want to seem weird!

Panel 11

(A woman holds her hand over her mouth in a gesture of dismay and astonishment.)

WOMAN: You like sex? That must be so hard.

Panel 12

(A man in a wheelchair spreads out his hands to indicate being impressed..)

MAN: You walk everywhere? Wow! I could never live like that!

Panel 13

(A young Black woman looks at the viewer with a friendly “just asking questions” expression.)

WOMAN: Why do white people talk with that accent? And can I touch your hair?

Panel 14

(This panel is surrounded by the circle formed by panels 4-13. It shows Sweater-Dude, wide-eyed and panicked, hands on the sides of his face.)

SWEATER-DUDE: What’s happening?

Panel 15
(This panel, occupying the bottom third of the comic, shows the Fairy speaking directly to the viewer. In the background, we can see Sweater-Dude, with the giant circle formed by panels 4-13 on his back. Sweater-Dude is trembling with the effort of holding up so much weight.)

FAIRY: If you have to lift this weight every day of your entire life…

Plus the weight of historical inequalities plus the weight of institutional oppression…

It can all add up to a crushing load!

If that weight looks petty to you … Maybe that’s because it’s not on your back.

Posted in Ableism, Fat Acceptance, LGBT cartoons, Racism & Racists, Sexism & Misogyny, Social Justice |

It’s Great To See Such Diverse Job Applicants

Cartoon by Barry

Transcript of cartoon:

Panel 1 shows four executives sitting at a desk. We can only see the backs of their heads; they all have the same height and haircut. The four executives are facing a large group of people dressed up for a job application. There are a similar number of women and men, who appear to be of a range of ages, races, sizes, and ethnic backgrounds. One applicant is using crutches to stand.
EXEC 2: It’s great to see such diverse job applicants! Rest assured, our firm does not discriminate against women or minorities.

Panel 2. We are now looking at the four executives from the front. They are all identical white men in business suits.
EXEC 1: But we can’t hire everybody, so… Anyone who didn’t graduate from the “right” kind of college, please leave.

Panel 3
EXEC 2: Anyone with family responsibilities that could interfere with work, please leave.

Panel 4
EXEC 3: Anyone without a recommendation from someone already in the field, please leave.

Panel 5
EXEC 4: Anyone whose accent or look or gender presentation wouldn’t be a “fit” for our firm’s existing culture, please leave.

Panel 6 shows the applicants again; only one is left. Other than being younger, he looks precisely like the four executives.
EXEC 4: Gentleman, we’ve found our new hire!

Posted in Economic cartoons, Labor rights & Unions, Racism & Racists, Sexism & Misogyny |

We Must Discuss All Possibilities… But The Most Likely One

Cartoon by Barry

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

Panel 1

A close shot of a white woman in a striped dress. She is talking, although it seems a bit like lecturing. Let’s call her “Stripes.”

STRIPES: To have a real conversation about race, we have to consider all ideas in a neutral and calm manner.

Panel 2

STRIPES: For example, what if Black culture has made Black people lazy? We can’t refuse to even consider that!

Panel 3

WOMAN: Or… what if Blacks are born with lower IQs than whites? We should at least consider that, right?

Panel 4

The “camera” has backed up, and we now see that Stripes has been talking to a Black woman wearing a floral dress, who I’ll call “Flowers.”

FLOWERS: What if people who say Blacks are lazy and stupid are racist as hell? Shouldn’t we consider that?

STRIPES (yelling) ABSOLUTELY NOT! DON’T MAKE THINGS PERSONAL!

Panel 5 (a tiny “kicker” panel at the bottom of panel 4)

FLOWERS: Calling Blacks stupid isn’t personal?

STRIPES: It isn’t to me.

Posted in Racism & Racists |

Police Shootings, or, Oh The Tragedy!

Cartoon by Barry

Transcript of cartoon

Each panel of this cartoon shows the same white dude in an armchair, from the same angle, watching the news on TV. Small details change throughout the cartoon – his hairline recedes, his drink changes, he switches from watching an old-fashioned thick TV to watching on a laptop to watching on a flatscreen – but the essential scene never changes. The man doesn’t seem very interested in the news, and in one panel he even dozes off.

Panel 1
TV: In today’s news, Prince Jones, an unarmed Black man, was shot to death when police mistook him for another man.

Panel 2
TV: Alberta Sprull, an unarmed Black woman, was killed by a concussion grenade thrown during a police raid.

Panel 3
TV: …almost ten percent of young black men are in prison, most often for non-violent drug offenses.

Panel 4
TV: …police say that Stansbury, age 19, was shot “by accident.” The officer was suspended for 30 days.

Panel 5
TV: …judge acquitted three officers who fired fifty shots into the car of Sean Bell, the night before Bell’s wedding.

Panel 6
TV: …despite economic growth, Black unemployment remains nearly twice as high as unemployment for whites…

Panel 7
TV: Deaunta Farrow, age 12, was shot when… Tarika Wilson, age 26…

Panel 8
This panel is divided into 17 sub-panels, getting smaller and smaller as they go on, implying a potentially endless number of panels. In each panel, the TV is speaking.
TV: …Oscar Grant was handcuffed face-down when police… Shem Walker… Kiwane Carrington… Manuel Loggins Jr…. Rekia Boyd… Reynaldo Cuevas… Kimani Gray… Eric Garner… Freddie Gray….

Panel 9
Suddenly the white dude looks engaged and outraged, leaping up from the armchair and pointing furiously at the TV.
TV: Private Property was damaged today when a protest turned into a riot…
DUDE: OH THE TRAGEDY!

* * *

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Posted in Racism & Racists |

The Modern Sisyphus

Cartoon by Barry

PANEL 1
The first panel has a close-up of a Black person’s hands pushing a boulder uphill. The title of the strip, “Modern Sisyphus,” is written on the boulder.

PANEL 2
We see a black woman, wearing casual office clothing, pushing a boulder uphill. A few yards above her, at the top of the hill, a white man stands listening with his arms crossed.
WOMAN: I realize that you never owned slaves or raped anyone. I’m talking about systematic racism and sexism, okay?

PANEL 3
The woman has pushed the boulder to almost the very top of the hill.
WOMAN: Yes, I’m qualified to be in my job… No, I don’t hate white men… No, sexism and racism didn’t end thirty years ago…

PANEL 4
The woman has lost her grip on the boulder and watches, appalled, as it quickly rolls back down the hill. The man walks away, disappearing off the right side of the panel.
MAN: If you just stopped focusing on these things, you’d be happier… I gotta go now.

PANEL 5
The woman stands looking down the hill in the direction the boulder went, slumped a little.

PANEL 6
Still slumped a little, the woman tiredly walks downhill.
WOMAN: Sigh…

Posted in Racism & Racists, Sexism & Misogyny |

Who To Blame?

Cartoon by Barry

Script:

PANELS 1 & 2. The Federal Reserve, depicted as a professorial-looking man (bow tie, pipe), cheerily talking to a balding, working-class looking dude in an undershirt. Working class dude is listening without much expression.
FEDERAL RESERVE: hi! i’m the federal reserve! i practically run the economy! i COULD use my powers to lower unemployment, but INVESTORS don’t want that. in fact, whenever unemployment gets LOW, i make it go UP. because that’s what wall street wants. i purposely create unemployment!
PANELS 3 & 4 The Federal Reserve is gone, and in his place is The Banking Industry, depicted as a balding man in a vest, tie and jacket, and with dollar bills floating in the air around him. Banking Industry is even more cheerful than Federal Reserve was. Working class dude continues listening expressionlessly.
BANKING INDUSTRY: hey there! I’m the banking industry. i pack the government with my friends, and gamble wildly until i destroy the entire economy. after that, i’ll get bailed out with YOUR tax dollars. then i’ll foreclose on the horribly inequitable mortgage i sold you and take your home!
PANEL 5: Man wearing Uncle Sam hat has now replaced Banking Industry. Uncle Sam waves cheerily. Working Class Dude continues to listen expressionlessly.
UNCLE SAM: greetings! i’m your goverment!
PANEL 6: Uncle Sam leans in and whispers. Working Class Dude continues to listen expressionlessly.
UNCLE SAM: i make little GESTURES towards reform, but in the end i always take the banks’ side! because they totally OWN me!
PANELS 7 & 8: An Immigrant Dude replaces Uncle Sam, and speaks cheerfully. Immigrant Dude looks exactly like Working Class Dude, except his skin is a little darker. Working Class Dude continues to listen expressionlessly.
IMMIGRANT DUDE: hello! i’m an immigrant. i just want to work hard to feed my family.
PANEL 9: Working Class Dude yells very loudly and angrily; Immigrant Dude winces back in surprise.
WORKING CLASS DUDE: QUIT RUINING MY LIFE, YOU SELFISH BASTARD!!

Posted in Barry's favorites, Economic cartoons, Immigration, Racism & Racists |

Reassuring White People

Cartoon by Barry

Panel one: Two women are talking, one white, one black. The white woman looks annoyed, the black woman looks nervous.
WHITE WOMAN: so then HE said i was being RACIST! that’s CRAZY, right?
BLACK WOMAN: um… do you realize you’ve done this before?

Panel two
WW: Done what?
BW: Ask me to reassure you you’re not a racist.

Panel three: Close-up on the black woman, mockingly imitating a jubilant doctor.
BW: when i was BORN, the doctor didn’t say “oh, it’s a healthy BLACK baby! god willing, she’ll grow up to reassure WHITE people!”

Panel four: Close-up on the black woman, now with an openly angry expression.
BW: my PARENTS didn’t say “if we raise her JUST right, then SOMEDAY she’ll make WHITE people feel BETTER about themselves!”

Panel five
BW: do you UNDERSTAND what I’m telling you?
WW: I think I do.

Panel six
WW: just one thing… you’re not suggesting that I’ve been RACIST, right?

Tiny inset panel at bottom of panel six
BW: Do you even hear the words I say?
WW: The ones I like.

Posted in Racism & Racists |

Obama and The End of Racism

Cartoon by Barry

Posted in Racism & Racists |

Maintain that Hierarchy!

Cartoon by Barry

This comic strip was a component of a larger page of cartoons originally done for Dollars & Sense Magazine. You can view the whole thing here.

Posted in Economic cartoons, Labor rights & Unions, Racism & Racists, Sexism & Misogyny |

Recession Funnies!

Cartoon by Barry

“Recession Funnies” was a 2/3 page group of cartoons done for Dollars & Sense Magazine. It’s too large to fit in this space, but you can view the whole thing here.

Posted in Economic cartoons, Media criticism, Racism & Racists |

Why Nestle Isn’t Racist

Cartoon by Barry

Posted in Imperialism & War, Racism & Racists |