New Recruits’ Vow

Cartoon by Barry

If you enjoy these cartoons, and can spare it, please support them on Patreon. A $1 pledge matters a lot.

Transcript of Cartoon

This is a four-panel cartoon.

PANEL ONE shows two women, one wearing a long open-front sweater and a polka dot skirt, the other wearing pants and a long-sleeved v neck shirt. The woman with the polka dot skirt is reading aloud from something on her smartphone. The woman in the v-neck shirt is listening, hand on her chin.

DOTS: Listen to the vow this group makes new recruits take! “I swear I will have no mercy for brown people…”

PANEL TWO
A close-up of Dots as she continues reading from her phone. She looks a bit angry.

DOTS: “I will throw them into prison without due process. I will pull their crying children from their arms.”

PANEL THREE
A shot of the two of them. Dots continues to read from her phone. V-Neck interrupts, looking horrified, her eyes wide and her hands on her cheeks.

DOTS: “I will spread fear and desperation. I will…”
V-NECK: What nightmare group is this? The Klan? The Nazis?

PANEL FOUR
A middle-aged man with a mustache and wearing a suit, stands behind a podium, talking to a crowd of people. The front of the podium has the Department of Homeland Security seal, and the word “ICE.”

MAN: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to ICE!

Posted in Immigration, Social Justice |

Cartoon: Wealthfare vs Welfare

Cartoon by Barry

If you enjoy these cartoons, and can spare it, please support my Patreon! A $1 pledge really matters.

Another collaboration with Rachel Swirsky!

A special thanks on the sidebar to patron N.K. Jemisin, who – among many other accomplishments – recently won the Hugo Award for “best novel” two years running. Rachel and I are both big fans of N.K.’s novels, and you should check out her website.

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

At the top of the cartoon, in large letters, is the title “WELFARE vs WEALTHFARE.”

Below that, the cartoon is divided into three columns. The columns on the left and right show regular cartoon images; the middle column only contains a caption for each row. The left column is underneath the word “Welfare” in the title; the right-hand column is underneath the word “Wealthfare” in the title.

ROW 1: HANDOUTS

Welfare Panel: A man holding a grocery bag is startled by an angry man in a necktie yelling at him.
NECKTIE MAN: Let me see those groceries! You better not have spent your food stamps on anything nice!

Wealthfare Panel: A well-off looking man in a jacket and tie stands looking aloof, with his arms crossed and his nose up in the air. Behind him, a man wearing a tie is kneeling on the ground and begging.
KNEELING MAN: PLEEEEASE let us buy you a new stadium! We’ll give you $200 million dollars!

ROW 2: HOUSING

Welfare Panel: A woman stands at a pay phone, the phone held to her ear. She has luggage with her, and an anxious looking ten year old son.
VOICE FROM PHONE: Sure, we can help with housing. Looks like we’ll have space for you in… Four years.

Wealthfare Panel: A wealthy-looking older couple, wearing sunglasses and casual-nice clothes, stands in front of an enormous yacht.
WOMAN: We legally declared our million-dollar yacht our second home.
MAN: So now we deduct its mortgage from our taxes!

ROW 3: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Welfare Panel: A building with a sign, which says “welfare office.” Voices come from inside the building.
FIRST VOICE: Pee into this cup.
SECOND VOICE: But I don’t use drugs!
FIRST VOICE: Exactly what a druggie would say!

Wealthfare Panel: A wealthy looking businessman sits in a large executive chair, reading some papers. Behind him, two younger, slightly nerdy looking people talk to his back, looking anxious.
NERD 1: Look at all these crimes! I’m sorry, but you’ll have to pay a modest fine.
NERD 2: But you can deduct it from your taxes!
BUSINESSMAN (unconcerned, barely paying attention): Uh-huh.

ROW 4: BANKRUPTCY

Welfare Panel: A security guard in a brown uniform lounges in front of a house, leaning on a sign that says “For Sale By Bank.” A father holding an infant, and his young daughter at his side, look aghast.
GUARD: The bank says “thanks for the swell house!”

Wealthfare Panel: Another businessman, seated behyind an enormous desk; the desktop is mostly empty, although he does have a laptop and a desk calendar. Behind him is a big window with a cityscape view.
BUSINESSMAN: Hello, government? I gambled away billions of my bank’s assets. Give me my bailout in thousand dollar bills.

ROW 5:THE BOTTOM LINE

Welfare Panel: Uncle Sam has his back turned towards a mother carrying an infant. His expression shows contempt. He holds out a tiny check to her like it’s a dead fish. A line from the check points to a little ¢ symbol.
UNCLE SAM: Take your welfare, MOOCHER.

Wealthfare Panel: A smiling wealthy man looks on as a smiling Uncle Sam brings in a wheelbarrow overflowing with piles and bags of cash.
UNCLE SAM: Here’s this month’s delivery, sir!

Kicker panel at bottom of strip
We see the necktie man and the food stamps user from the first panel. The necktie man is yelling again.
NECKTIE MAN: You have a refrigerator AND a cell phone? What are you, Beyonce?

Posted in Economic cartoons, Rachel Swirsky collaborations, Social Justice |

What’s The Difference?

Cartoon by Barry

Transcript of cartoon:

A woman with glasses and a slightly frightened, anxious expression is in the foreground, speaking directly to the reader.

Behind her, on the left, are three angry student protestors, yelling stuff we don’t hear. A caption identifies them as “college students.”

Also behind her, on the right, are three wealthy-looking white men in suits – one of them is President Trump – who also look angry and are yelling things we don’t hear. A caption identifies them as “governors, senators, president.”

WOMAN: Both sides have scary radicals! So what’s the difference?

This cartoon on Patreon.

Posted in Media criticism, Social Justice |

Things You Should Generally Avoid Touching

Cartoon by Barry

This cartoon was written by Rachel Swirsky. Check out Rachel’s website!

If you enjoy these cartoons, and can spare it, why not support them on Patreon? A $1 pledge matters a lot.

Transcript of cartoon.

At the top of the cartoon, the title is printed in a friendly, 1950s retro font.

TITLE: Things You Should Generally Avoid Touching

PANEL 1
This panel shows two beakers, filled with colored liquid that is bubbling away.

CAPTION: Mysterious, bubbling beakers.

PANEL 2
A Black woman with a wonderful head of hair turns back, looking annoyed, as a hand reaches out from behind her to touch her hair.

CAPTION: Strangers’ bodies.

PANEL 3
There is a sandwich; rising from the sandwich is a vaporous green death skull.

CAPTION: Sandwiches abandoned at nuclear test sites.

PANEL 4
A woman, large with pregnancy, wearing a “baby on board” tee shirt, looks down with annoyance as a hand extends out to touch her belly.

CAPTON: Strangers’ bodies.

PANEL 5
A bunch of vampire bats, including a big one in the foreground staring straight out at the viewer, mouth open to reveal fangs, are flying in the air.

CAPTION: Rabid vampire bats.

PANEL 6
We see the hips, butt and waist of a person, gender indeterminate, wearing pants with a shirt tucked in. A hand reaches out to touch their butt.

CAPTION: Seriously, strangers’ bodies.

PANEL 7
A double-wide final panel.
A white woman talks to the Black woman from panel 2. The white woman has her finger on her face as if concentrating; the Black woman looks amused.

WHITE WOMAN: What if the rabid bats attack AND I have to defeat them with the mysterious beakers but FIRST I have to get a stranger out of the way AND she can’t see or hear me… THEN can I touch her hair?

BLACK WOMAN: That sounds likely.

Posted in Racism & Racists, Sexism & Misogyny, Social Justice |

Alt Right Origins

Cartoon by Barry

If you enjoy these cartoons, and can spare it, please support my Patreon! A $1 pledge means a lot.

This cartoon has only one panel.

The panel shows an enormous, dragon-like monster – the size of a house at least – lying on the groun, looming over three reporters with microphones. The monster has a human-like, incredibly ancient face, with wrinkles upon wrinkles. The monster is labeled “racism” on his side.

The reporters give no sign of seeing the monster, Instead, they are interviewing a human-sized puppet that the monster has on its right hand. The puppet appears to be a blonde man, with the sides of his head shaved, and is wearing a white polo shirt with a swastika armband.

The puppet appears to be speaking, but the tail of the word balloon extends behind the puppet’s head and is actually coming out of the monster’s mouth.

MONSTER/PUPPET: We on the alt-right are a brand new movement, created as a response to the bullying of the intolerant left!

A REPORTER: Makes sense.
ANOTHER REPORTER: Darn those college kids!

Posted in Racism & Racists, Social Justice |

White People Ask… How is THAT Racist?

Cartoon by Barry

If you enjoy my cartoons, please support them on Patreon! Even a pledge of $1 makes a huge difference.

Transcript of Cartoon

Panel 1 is a title panel, with nothing but lettering.
LETTERING: White People Ask… How is THAT Racist?

Panel 2
A young white woman with red hair and a roundish face looks bewildered as she speaks.
WOMAN: I’m suing because Black students got into a college that rejected me, and I’m blaming affirmative action instead of my mediocre grades. How is THAT racist?

Panel 3
An older white woman, with curly white hair and glasses and a floral print dress, speaks cheerfully.
WOMAN: I would NEVER use the “n-word.” I call Black people “thugs” instead. How is THAT racist?

Panel 4
A middle-aged white man with glasses and a collared short-sleeved shirt raises his arms as he speaks, looking bewildered.
MAN: A law preventing TENS OF THOUSANDS of Blacks and Latinos from voting is a price worth paying if it stops just ONE illegal vote! How is THAT racist?

Panel 5
A large, mostly-bald white man grins, wearing a sports team t-shirt with a grotesque caricature of a grinning Indian, and the team name, “Indians.” He has a tattoo of the same design on one forearm.
MAN: I love wearing my team’s merch! How is THAT racist?

Panel 6
A concerned, meek-looking white woman, with a nice haircut and hoop earrings, speaks to the viewer.
WOMAN: I just think that hordes of illegal aliens coming from Mexico are ruining America. How is THAT racist?

Panel 7
A brown hand (the only non-white person in this strip) holds a smartphone. On the smartphone, an angry-looking white man in a suit is speaking to the camera; the image is labeled “Angry Channel.”
MAN: All I’m saying is that black people have genetically lower IQs, so we should expect them to earn less and be criminals. How is THAT racist?

Panel 8
A young white woman with bright pink hair, a plaid dress, and tattoos covering one arm speaks intensely to the viewer.
WOMAN: How can they say “Black lives matter”? Don’t they know that EVERYTHING has to include WHITE people? How is THAT racist?

Panel 9 (final panel)
A white person wearing a full Klu Klux Klan outfit, including the hood, is holding his hands up and shrugging.
KKK MEMBER: White people must prepare for the coming race war or the lower races will WIN! How is THAT racist?

Posted in Racism & Racists, Social Justice |

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 |

On Stopping Bigots From Speaking

Cartoon by Barry

TRANSCRIPT

Panel 1
Two students, both dressed in black hoodies, are in front of a wall of flames, speaking to each other cheerfully. Both of them are holding protest signs, showing a guy with a mustache, with a circle and cross “not allowed” symbol superimposed over his face.

MALE STUDENT: We stopped that bigot from speaking in our college auditorium!
FEMALE STUDENT: And we stopped his hateful message from spreading!

Panel 2
The mustache dude, wearing a jacket and tie and looking happy, stands behind a podium speaking. Many, many cameras and microphones are pointed at him, and various off-panel reporters yell questions at him.
REPORTER 1: Sir? Over here!
REPORTER 2: Were you frightened?
REPORTER 3: Tell us more about the mob of violent leftists! We’ll print every word!
REPORTER 4: What would your speech have said?
MUSTACHE DUDE: Please! One question at a time!

Panel 3 (A tiny “kicker” panel at the bottom)
The two students are being spoken to by the mustache dude. The students look grumpy, the mustache dude cheery.
MUSTACHE DUDE: Please don’t stop my next speech! … Do you need the address?

Posted in Social Justice |

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 |

What We Tell Fat People

Cartoon by Barry

Transcript:

Title: What We Tell Fat People

Panel 1

(A man with a TV for a head is pointing at a woman in an aqua shirt and a gray skirt. The woman, who is fat, looks sad.)

TVHEAD: I’m popular culture, and I think you’re sometimes hilarious but mainly gross.

Panel 2

(The same scene, but now the TV Man has been replaced by a balding guy wearing a jacket and necktie. The woman is unchanged, and still looks sad.)

NECKTIE: I’m your workplace, and we all think you’re lazy and stupid. And we pay you less.

Panel 3

(Now the woman, who has not moved and still looks sad, is being talked to by an Uncle Sam like figure. He has his arms crossed disapprovingly.)

UNCLE SAM: I’m the government, and I think you’re a problem that needs to be fixed.

Panel 4

(Now the sad woman is being spoken to by a lady wearing glasses and a black outfit, who is holding up a rolled-up newspaper.)

GLASSES: I’m smart people in the newspaper, and I’m concerned you’re ruining our economy.

Panel 5

(The sad woman is now being spoken to by a female doctor, with a white doctor’s coat and hair in a bun, holding a clipboard. The doctor’s cheery expression is undercut by her harsh words.)

DOCTOR: I’m your doctor, and to tell you the truth you disgust me.

Panel 6

(The sad woman, who still hasn’t moved, is now being faced by… herself. Her doppelganger looks angry, shaking a fist in the air.)

DOPPELGANGER: I’m your self-image, and I wanna puke every time I see a mirror.

Panel 7

(Another fat woman, with dark skin, glasses and an orange sleeveless shirt, appears. She smiles as she speaks, spreading her arms in a welcoming manner. For the first time all cartoon, the main character’s expression changes, as she smiles back at the fat woman.)

SECOND FAT WOMAN: Hi! I’m the fat rights movement, and I think you’re awesome!

Panel 8

(Final panel. The second fat woman looks surprised, and the main character looks annoyed, as ALL the other characters from panels 1-6 loom at the main character, glaring. TVMan is pointing angrily, and the Doctor is yelling a bit.. Only the Doctor and TVMan speak, but the impression is that they’re speaking for the crowd.)

TVMAN: Don’t listen to her!

DOCTOR: She just wants to hurt you, you fat freak!

Posted in Fat Acceptance, Social Justice |

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 |