“People are testy and uncomfortable, and they really don’t know where the country’s going. That’s why cartoonists are here.” That quote is by political cartoonist Steve Benson regarding Trump 1.0 back in 2017. Sounds very relevant for today, as does the above editorial cartoon, also circa 2017.
Steve Benson (1954 – 2025) was one of the greats with a career spanning over 40 years. Benson won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in The Arizona Republic in 1993. Benson grew up in the generation influenced by giants in the industry, Jeff MacNelly and Pat Oliphant, the caliber of cartoonists that even the most casual observer took notice of. As happens with the best, Benson found his own take on things and the rest is history.
Steve Benson is not a name I was particularly acquainted with. Sadly, a good chunk of Benson’s career oversaw the steady decline of newspapers and the overall splintering of media into a thousand pieces. That said, his work was powerful and speaks to the need for more of it, not less. Political cartoons are a perfect vehicle to speak truth to power. We still have any number of cartoonists who aspire to at least try to make as strong a mark as Benson on this or that online platform. We need them to continue their good work since nefarious politicians aren’t slowing down any time soon if ever.
Political cartoonists are true artists who are mirrors of the days events.
I could not have said it better, Tony.