Lesson learned
I learned political cartooning from Herblock. His cartoons were devastating, incisive, unequivocal — unforgettable. He didn’t want to entertain you or make you laugh. It was outrage over
perceived injustice, incompetence, hypocrisy or skulduggery that caused him to pick up an ink pen. Ironically, his cartoons’ searing honesty and truthfulness made me laugh. Herblock was a
marvelous draftsman as well. His caricatures cut to the heart and soul of their subjects, as true caricature should do. Younger
cartoonists consider Herblock’s work old-fashioned and outdated. What a pity!
Herblock often made his point through dramatic juxtaposition. If a politician said one thing and did another, he portrayed the hypocrisy as it was with little embellishment. These four cartoons take from that lesson.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
